Osprey family

Mama Osprey late in the day watching her brood from a tree top

We have had the joy of watching an Osprey pair raise their brood outside our kitchen window.
Of course they are on the river in an osprey platform, but we can see them clearly from about a hundred plus feet away. I will admit to trimming a tree for a clearer view, and it was worth it. They are impressive hard working creatures. They are not without peculiarities, but impressive, none the same.

nest being constructed of broken up tree branches

First they fought off other pairs for possession of the platform, and there were quite a few challengers. They defeated all in the battle for a place of their own.  Initially it didn't seem like they were doing much with their new crib, but then all of a sudden they one day started bringing sticks and constructing a nest. Soon after that the female spent a lot of time sitting, but we could not see into the nest to know if there were any eggs...as a matter of fact we couldn't see if there were any hatched eggs either, but we waited and waited. The neighbors were all watching and sharing insights on the happy couple. One day one of the neighbors went as close to the platform as possible, and waited with a camera to take a close look. He discovered there were three juveniles with fluffy little feather cover, nearly white. We welcomed the new arrivals with news spreading down the block. We watched, and they grew.

Mother Ospray and her three nestlings in the platform

We photographed and they started flapping a wing from time to time, and then we saw one stand. Much like a proud grandparent we were captivated. It has been the summer of the Osprey brood here in the neighborhood. I am told by other residents in town who do not live on the water, that we sound like members of a cult. We share stories, we bond over the brood's milestones, and our observations and experiences. We look at each others photographs of our local celebrities and share insights. It may sound crazy, but it has been a wonderful blessing to watch wild life from such a close perch. It is an education I didn't even know I was missing.

Osprey babies hunkering down in the nest