Wild Wednesday … Together Again!

Posted on March 14, 2018 by foresterartist

A week after the male osprey arrived the female showed up. They’re together again for another breeding season. While waiting for her to arrive he kept busy doing guy stuff. Click on the galleries to enlarge the pictures.

Osprey, nest, nesting, birding, photography

The male and female osprey are together again.

While she was away he watched whatever he wanted like any guy would.

He ate out all the time

Finally, at the last-minute he decided he’d better clean house.

This could take a while…

Still cleaning.

He’s totally checking her out!

Apparently, an incident was witnessed by several coworkers between an eagle and the osprey. On Monday, one of the eagles showed up and began circling the nest. The male osprey took off and began to circle up to the eagle. When the osprey reached the eagle he began diving on it. After multiple diving runs the eagle began turn belly up to give the osprey its talons. The aerial combat went on until the eagle moved off.

Incidentally, I discovered this on the neighboring property. You have to click on the gallery to see the bald eagle on the nest.

Our eagles have a nest next door. I didn’t see the eagle in the nest until I looked at the picture on the computer.

The nest is in a huge valley oak beside a pond. I think this is where the eagles were going nest all along. The just liked partying at the osprey nest.

Bigger on the Inside

Posted on April 14, 2013 by foresterartist

This is a post from our yard by the Backdoor Artist. I held the ladder while Mary captured this great image of one of our resident turkey vultures.

Sneaking Bliss

Peering down the vulture hole, I am amazed at the ability of the turkey vultures to climb in and out of this nesting location. It is fourteen feet from the opening to the base.

It is unclear whether this brooding vulture is on eggs or new chicks. It should be nearing time for the eggs to hatch, if my calculations are correct. On March 5^th & 6^th, I recorded the pair breeding at the entrance and the female retreating inside the nesting cavity. I am making an educated guess that this was around the time of laying their eggs. Most sources site 34-40 days incubation. Sources are vague on the day count, but in all fairness who counts days for vultures hatching? The UStream Missouri turkey vultures incubated for 34 days in 2012.

Both parents incubate the eggs and share in raising the chicks. I do not…

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Osprey Remodel

Posted on March 8, 2013 by foresterartist

osprey, nest, wildlife, birds, nature, photography, birding

The osprey returns to the nest with a stick.

They began rebuilding their nest the day she arrived and the two osprey were back together. This is what they typically do after the winter storms take there toll on the nest. This particular nest is only one year old and must have weathered the winter fairly well. They spiffed it up the first day and that was that. They moved in.

The building materials arrive.

Doing some touch up to the nest.

Off for more sticks.

Just a bit of work and this nest is good to go.

The picture below is how the nest looking in 2011. Usually, they add a new layer to the nest every year. Not so much this year. In 2011 the nest had been built up much more and was on the opposite side of the tower. Normally, the nest gets taller and taller until a severe Winter storm blows the top of it off. I’ve seen the nest over 6 feet tall. Last year the nest survived some very bad storms. Late in the season the nest was gone after a moderate storm. I checked under the nest for debris, but found very little. I found out later that the local power company employees climbed the tower and removed the nest.

This was the nest in 2011.

When they osprey returned and found no nest they immediately started rebuilding. Although, as often happens with men and women they had a bit of a disagreement. They each began building nest on opposite sides of the tower. As typically happens when there is a disagreement, she got her way and the nest ended up in it’s current location.

The is nothing more relaxing then a cozy nest.

Osprey Love

Posted on March 4, 2013 by foresterartist

osprey, pair, nesting, nest, photograpy, nature, birds, wildlife

Last week he was still patiently waiting for his mate.

On Friday our lovelorn male osprey was still waiting alone when I left work.

Late this morning she arrived. She came one week after he arrived.

This morning when I arrived there was only one bird in the nest. When I went back outside about mid-morning and she had arrived. The two of them sat close together for quite some time and every now and then, one would call out. I took some pictures then put my camera away into my truck.

Blitz grazes during a break.

I let the girls out of the truck for a short break. The girls ran to the far side of the parking lot to a field they like, and I walked after them. By the time I had almost reached them, I looked back at the osprey. They were now locked in mating embrace. Immediately, I turned and ran for my camera in the truck, but their interlude only lasted about ten seconds. I didn’t make it. A missed opportunity for sure over a rookie mistake. The male immediately flew away and didn’t return until the afternoon.