Osprey, Osprey chicks, baby osprey

First we were expectant "grandparents", then we were anxious "grandparents" concerned about the welfare of the new arrivals.  Now we are just plain awed observers, very protective of our natural wonders. If you have visited my blog before, you might remember that I have put Osprey stories and photos on here before. Nesting, Osprey babies, Osprey language, Ospreys building nests and a few other Osprey themes have all  been covered in previous posts and can be accessed by clicking the links in the highlighted word.

mother osprey watching her brood from a nearby perch

This entry is a bit more dramatic and heart teasing than the previous postings. In previous stories I have recorded I showed the ospreys sitting on their platform. Their first year there was last year, a year where they appeared to be completely at a loss as to how to construct a nest. At that time we concluded that they were yearlings, working their way through providing for themselves. By the end of the summer they had brought enough sticks to mark the platform as their own, though not an amount adequate for roosting a family.

When they arrived this spring, they started construction after acclimating themselves to the area.  Slowly the sticks arrived, slowly the nest filled. They rearranged the sticks many times, until they were just right. We noticed shortly after that the female seemed to be nesting, sitting in place for long periods of time. None of the neighbors could see into the nest so we all shared observations and concocted scenarios. She sat and she sat, and then she was fussing into the area where she sat and we were sure she had hatched some chicks. But...we still could not see into the nest.  It took months, then finally one head lifted above the platform edges  so it could be seen. Our hearts were captured and we have been stealing peeks since then.  Now a month later we can clearly see three heads, flapping wings, and three large offspring. It is just plain awesome.

She is a wonderful mother. She shields them from the sun with her extended wings. She rips tiny pieces of fresh fish to feed them, the fish was brought to them by the father. Now that they are so large, she leaves them for short periods for them to experience independence....but she observes them from a short distance to protect them from harm.  Believe it or not there is obviously an Osprey language contained in the squawks they make, because when I went to take photos of the brood, she told them to lay down and hide when I came into view. They followed her command, and I took the photo below to record the moment.

note the hiding youths to the left in this photo

It was darn impressive. On cue, they lifted their heads taking in the situation.  And then finally returned to their original positions. They are not equal in abilities, and most likely not equal in age. They are endlessly fascinating. Enjoy! Well let me get these photos up. They are awesome.

note the mother's open mouth for squawking commands

The family at home, Dad is out fishing.