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osprey 07/11/15 squirt
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George and Gracie's First Baby
Eggs Over Easy
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First Love
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Little Brother
Intruder
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Belle’s Journey
Written by Dr. Rob Bierregaard & Illustrated by Kate Garchinsky
Take flight with Belle, an osprey born on Martha’s Vineyard as she learns to fly and migrates for the first time to Brazil and back–a journey of more than 8,000 miles.
IMPORTANT: Messages from osprey experts
I haven’t seen the little guy yet this morning, but I would be very surprised if he survived the night. That sure was tough to watch yesterday, but that whole process is as much a part of the essence of being an Osprey as is eating a fish. It’s part of the life of Ospreys that was rarely seen before we started putting cameras in nests. As hard as it is, we should not label the behavior as mean or cruel. Being mean or cruel implies that there is intent to do harm just for harm’s sake. Those young were responding to a set of stimuli (very little food being delivered to the nest and the presence of a very small young) in a way that evolution has hard-wired into them. It helps ensure their survival. Nature is not cruel. It is harsh, unforgiving, and often random (had the little guy been born 1st, he would have been just as aggressive as was his sibling), but not cruel or mean.
Paul Henry ospreyzone July 1, 2015 at 8:17 am
Thanks Rob for bringing your knowledge and experience to help us all gain perspective here. We are all saddened by the events that unfolded before our eyes and it’s only natural for all of us to feel and express our emotions appropriately. There have been many issues pertaining to intervention which have been discussed amongst us all. There is no doubt in my mind that the right decision was made, to let nature take it’s course. By the way, that doesn’t equate to heartless, on the contrary, nobody feels worse about this then the apparent decision makers. I say apparent, because when all was said and done, and all the issues were properly weighed, there really weren’t any other options. It was clearly pointed out, by experts, that intervening at this stage could have spooked the whole nest to the point of losing all the young. If the little one was saved, and nursed back to health, what kind of a life would it have had, perhaps caged up in a zoo. I remember when I was younger I saw a golden eagle in captivity, caged behind a wire mesh. I could practically see it’s tears. As far as placing the little one in another nest, such a low probability of success would never have justified the possibility of spooking the nest. There’s a piece of me, however heavy hearted, that believes that perhaps it is better to be born free and die free. We mourn for the little one as we marvel at the wonders of nature.
Hello Paul,
Thanks for your query, and you have my admiration for persevering. We know very well how tough your job is, including dealing with an anxious public.
Our policy with our Bird Cams project is essentially “just say no” to pleas for interference. The behavior you are witnessing – while seemingly cruel and heartless to us – is natural for many kinds of birds, especially those that feed on variable, unpredictable food supplies. The little nestling does have a chance to survive, but if it does not then that result was “meant to be” by the nature of Osprey breeding strategy. The wonderful things about these nest cameras also sometimes yield the difficult things for us to watch. As you might know, we actually post a “siblicide alert” on some of our cams where we suspect the possibility exists.
I’m copying your note to Charles Eldermire, project leader for our Bird Cams. He may have some additional comments, and he would be the one to ask if we might be able to use your stored files for biological analysis.
Best wishes, and good luck,
John W. Fitzpatrick
Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
It’s also important to acknowledge that intervening can also cause problems of its own—depending on the ages of the birds in the nest, disturbing them can trigger an early fledge. We have restricted the scenarios in which we would even consider intervening to injuries or dangers that are explicitly human-derived. For example, 3 or 4 years ago we were alerted by viewers that one of the osprey chicks at the Hellgate Osprey nest was entangled in monofilament line. We consulted with our partners there (wildlife biologists, raptor researchers, raptor rehabbers) to determine if the monofilament was an issue, and if intervening was both likely to solve the issue AND not have bad effects on the other nestlings. In the end, a quick trip to the nest was scheduled via a bucket truck, the monofilament was removed, and the nestlings all eventually fledged. In that case, all of the permits were already in hand to be studying the ospreys, and we had already discussed how to approach issues in the nest.
Good luck to the young one—hope it all turns out well.
charles.
*******************
Charles Eldermire
Bird Cams Project Leader
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
I’ve been to your site—great cam! And I noticed the runt in the nest. This is just normal Osprey reproduction. It happens all the time and you should not intervene. It’s tough to watch, but it’s how nature works. Ospreys almost always lay 3 eggs and on average fledge between 1 and 1.5 young each year. They stagger the hatch so there is a spread of ages in the young. That way, if food is short, the first-hatched (and therefore largest) will get enough food to survive while the smaller nest mates do not. If all three young were the same size and there was only enough food for 1 young, none of the young would get enough food and they would all die. If there’s lots of food, the smallest will eventually get fed and can survive. These nest cams can show some gut-wrenching scenes. The most infamous perhaps was one of the very first Osprey cams (on Long Island somewhere), where the smallest young died. One of the adults carried it out of the nest and after several minutes flew back into the nest and fed it to the other young. Waste-not-want-not at its goriest. At Hog Island up in Maine just last week a Bald Eagle came in and took the young out of the nest. Last year at another nest, cameras documented a Great-horned Owl taking young Ospreys out of a nest in NJ or MD. All of these things have been going on for millions of years and Ospreys are doing fine.
