Bird Watching: Growing in an Osprey's garden #4, 1 by MargaretK

MargaretK wrote:
I'm very happy to be able to share my experience with you all. When I speak to some people about how I spend most of my spare time, I either get a blank stare or get the question "What's an osprey"? It's heartening to get the enthusiastic feedback I get here on the birdwatching forum.

Thanks for the suggestion, Linth. I have thought of targeting children (as readers); however I don't want it to be primarily a children's book. If the book I have in mind ever comes to fruition, and I have made a start, I have contemplated compiling a scaled down version of the visual story aimed specifically at children.

From this afternoon - Harmony exercising those wings. I was reading today that ospreys fledge anywhere between 48 and 59 days. Harmony is 49 days old today and there are still remnant "pins" visible on her flight feathers. I tend to think that because there is no urgency to grow fast to be able to migrate, the chicks down-under may mature at a more leisurely pace.

Aussie was hatched on the 19th or 20th October last year and didn't fledge until between Christmas and New Year. I think it was the 28th December that I first saw Aussie out of the nest, but of course it may have occurred earlier than that, just not observed. If it was the 28th, that would have been 69 days (I am unquestionably the world's worst mathematician, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong - I'm used to it). Even if it had fledged a few days earlier, although none of the local observers, including Madam X had seen it, it would have been right on the upper end of the fledging scale.

Edited to add that I have just read that fledging may actually extend to 76 days.


This message was edited Nov 15, 2009 10:35 AM