Ospreys

Osprey on nesting post perch

Osprey watching me photo them!

Osprey in nest

It is officially spring! The ospreys have returned to their nesting posts. With joyous surprise I found them roosting this week on their nests and posts. They are so entertaining to watch, and so awesome to see in action. These birds are so quirky, their behavior is often entertaining. They nest nearby and every time a boat noiseily passes, the Osprey starts singing in his nest. Its like a marine choir. Here's a video of my avian buddy singing up a tune. Last year the pair at this location had four or five chicks and it was thrilling to watch them grow from eggs to fledglings. This is one of the blessings of living out on the edge in the middle of wilderness. According to my research the same pair of Ospreys returns to the same nest from year to year, so this is a ritual of sorts. We look forward to their return as the official beginning of spring. When the chicks emerge it is a delight to see them progress from egg to independent flying youth. They practice practice practice their flying maneuvers and techniques before they actually try to fly. They get a bit braver each time they try out their skills. We were so thrilled one day when we were watching them and we saw one progress through his competencies to finally fly the nest alone. He flew to a nearby piling sat for a moment or two and then flew back to the nest. He repeated this multiple times, each time landing further away giving itself a bigger challenge each time. The things you learn with a little observation!