Rob Bierregaard
Academy of Natural Sciences
Drexel University
http://www.ospreytrax.com
At 12:23p one of the older (I think #1) chicks showed us their healthy PS and got a bulls eye!
2:22pm Watched the BOOM squirt cover the whole lens! What a shot!
Ut oh another perfect shot at the cam screen…time for the waterworks to do a cleaning. LOL
Reply-Carol IV I am so surprised direct him but climb 48 feet high to get to an osprey nest. My reckons find plenty of food elsewhere I don’t even think they climb trees around here there’s enough on the ground for them to get
Thanks so much Carole for finding out the info I wonder how high it was. Sounds like the ospreys did a good job picking out a Netsite unfortunately reckon population there must be extreme Or food is very scarce
I`ve watched this site for several weeks now. I see mom and occasionally dad feed the bigger two and then feed the little one until he/she is full. It seems like the little one is getting enough food. The pecking order is another thing… I`ve also seen the little one do quite a bit of pecking too.. This is all nature and we need to accept it for what it is.
Tell me these guys found ANOTHER windshield wiper! What are the odds? 🙂
June25 @11:509A,M,0 At about 9:44 A.M. Gracie moved that piece of whatever it is that was sticking up in the nest on left side by walking across the nest because it get caught in her talon. She has moved it all over the nest but this just happened without her ever being aware of what she did. I am sure she will move it again. Yesterday in moving it she dropped it over either baby 1 or 2 and it’s head was in between the bend for a few seconds while she moved it to the camera area of the nest. She seems obsessed with it’s placement and then she moved it without realizing it. So for now it isn’t sticking up and swaying in the wind. The big stick is still there and does obstruct a little bit if the camera lens.
I noticed today that there is a wad if fishing line now visible directly in the middle of the nest on the water side. I was so happy that George kept adding to the nest on the left side and the wad there got buried with sticks and seaweed. I went back and viewed the video of June 22 (All Hell Broke Loose- Thank you Betsy and Leanne for the great videos) and that fishing line was not there. The stick it is wrapped around is there in the video but not that line. So how did that get there it didn’t come in with the stick? So now there is a hazard sticking out on the edge of the nest. Hopefully George will work his magic and hid it.
I noticed it, too, and was thinking the original wad had broken out of jail; but I do think this is a different one. Not as big as other one. Time to extend the veranda again, George !!!!!
At 9:53 a.m., Peanut starts a fight with #2 sibling, then lies low. Things quiet down, and then he picks a fight with #1!!! He’s too much. And then, #2 and #1 start fighting and #3 gets the best view on the nest. What a little smartie! A few minutes later, George brings a very feisty fish to the nest, which Gracie takes to feed the kiddies. Baby #3 is right there, waiting to be fed. The other two do not seem so enthused about food; I think all of the babes have been very well fed this year. Everyday when I log in, I am amazed at the growth of #3 from the day before. It’s unbelievable. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Chick #1 ringing the lunch bell….
I just saw Baby being the instigator. It initiated bonking with each of the big chicks, they each bonked back but then started bonking each other, leaving baby alone. Baby sure is feisty!
Dad just brought in a fish—flapping all the way. GROSS………..! Poor fish, what a way to go………. UGH……………… (956am)
9:48-49 am. Little one got his wings around his siblings as to say “we’re all in this together”. Very Cute. So , so happy they are getting along.
How do I post the video of it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lRUQjDPlrUQ#t=14681
It’s like little one is saying “I got your back bro’s”. Cute.
I feel like a proud grandparent! Mom and Dad are doing such a wonderful job of raising the kids! They all look so healthy with their very round bellies, including our baby! Bless these parents……. Have a great day osprey family!
Hi all I just peaked on to see our family and I’m so happy, baby is growing so fast. he/she is almost the same size as the 2 bigger ones. love them.
Can hardly recognize the little guy this morning. He has almost caught up with the other two!
OMG, someone stole our chicks overnight and put NEW chicks in the nest!!! 😀 😀 😀
6:24amEDT 6/25 George flies in with fish. I think that’s the return of the 5:24 fish. They only snacked on it before. At that first feeding, I watched Trey do a stealthy end run around the other two to get upfront. He is so cute and clever! And he’s right in there getting a good share this time, too.
Looks like another good day.
I was pretty much caught up to time on the video stream when I decided to go back and re-watch the chicks getting fed (4:11pm) and then I was admiring how pretty Gracie looked in the afternoon sun (5:18 pm) — for a while she was looking so bedraggled and haggard!! — when I got an email from rjoneal asking me if I’d seen the fight at 6:26 pm between the 2 bigger chicks … OMG, I forgot to say special thanks to rjoneal in my comment about how to tell the chicks apart – she offered me pictures to use and I showed the video to her first to get her thoughts!!
