As you may have noticed, the nest is now empty. Our little osprey family met a startling end this evening. A bald eagle swooped in and plucked up all three chicks at once and carried them away.
We are feeling very sad after watching Penny and Griffin work so hard to raise these chicks only for them to vanish in an instant. C’est la vie. A bald eagle family will eat, and the osprey will try again next year.
June 24, 2020 - 1 of these 3 is not like the other
The chick that hatched last is much smaller than the other two. This can make it difficult for the chick to get enough nutrients because it is always in the back – not getting as much food. Penny has been spotted feeding the smaller chick while the two older siblings nap. Hopefully, this will be enough to sustain the youngest chick.
June 15, 2020 - 3 hungry little mouths
Check out the newest addition - the 3rd chick hatched on Friday, June 12 around 3 p.m.. The chicks will stay in the nest for about 2 months before testing out their wings and taking their first flight. In the meantime, Griffin and Penny will be busy feeding three hungry little mouths.
June 9, 2020 - I spy with my little eye...
Griffin brings breakfast to celebrate the hatching of not 1, but 2 chicks last night! The first chick hatched June 8th at 8:20 p.m. and the second chick hatched at 11:36 p.m.. Congratulations to the new parents!!
May 21, 2020 9:25 a.m. - Penny (seen on right) protects the nest!
Penny fiercely protected her eggs from an unwanted guest who approached the nest this morning.
May 6, 2020, 7:23 a.m. - Penny laid her 3rd egg!
Penny laid her third egg! Each egg was laid on the third day around 8:00 am. It is common for females to lay their eggs in a familiar pattern like this. We are very excited for our osprey pair and hope to see the osprey chicks hatch in about a month!
May 3, 2020, 8:02 a.m. - And then there were 2!
Shortly after the nest prowler, Penny laid the second egg!
May 3, 2020 Penny is on high alert!
Penny defends the nest against another female with loud guard calls and by flapping her wings. In areas with nest sites nearby, defense is critical and often intense.
April 30, 2020, 8:47 AM - We have an egg!
We have an egg!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp-1Pb9sU5Q
Penny laid an egg! This is very exciting news for our Osprey family. Osprey lay between 1 to 3 eggs, 1 to 3 days apart. The female incubates them for about a month, all the while fiercely protecting the nest with her mate. During incubation, the male will defend the nest and do the hunting, brining food back to the nest for the female.
April 21, 2020 - The Birds & The Bees...
The female calls the shots for successful mating; she needs to raise her tail and tilt forward so the male can curl his tail under hers and achieve a ‘cloacal kiss’. A male will land on a female’s back many times without this final contact being made. Studies have shown only 30 to 40% of attempts are successful. Early copulations stimulate the growth of eggs within the female’s ovary and strengthen the pair bond. The last 3 or 4 days before eggs are laid are the most critical for fertilization.
April 20, 2020 - Variety is the Spice of Life!
Griffin was busy fishing this weekend. He delivered a total of 7 fish to the nest, including several rainbow trout, 2 flounders and a catfish! The typical menu for the pair involves 2 or 3 fish per day, but as the family grows Griffin will need to deliver about 5 fish each day.
April 15, 2020 - Ignorance is Bliss Griff!
Griffin stays out of it while Penny defends the nest against another female. In past years we’ve seen 3 osprey at the nest. The addition of sound to our cameras really helps to tell the story!
April 15, 2020 - Home Improvements (Before & After)!
Penny and Griffin have been busy with home improvements during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy initiative. Here's the nest from the morning of April 14th to the afternoon of April 15th. Many new sticks and large patches of moss were added in a short amount of time. Nests on artificial platforms start relatively small, but adding to the nest year after year, osprey can end up with massive nests weighing up to 200 lbs.!
April 14, 2020 - Griffin has upped his game!
In past years, Griffin didn’t bring many fish back to the nest for Penny. This could’ve been one of the reasons they didn't have a successful nest with eggs. Penny had to leave the nest frequently to get food for herself. But this year, the couple was only reunited for one day when Griffin brought Penny her first lunch of the season. An Osprey's food of choice is fish. As for the site of their nest, just like anyone who buys a home, it's location, location, location. That's why their nests are built within a mile of water.
April 13, 2020 - Reunited and it feels so good...
The couple didn’t waste any time! Nest construction and mating have already started. Griffin brings most of the nesting materials and Penny has been busy arranging the nest.
April 12, 2020 - Penny is on the scene!
Penny, our female osprey, showed up on the scene on Easter Sunday!
April 5, 2020, 11:22 a.m. - Griffin is that you?
A male osprey arrived at the nest on Sunday morning. The first osprey sighting of 2020.
