04-MAY-2007
The 2007 nesting pair of Osprey
While having shoreline work done early this year, Gus asked to have a piling pounded into the sand by the marsh. He then built a platform on the post with the hope that a pair of nesting Osprey would call it home. And they did.
19-MAY-2007
And not in flight either!
19-MAY-2007
Although this maneuver seems rather unsteady
19-MAY-2007
Success - the pair is nesting!
We've learned so much about the Osprey. The female is larger than the male, she has a “necklace” of brown feathers around her neck/across her chest and the male has a (pretty much) solid white neck and chest. The male does all of the nest building and will include anything found in the area – like a dead snake, rope, plastic bottles (wish we found that first!), filter cloth, anything!
They share the responsibility of sitting on the nest with the female roosting more. They’re not particularly fond of Eagles and Heron and when either are around put up a squawk. It’s fantastic to see an Eagle fly overhead of the nest and momma-Osprey stands up off the eggs and flaps her wings as she squawks. And hen poppa-Osprey will swoop in from the nearby tree he was perched in and chase the Eagle.