So, here they were, lying next to each other, chick #1 and chick #2 … as they’d been doing all day, and I don’t think that there has been fighting over the last couple of days since “all hell broke loose” 😀 … when out of the blue, after they both stood up to stretch, chick #2 gave the first peck starting the fight!! Then, George flew in after the fight with seaweed and chick #1 came out from behind Gracie and “helped Daddy” break up nest material and then chick #2 came out from behind Gracie to lie next to chick #1 … almost as if nothing had ever happened!! And the little one slept through it all, waking up only briefly toward the end!!
https://youtu.be/jrVGO5pn3as
Well, since we had a repeat of Repete, I figured I’d get caught up on comments!! Sorry, I put the wrong video URl!! It should have been:
https://youtu.be/-GZlg0Eav-U
I was wondering, does anyone know what that blindingly bright light sometimes that shine on the nest is for? It is not always on the pier on the left side, but definitely disturbs Gracie. Noticed it beginning around 9:15 pm on June 24.
9:55 pm EST : Whoa, *bright* light on the left side tonight… Scrolled back and it looks like a section of beach… maybe a bonfire? Looks like it just got bigger and bigger as the sun went down! I’m guessing the camera is just reacting to the bright light in this case. That, or the entire beach is on fire LOL
That was so sad about the raccoon that killed the baby ospreys and injured the mother. I would’ve thought their nest was high, and usually on some type of a pedestal. Thank God, our family sure is safe from raccoons! And, I do agree about the messy nest. Reminds me of my kids’ bedrooms when they were teenagers. And yes, that little one is my favorite, too. Really pulling for him. They all have such full crops tonight. They actually look unbalanced!! Little fat tummies!! That’s a great sign. What a wonderful family. We are all so lucky to be able to share them. Thanks to the “regulars” for keeping me posted. It’s been such a busy week for me that I did not get to tune in too much, but your notes let me know they were all well fed. It’s so nice to have this friendly site, and especially on LI, where I live, too.
Raccoons also attack eagle’s nests by climbing the trees at night while the parent. Is sleeping Out pair is fortunate in that they don’t have to deal with that.
9:45pm Is somebody spotlighting the nest? There has been a light down by the jetty for a while. Suddenly it got brighter and seems to be pointing at the nest.
I was wondering the same.
9:13pm..Gracie had a quiet evening, snoozing with the kids, from around 7 to 8. It was funny, when she decided to get up, she backed away like she was tiptoeing….afraid to wake the sleeping baby dragons?
CarolV I just LOVE reading your comments.. Thank You! Comments would be NO fun without ya! I know everyone agrees. Smiles Big 😉
I can’t add the education so I go with comedy..my approach to life.(mostly) Thanks for saying it, but I love everyone’s comments and all the different viewpoints..even annoying ones…but hold the Trolls, please !!!!
LMBO! Betsy i Love the ” All Hell Broke Loose” video…giggles instigator ducks head after starting it & lets bigger sibs go at it lol i could read this in so many ways (humorwise)..& its all just before mama arrives to the nest to catch, seeing the outcome him/her looking innocent! Very Smart tho dontcha think..hehe
Bre: The little rascal started a fight this morning, too, at 9:50 am!! All hell broke loose part 2!! The little one picked a fight at 9:50 am with chick #2, then chick #2 kicked his butt … then a couple of minutes later the little holy terror 😀 pecked at chick #1 then chick #1, after pecking him back, went at chick #2!!
Just saw a beautiful sight – the parent Ospreys on the nest next to my house were flying and swooping around each other between the dock and the nest. One of them was carrying a fish. They then landed on the nest together. A wonderful dance-type sequence.
A memory to cherish ….
7:13pm…Was a BEAUTIFUL day on LI..Did a little potting. I was lucky to catch the chicks pushing that plastic edging out of the nest….funny ! All I could think was “Look out below!”
And the arrival of Gracie with ..wait for it……plastic sheeting! Looked really ratty…must have had to dig for it!
George was in BEASTmode…fish @3:02…4:10…5:29…7:07…and they all looked fresh, no leftovers !
The Biggies had an intense sparring match. Sound asleep. pop up, fight, go back to sleep..Gracie has taken to standing in the way, but they are big enough now that you could see them flailing at each other. Trey stayed out of the way. I think he slept thru it. A full day in ospreyland…and still some daylight to burn
Hello,
I found this site while I was researching for the osprey pair we have on a news tower camera in Columbus,Ohio and was concerned about the third baby because at the time it looked like it wasn’t going to make it, but I was checking back and WOW what a difference. George and Gracie are awesome parents. I really like seeing George help Gracie feed the babies. Unfortunately the two babies our osprey had died today from stress and exposure after the mother was attacked by another intruder osprey and she took off and left the babies alone. I was hoping that someone could tell me hoe long the parents will leave the dead babies in the nest? I still want to watch the parents because I’m hoping this tragic outcome will help them be better parents next year, but it’s heartbreaking seeing those babies laying there. I was actually watching when the attack happened on the mom and then kept watching as the babies screamed for her until they just couldn’t anymore. It was very heartbreaking. But I am hoping the parents will learn from this and be better next year if we are so lucky for them to come back.
