Nesting Diaries
Nest has failed. Reason unknown. No birds, no eggs.
No birds on nor near the nest. Several ospreys calling from a distance, soaring and one perched on a tree on the far shoreline of the tidal gut.
On this sunny morning, one osprey was perched on the edge of the platform. There was a small amount of nesting material on the platform. I momentarily turned my back on the nest to look for other birds. When I again looked at the platform, the bird was gone, nowhere in sight. After waiting for his/her return in vain for several minutes, I left.
The nest platform is totally empty, not even any nesting material is evident on the platform. The only osprey I could find was sitting near the top of a dead tree off the eastern shore of the tidal gut. Is today's date, Friday the 13th, a bad omen for the welfare of the Tidal Gut ospreys?
I found the nest empty, with no ospreys heard nor seen anywhere. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I left, having nothing else to report.
On a gray low 50's degree early afternoon, I began observing the nest from the viewing platform. The female was sitting low and flat backed on the nest, as two other ospreys flew towards and above the nest, obviously in a chase situation. The female left the nest and joined the aerial chase. Within about 30 seconds, the female returned to the nest and settled in. Less than a minute later, the male joined her on the nest, and the third bird, apparently an interloper, disappeared. All remained quiet, so I left the platform.
Arriving about noon, one bird was observed sitting down low in nest with flat back, in brooding position. No other activity noted.
At 3:30 pm i trained my binocs on one lone bird, sitting low in the nest with flat back, perhaps brooding. Essentially no nesting material was visible to me from the viewing platform. I am estimating the dates for egg laying and incubation initiation, as the female was not brooding at my last visit.
On my first visit in the 2016 nesting season, two adults were standing on the platform. The platform is listing but appears to be okay for nest building/rebuilding. There is some probably old nesting material on the platform.
This is my last visit to the Tidal Gut Nest this season, as I will be traveling for most of September. By the end of September, all or nearly all of the Ospreys, fledglings and adults, will have headed for their winter homes, in Florida, Costa Rica or Venezuela. Some have already left. They do not migrate in flocks, but rather leaving singly, or perhaps in twos or threes. The fledglings, though less than three months old, are fully-grown and take care of themselves. They fly and dive through the air, catching their own fish. They do not come back to the nest very often. Each one has found his/her own place where they like to spend the day and the night. Next spring, this year’s fledglings will remain in their winter homes, returning to the area of their birth the following year. Now, with the nest empy, other birds, crows, herons, even bald eagles will use the nest as a dining room or place to perch. The nest is empty again today. Mid March of 2016 and the return of our birds will not come too soon!
The sky was eerily empty as I approached CBEC this morning. From the viewing platform I finally spotted one Osprey, soaring high above the Tidal Gut, looking for his breakfast. Perhaps some of his friends and family have already begun their long migratory journey to South America or Costa Rica.
On this beautiful, breezy and comfortable late Saturday morning, there were no birds on the nest and none visible as I scanned the sky and wooded areas surrounding Marshy Creek. My timing was poorly selected. There were several SUPs (Stand Up Paddlers) enjoying Marshy Creek. No wonder the birds were hiding elsewhere-or perhaps out catching and eating fish on their own.
UPDATE on chick that was rescued from the shoreline in late June and taken to TriState Bird Rescue and Research Center in Delaware: Upon close examination, some old and therefore untreatable injuries were discovered. She had an old fracture at the base of her lower beak which resulted in "cross beak" and poor alignment. She also had an old fracture of the heel of one talon. Unfortunately she had to be euthanized.
Driving slowly into CBEC today, four or more Ospreys were circling and soaring. Some or all may be juveniles, in training for their upcoming migration flight south, just next month.
Two ospreys were on the nest, though backlighting from the morning sun made it impossible to detect whether they had juvenile or adult plumage. Both birds left the nest and chased each other for several minutes before disappearing into the trees across the gut.
One Osprey standing on the nest left in a loud hurry as I tried to sneak into the bird blind to observe. He/she was backlit by the morning sun, so i could not see whether she wore adult or juvenile plumage. She flew in great large circles but would not return to the nest, though I was hidden in the bird blind. The shallow shoreline several hundred yards to the southeast was speckled with over 25 white herons, some large and some small, plus one great blue heron in their midst. Could this be a rookery?