Anyway, if anyone could answer my question about how long the parents will leave the dead babies in the nest I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Paula
Unfortunately, this proves how difficult an osprey’s life is. If mom was injured during the attack she would not expose herself in going back to the nest as she would be vulnerable. She will hide to heal or die. As for removing the deceased chicks I am not sure. Last year this pair’s third didn’t survive, but was not removed. I hope this helped a bit. Situations like this are very sad, but part of nature. In cases such as this it is a matter of circumstance, not bad or good parents.
I can only offer the deepest sympathy. I know how attached we get to these babies. In one nest where the babies died of unknown causes, the parent removed the bodies within hours. In this nest, when the chick died last year, the parents left it and it got covered over by reeds and seaweeds, till it became part of the nest. These were first time parents last year, as far as we know, but I don’t know if that had any bearing on the outcome.
I think they consume about 6.lbs of assorted kinds fish daily, For a family of 5 that is normal i believe..
To the Group
My Project is progressing well, and with the help of the Group I’ll be done shortly.
When Betsy mentioned something about aBrood Patch which sparked my interest.
I hope that everyone won’t mind me asking a bunch of questions but you’ll see it in my findings.
First off the size and shape of the Eggs. When Gracie starts the Incubation Process does anyone know the layout of the eggs and if so can anyone calculate the circumference of the layout, ( Ballpark Estimate)
Now, the Brood Patch, the Shape and the Surface Area. This one is Important. Does Gracie’s actual Skin come in contact in anyway with the Eggs via the surface area of the Patch. I may be mistaken but I’m thinking that when incubating the blood flow to this Area is increased thus elevating the Incubation Temperature to the Eggs.
I believe that blood maybe shunted and diverted to the Patch
This is a Big One. When Gracie is incubating does her food intake increase, and does George bring her enough to maintain her weight or does she have to fish to supplement what she doesn’t get from George. What I’m trying to estimate here is Gracie gaining weight during Incubation. I believe that this is important because the more weight gain for Gracie will cause more pressure to the Patch and thusly raise the surface temperature.of the patch
And lastly for now, does anyone know what the Internal Temperature of Gracie doting Gestation and does it stay constant during Incubation.
There are so many Variables that I have to consider including Environmental ( Ambient temperature fluctuations, wind speed and direction amount of actual daylight cloud cover to name a few)
And with Gracie’s health concerns ( Is she getting enough to eat, getting enough sleep and exercise) and does George spell her at all to take his turn at Incubation Duties.
And with all this Anecdotal Research and Information I believe that it will come down to where all these Variables don’t have any dramatic outcome on the length of Incubation
In closing, if anyone has any information that will help me with the Project I say a Heartfelt Thank-You
Mike
That’s one heck of a tall order, Mike!! 😀
Brood patch: On a recent chat with Dr. Bierregaard on Explore.com, he said he had never seen a brood patch on a female, much less a male osprey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM4dj9n0QIg) which he believes is the reason osprey eggs take an average of 38* days to hatch (long in bird time frame of hatching — whereas the eggs of an eagle, which is a larger bird, takes 34 to 36 days to hatch, but if I recall correctly, I believe he said 35 days) and on Friends of Blackwater site there was this: “Speaking of the parents, one of our cam watchers asked about the parents’ brood patch. The brood patch is a bare area on the bird’s stomach where hot blood is close to the surface of the skin and extra heat is generated. Both the osprey parents have a brood patch, although the female’s is larger. To illustrate, check out this photo of a robin’s brood patch. The bird can use its skin muscles to open the feathers and expose the patch, which they press against the eggs. Birders are always saddened to find a dead bird with a brood patch because it means the adult had eggs or chicks nearby.” (http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/osprey_cam_blog06/archives/000145.html). So, I don’t know what to tell you now about brood patches!!
*Dr Bierregaard believes that the reason osprey eggs take that long is because the osprey are not incubating skin (brood patch) to egg but instead they have downy feathers on the breast and therefore they are incubating the egg at a lower temperature.
Layout of the eggs: Gracie laid 3 eggs. “The eggs are beautifully blotched reddish-brown and are about the same size as a large hens’ egg.” (http://www.ospreys.org.uk/osprey-facts/). Or the size of jumbo chicken eggs, depending on which site you look at! So, I laid out 3 large hen eggs (supermarket eggs, if that makes a difference … my brother in CT has hens and I don’t eat the eggs, too “gamey” for me!! 😀 … so I don’t know if there is a size difference) and the circumference would be about 13 inches, give or take.
The incubation temperature ranges anywhere from 97ºF to 100ºF, again depending on the source.
Here’s a study from Alan Poole, July 1985: Courtship Feeding And Osprey Reproduction – Alan Poole (July 1985) http://www.avibirds.com/pdf/V/Visarend3.pdf
George and Gracie did alternate incubation duties … but I recently “tossed” my MS Word notes!!
I’m sorry, Mike, that’s all I think I can really give you. I hope it helps you in some way, though.
5:29pm…Nice size fish delivered by The Man….Grabbed by Gracie; no pretty dance this time !….and she’s in the way…
I thought now would be a good time to try to point out the differences between chick #1 and chick #2 (chick #3 doesn’t need that right now, because that’s the most adorable little one!! 😀 ) so I used video from Wednesday, Jun 22nd (4:18 pm feeding), and from this morning and early afternoon, even though the video this morning was jumpy and there was some sun glare both chicks were right in front of the camera. (And to partly, talk about paranoia!, calm my own paranoia about which one I’ve been calling #1 and which one #2!). So please, anyone, if I got it arse-backward, tell me!!
https://youtu.be/vDJJTJCxtCU
I really have to comment about the lens cleaner. That is the greatest invention that I have seen in a long time. I would love one of those on all of my windows. Tommy should sell them.
I live on the 10th floor, and could sure use one of those lens cleaners. What a great invention!
Gracie just came in with a stick (244pm) and darn near cleaned the babies ‘clock’s’ dragging it around the nest to find a perfect spot in her decorating. And then she stepped on that door thingie and now it’s in front of the camera lens. So now we have that stick and that other thing in our view……..
Reply-Ed that is so awful heartbreaking ! Osprey zone is my home but I do check in to several other sites just to keep progress mostly hog Island because Rob is on there and I love
Boulder as well. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the site you mentioned once again Osprey zone is my home but I spend about 15 minutes just checking in at other places to do comparisons get information and talk to some of the people.
A raccoon does this mean the nest was close to the ground ?
I live in Florida and we have a lot of racoons since I live on a lake but they have never bothered our ospreys ,their nest are so high.
Rjoneal..Found height for the Belwood nest. Unused old utility poe..15 meters, so about 48ft. approx….surprised a raccoon would climb like that….Sad…
2:19pm Mike Martin…Did you ever get info for last year’s chicks? I went back in comments as far as I could , First one I spotted was worrying about #3 (Peewee) being flipped on his back..
The first comment listed was 6/1/15..at least as far as I got…
Hatchings were (as close as possible) #1 6-12-15 7:10am
#2 6-13-15 seen @ 6am
#3 6-15-15 3:05pm
No info on lay dates. Maybe someone has that somewhere? I didn’t check PRESS section, but I don’t think they really got involved much before the rescue episode.
Just checking in, how is every body’s favorite Lil Bit doing?
1:57mEDT Big whole fish presented by George. Gracie is in the way….
I was just noticing the future tails ! Our babies are growing uuupp……..There are some wing feathers poppin’, too.
I’ve decided my nominations for names will honor the location of this nest……the bays and town,,, Gardiner, Peconic and Marion..I know someone else suggested Marion but of course I can’t find you now..Please remind me who said that. Then again, not saying I won’t change my mind !!!!! But for now, those are my choices.
Just nominations…still Uno. Dos. Trey, for now…for me
Just found you, GinaM.! The Marion suggestion. ! I like it because it could be male or female(-an).
Really like your suggestions CarolV.
It was Gina, Carol … scroll partway down this page to June 23 at 2:48 pm!! 😀
Never mind … I see you found it!! 😀 I hadn’t finished scrolling up through the comments!! 😀 😀
Last year my name submissions were Marion, Gardiner and Hope..I live very close to the nest and walk under it 2x a day. I still like Marion, Gardiner, but this little one reminds me of Rocky ..a fighter and survivor. I do believe we will have a different outcome for all babies this year! George has stepped up his fishing and is being a great provider so far!
Phil – as we have mentioned in the past and I’ve even had a video posted,last year there was a fish kill even before the babies were born. Review previous comments and you will see the video on the fish kill
@12:50pm..George sprang in to action from the top perch. I love that the chicks are noticing and watching comings and goings…all so interested in the world…
That piece of plastic is troubling Gracie
I think Gracie and George need a course in Housekeeping. I never saw so much trash. It looks to me like a bar of some kind across the nest. As the kids get bigger, the room in the nest will get smaller.
It’s o.k. Gracie will rearrange EVERYTHING at some point. George is a futzer too. And it’s not as bad as it can be. They are antiques collectors.
It’s okay..Gracie will move it, and just about everything else in the nest.!! George is a futzer too. It’s looked worse !
I think it’s a metal packing strap.
Good Afternoon Everybirdy – Does anyone know if Gracie fishes? I always see George coming back with the grub but have never seen Gracie. Anybirdy?