The nest is EMPTY! There are no osprey visible in any tree as I scanned 360 through my binoculars. The remaining chick must have fledged since my last observation.
Mrs. Osprey was sitting on the nest. No further word yet on the chick who was rescued and taken to Tri State Bird Rescue in Newark,Delaware. The remaining chick seemed to wave hello with one wing. He/She is learning to stand upright without falling forward as he begins to flap his growing wings.
All quiet on the nest today. However, on June 26, one of the chicks from this nest fell or was pushed overboard and found struggling along the shoreline by two interested bystanders. The chick was delivered to the Executive Director of CBEC who kept it fed through the holiday weekend.The bird was then carried to a Veterinarian who hydrated the bird. The chick had a puncture wound near its beak that was healing. At the suggestion of the Vet, the chick was taken to a Vet Clinic in Delaware for further I/V treatment. More to follow as it becomes known................
As a kayak was paddled near to her nest, Mrs. Osprey gave her alarm call and flew in wide circles around and above the nest. The chicks apparently did as instructed and flattened themselves into the nest cup, not visible to us from the viewing platform.
Breakfast time! Mrs. Osprey was busily feeding her two chicks, whose heads were clearly visible above the nest wall. She was tearing small pieces of flesh off a fish and dropping or shoving it into the mouths of the chicks. Mr. Osprey was nowhere to be seen, so I could not tell whether she had brought the fish to the nest herself, or if he had made the delivery.
On this cold, gray, wet morning, Mrs. Osprey was hunkered down over her chicks, protecting them from the elements. She raised her head once or twice, then lowered it again. Still no head count.
Chicks! Mrs. Osprey is busy, righting chicks with her feet. Brand new chicks fall over and need mama's constant help to sit and stand up straight. Next week perhaps we will be able to count little heads. Chicks now too small to be visible from our vantage point on a viewing platform.
Incubating, incubating, incubating! Looks like sparrows living in the lower level of the nest. They must have the job of keeping it clean, by eating insects and other organic matter.
Apparently it was Mr. Osprey standing on the front edge of the nest, blocking our view of Mama, who was no doubt behind him, sitting on her eggs. As the length of incubation period is 36-42 days, she has considerable more "sitting" to do.
Mama Osprey was observed sitting quietly in the nest cup, no doubt keeping her eggs safe and warm. Although we cannot see her eggs from our vantage point, there are probably two of them, perhaps even three. Each egg is a little smaller than a chicken egg. They are not really white, but almost white, with rddish-brown splotches on them. Mr. Osprey was nowhere to be seen, but we heard him calling. Since our last visit to the nest, it has been "adorned" with what appears to be a deflated balloon hanging from a string.
Mrs. Osprey was sitting quietly in her nest. She certainly appears to be incubating. As our monitoring schedule provides intermittent observations, we believe that she laid eggs on or about April 27 and began incubating on or about April 29. Mr. Osprey was not present, nor was he observed.
On this very cool, gray and windy morning, Mrs. Osprey was visible from atop an elevated viewing platform. She was lying quietly in her shallow nest, atop a piling in Marshyh Creek near the Kayak Landing. Might she be incubating? Or is she still forming a smooth and warm nest cup before laying her eggs? Stay tuned! Mr. Osprey was nowhere in sight. Hopefully he was out fishing as it is his responsibility to bring meals to the Mrs.
Female lying quietly in shallow nest. She stood up one time, rearranged a few sticks, and then lay down again. No other activity observed.
In 2005 there was a nest platform on a piling in the same location in Marshy Creek. The platform was destroyed in a winter storm. Ospreys utilized the platform from 2005 until 2008 when it disappeared that winter. The following year 2009, the pair built a nest in a dead tree adjacent to where the old platform was located. They were unsuccessful in raising young. In 2011 a new platform was erected, and it was not used until this year (2014). A pair moved in and started building a nest on the platform the same day, St. Patrick's Day.