As an anybirdy(love it!) I don’t think Gracie is fishing right now. Of course, she knows how, and if I remember correctly, I think she contributes later, when the gang gets bigger.
This is my 2nd year watching OZ. It is my perception that the number of fish delivered to the next is double that of last year. I have no numbers to support this. Question for you locals….Are there more fish in the area this year? Or is George that much better at hunting?
Also, my favorite scenes involve the teamwork of George tearing bits of fish, passing to Gracie and then to the babies. I smile when I see this.
As far as names, I suggest that names be connected to the George and Gracie theme. The Burns family loved New York and Vaudeville. For you youngsters out there….please google Vaudeville. !!!
There hasn’t been a bunker die-off this year. Water and weather conditions have been better. Huge amounts of the fish which is a primary food source for osprey and other species is available in numbers much greater than last year. George may be more experienced, but I think it was more short food supply than lack of trying that caused last year’s issues.
Informative article from our local newspaper in Riverhead ( approx. 20 miles west of East Marion) on actions currently being taken to prevent a fish kill this year. http://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2016/05/73705/fishermen-remove-200000-pounds-of-bunker-to-prevent-fish-kill/
I haven’t seen anything in the papers about an algae bloom in that area as yet; also the “powers that be” decided to harvest a lot of the migrating fish, bunker I think, in case of a bloom and die-off. I was concerned this harvest would cause a fish shortage for the birds who depend on them but it appears George is doing just fine. I do wonder how other birds are managing. Anyone have better, more up-to-date info?
Phil K: I also love watching how George gives the pieces to Gracie and then she gives them to the chicks!! And, I love watching when she feeds George!! On another site I visit occasionally … I better change that to rarely, too much to watch here, plus this is local!! … they’ve never seen “the female” feed “the male” (no names are used for the osprey) — I told them how Gracie feeds George!! Apparently, that’s unusual among osprey!
6-24-16 wow check it out feeding time 11:08 and baby 3 gets feed first by Geo and of course here comes other baby brother I think its baby 1 by his little peep peep and wideness and baby3 backs away and takes shade under Gracie kinda cute. Baby2 still sleeping at the edge of nest facing water. Gracie keeps begging to George but George just ignores her and baby1 moves over to Gracie in which at this time all babies are up and facing the water by mom. Gracie gets louder as the fish is disappearing and Geo starts feeding her. All the babies are watching. Ploop baby1 down to sleep but baby 2 and 3 are still hoping they might get some. Baby 3 slowly making his way as close as he can to Gracie with beak opening. Think Gracie didn’t get enough to eat earlier she is not wanting share right away and Geo cant shove it to her fast enough as she cries for every bite he gives her. Baby3 snuck a bite from under Gracie’s leg she gave him a crumb.
Baby3 still under Gracie hoping she will do that again. Here we go baby 3 is getting feed by Gracie. I love it when they do this Geo gives Gracie a bite and Gracie eats a little but gives some to baby 3. Baby 3 is really getting a lot Gracie keeps shoveling it in him. Gracie’s smart she has Geo doing all the work he is still biting the pieces off fish giving to Gracie who then just passes on to Baby3 . Gracie takes tail end and know she is feeding Geo and baby 3 . All is well and big brother 1 and 2 are up front and center facing water looking out and grooming baby 3 passed out. .
Gracie is moving sticks around and really flapping her wings, funny to see baby 1 and 2 look at her beautiful long wings as she flaps them in the wind to keep her balance. It is as if they are saying someday we are going to be able to do that and brother 1 says I will be doing before you baby2 says oh its on we will see who fly’s first.
That darn stick Geo comes in with grass or whatever and slides down it to prevent from falling on Gracie I hope he moves it.
11:39 am both Geo and Gracie sound alert again and here goes Gracie moving her black plastic thing around the babies and George. We dint know she belongs to the Home Interior club which means she has to constantly change her look to keep up with the times and in case she wants to showcase her home. Ok now she placed that black strip right on top of all 3 babies at the edge of nest facing water oh Boy!! Gracie what are you thinking that color just dont look good there. .
I have been watching this nest and another nest in Belwood Ontario for over a year now.
Today we awoke to NO BIRDS. A racoon came during the night and killed both babies and injured the mom.
Poor dad flew in at early dawn and removed what was left of the chicks.
At 9.45 he arrived with a fish to an empty nest. No sign of the mother so far.
Hi Ed, I watch Belwood too….just gutted by the news.
:..(
How sad.
That’s terribly sad!
It helps that this nest is High up…I’m sure there still danger from predators, but George & Gracie seem to be very attentive.
That is truly hear breaking to hear. 🙁
A loss for us all.So sorry.
11:33am…I agree with Mike Martin that all chicks be given names they can grow in to..Peewee remained Peewee, because he left us before we got to know him. For now, nicknames are good (and plentiful). Name names come later, when we get to know them. In the meantime, loving all the suggestions and the thought that goes in to them.
George brings in some odds and ends (11:38) and nestorations begin. He bopped that stick with a wing before and I was hoping it would go over, but, no…
Gracie is moving one of her “wipers”; looks like she’s installing a bumperguard.(do they even have those anymore?) OOOPPPS….wrong side of the kids, Mamma!!!
The babies are all fed, Gracie is feeding George. Yesterday George was lined up with the babies getting fed then, too. So cute.
6-24-16 too funny I think it was baby1 but at 9:32 19am baby1 bites baby2 claw then just turns away too funny! I can usually tell them apart but because the way they are positioned on this image its hard to see different markings so I am going with it was baby1 for my guess. If this gets posted on time rewind its kinda funny.
Also these babies 1 and 2 really like napping on the sticks or the black plastic thing.I dont like them being so close to edge but it is cute anddefinetly and aww moment with one of the babies head all tucked into the branches.
11:01amEDT I’ve lost count on how many fish today!They must be stuffed, ’cause Gracie barely noticed George’s arrival. Looked like medium fish. missing a head. George figures, more for me! I hear a pipper. Yep..Trey moving in.
The chicks were less than enthusiastic, so Geo is feeding Gracie..”Let’s grab a bite, Sweetie”
The comments posted at the beginning were just moved..confused me because I was used to scrolling past them to get to current posts ! Thanks for straightening up , Aidan. Leaving the essence of the window washing a very thoughtful idea.
I love how bushy their tail feathers are getting. So cute!
Hi, all. Forgive me for being dense, but do the new comments always show up at the bottom? It seems inconsistent to me and I get confused. Help! And thanks.
Looks like another beautiful day in osprey land. The water is so calm and relaxing. Have a great day everyone, including our little family!
It seems to me that although chick #3 has the disadvantage of hatching last, it has a benefit of having older siblings, because it seems that s/he not only watches and Gracie and George and imitates them but the two older chicks as well and started doing things at a younger age than I remember the two older chicks doing at the same age! It’s funny to watch the little one sometimes looking at an older sibling and then see it do exactly what the older chick just did!!
s/b “what the older chick had just done.”
Betsy,
I don’t think Chick#3 knows he is the smallest one- he acts like he was born first. I love that little guy’s spunk!
Chick #3 is my favorite!!
When someone isn’t sitting on his head or doing a wing -nelson on him…aaahhhhhhh, the joys of being a younger child! Is my second child syndrome showing???
😀
8:04amEDT- The day has started well ! Everyone well fed.I love the Buddha bellies !
About 7:58am, Dos? was having a little stand off with the flapping plastic. Too cute ! It flapped in his face and he went back with a little beak snip. Uno? was just below the camera and taking a selfie. We know that one is George’s kid!
LOL Carol, you are right!
This nest is great to watch (first season)…. at about 7:12 one of the older chicks does a PS that goes just right of the camera, the intruding ‘stick’ gets it..and then #3 takes aim shortly after and almost just misses the camera. Now #3 is getting a private feeding: Mom to George to baby..so cute!
Beautiful feeding at around 7:20 am – Gracie feeding George and the little guy!
Windshield wipers are so passé for Gracie this year. This year it’s long plastic strips of who knows what or from who knows where for her!! I taped a lot of when she brought them in (I missed a really good one, though, on … oh, dang, I cleared out my notes!! 😀 ) … I should make a composite video!! 😀 😀
I think it is weather stripping from a construction site. It looks like what they put around the edge of storm doors…
Whatever it is, she LOVES it!! 😀
about 9:25pm…still had sound on and was listening to pippers peeping quietly. When I looked, there was a boat in upper right quadrant. It traveled along, then turned away so I couldn’t see it any more. Ghostly….
Well i have come up with the perfect name for baby #3… Ozzy! working on thing #1 thing #2 🙂
David and Ricky?
8:52pmEDT I noticed sometime around 7:40ish, that stick shifted position slightly. Could we be lucky enough that it will shift out of sight? Or will Gracie be up with Leanne and maybe rearrange things over night?
Was happy to see everyone well fed and peaceful today. May they have many more days like this.
Mommy is being soooo good…….. She’s trying to cover all of her kids. (848pm) I just love watching this family. Humans could learn a thing or two (or more) by watching this family.
8:38pm….If this reassures anyone, I recently read that these young birds instinctively know to keep back far enough from the edge. Also, look at the way they are built. Their center of gravity is so low, they naturally tend to stay rooted in to nest. Never say never, just less likely to accidently fall out.
Also note: They aren’t actually standing much yet, but scoot along on their “ankles”, thus keeping low and better balanced.
Thank you, CarolV, for that information.
To All Ospreyphiles
As Per Naming Of The Chicks
I leave the names to the Group at Large
The only suggestion that I have is for
Chick#3
Let’s give him/her A Name They Can “Grow Into” Not Out Of.
Our Mike
Mike: I had been thinking, even before the trolls fiasco, of the name Bittor as a play on “lil bit”, since a lot of people WERE referring to the 3rd chick “lil bit.” Bittoria if it’s a girl!! And, since the little one is spunky and feisty and a conqueror of its disadvantages, I thought it apropos!!
Bittor – Meaning of Bittor
The baby boy name Bittor is pronounced Biy-TTAOR †. Bittor is of Latin origin and it is used mainly in Basque. Bittor is a form of the Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish Victor.
Victor – Meaning of Victor
The baby boy name Victor is pronounced as VIHK-TahR (English) or ViyK-TOWR (French) †. Victor is largely used in the Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish languages, and it is derived from Latin origins. It is derived from the element ‘victoris’ which means conqueror. (http://www.babynamespedia.com/)
The real Betsy!!
At 18:04:25 there is some really good coverage of Gracie feeding the wee little one! So glad to see he is getting fed.
Betsy..just wanted to let you know..recommended your videos to someone and, while looking thru them, she saw the troll video. It was an eye-opener for her, as something similar happened on another site she follows and they didn’t catch on. So she thanks you, and will be prepared in the future.
As always, your videos are great. You give us entry to the happenings when we cannot be here. Thank you.
And as to my unease about some postings, I probably jumped the gun and will wait to see how things go..like you suggested, don’t answer anyone who seems insincere.Now to catch up.
Good advice from you, too, Rjoneal….BTW, Betsy, you lost me about 5 words into your explanation on docs, office, assorted things open…sorry, usually one computer with maybe two or three sites that I switch between. Total non-tech person. I admire your industry, both you and Rjoneal. That’s why we trust you for answers, or at least a site to start looking.
Thank you, Carol. OMG, I was trying practically everything but standing on my head to get OZ’s and everyone’s attention!! Most of my comments about it didn’t get posted!! (And, if people thought I was shrill before … !) So, then I said to myself make a video!!! 😀
Is there an auto place nearby? More windshield wipers today. Where do they find these things and who just discards their old ones out in the open?
7:30pm…..Gracie, get off the baby ! Looks like he’s being smushed.
6-23-16 at 18:10 Gracie loses her balance trying to shove as much food as she can into any baby that will take it. Baby 1 turns around and Gracie’s wing falls but baby 1 gets the piece of fish. All three babies were fed by Gracie and even though they would turn away she would cry out to them and still try to give them more. It is just wonderful to see how they don’t fight over food and baby 3 really gets in there and Gracie make sure he does get his share. All three babies crops are bulging again. What an awesome Job Geo is doing bringing in enough fish for all of them and Gracie making sure she distributes it evenly.
By the way has everyone noticed that baby wanted to have really been flapping their wings it’s so wonderful to see and funny at the same time. Before we know it they will be hovering the nest They are going up so fast.
Rjoneal and all: I would have loved to make a video of that — they looked as if they were going to explode!!! And Gracie kept trying to feed them “here.” But the tiki torch was in the way and really ruined when they all wandered away to plop down!! I was waiting them to fall over!!
6:09pm FULL crops all around! What a difference from last year!! Just a few anxiety attacks today with the babes so very close to the edge- hopefully G&G will build up the edges of the nest!
Dinner time and very full tummies (3), so it’s food coma for all three. (612pm)
3:41 pm EST: At 3:30 feeding I noticed that one of the large chicks and the little one both picked up pieces of fish that had fallen. We are progressing.
Really, these feedings “on the edge” keep you glued to your seat. Wish they would all return to the safety of the center. Guess they’re not afraid of heights.
OK- I know we are not naming them yet and we will follow protocol like last year. However, I was thinking about how cool all of our upgrades have been this year on our little nest in East Marion: a lowered pole, a refreshing, cleansing shower, the ability to post videos, etc. and that is ALL thanks to Tommy and Paul.
My EARLY VOTE for names of the chicks is: Tommy, Paul and Marion. 🙂
😀 What if they’re 2 girls or all girls??!! Thomasina and/or Pauline or Paulette!! Just sayin’ 😀 😀
Please know, everyone, that although you can guess based on clues, as it has already been noted earlier by CarolV and Kathy B DNA tests are really the only way to find out the sex of the chicks.
And there is an interesting article on chicks and gender: http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/osprey_cam_blog05/archives/000094.html
Betsy- they need a DNA test for more than just the sex of the chicks- that intruder spent an awful lot of time with Mrs. Gracie when George was galavanting over the farms of the North Fork this spring!!
😉 🙂
GinaM … Yes I remember that intruder with Gracie quite a few times. Lol. I am in love with the baby #3
😀 I forgot!!! Paternity!! 😀
What happens in the nest, stays in the nest…
😀 You have the best lines!!
I steal them……..
When they get bigger/adult sized…the females are always larger so you may be able to tell/guess. We shall have to wait and see. I’m just so glad it’s more peaceful this year. I almost didn’t wanna watch.