Growing in an Osprey's Garden #7

Our chick, Harmony, is now 73 days old and becoming increasingly confident with each passing day. Watching it fall from the nest less than two weeks ago was one of the most harrowing experiences I've had since I started to observe this nest 16 months ago. Madame X reports that it was flying around way up high with Big Hook yesterday and even though she hadn't seen it back in the tree outside her place, it had been in the large eucalypt tree close to where I observe from.

When I arrived at the nest yesterday afternoon, Big Hook was standing on the left side of the nest and Harmony was dozing. After about 10 minutes, Harmony stood up and started to move around a little. Big Hook approached her in that action that I've commented on before where she lowers her body and pushes her chest out, almost as if she's going to give the chick a bit of a shove. It does seem to coincide with Big Hook flying from the nest. This shot is the beginning of a sequence that was quite a revelation to me.

Here is the link to the last thread. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1057992/#top

Alright, a new thread!! Love that pic, Margaret!

It almost sounds like Mama is trying to get Harmony to leave the nest for good ... giving him little shoves/pushes to prod him out on his own. Maybe she wants to make room for more eggs and can't do it with him still on the nest?

I think I forgot to say Welcome! to Denis & Pete ... look forward to more of your great photo's here as well!

We can never get enough of any pictures from Australia, whether it's the beautiful birds, other wildlife or the gorgeous scenery!

Wonderful shot Margaret! I almost hate to see Harmony fledge.

Lin, with summer now upon us and the weather really hotting up (we're expecting 38C on Sunday), the Ospreys wouldn't nest again until next year. Harmony is leaving the nest readily enough, but will continue to use it as a home base until probably February or March. It has a lot of learning to do before it leaves the nest for good.

Here's the next shot in the sequence - Big Hook getting a little closer to Harmony, who puts her wings out ever so slightly.

The chick starts to turn towards Big Hook, who has moved even closer.

Harmony starts bristling as Big Hook invades her body space even more.

Harmony really shows her displeasure at this invasive action.

Big Hook recoils when Harmony lunges towards her.

Big Hook seems a little taken aback by this unexpected response.

Looks' like it is certainly a move to get Harmony to leave....but I was under the impression Harmony already fledged.

Big Hook then backs away as Harmony holds her ground.

Very interesting ... the look on Big Hook's face sure doesn't look like one of Motherly love ... maybe she's scolding him for leaving the nest and flying around? Maybe they are like human mom's who sometimes find it hard to let their little one's take wing! ^_^

I forgot about it being summer there! Wow, 38C? That's a little over 100ºF ... and that is Hot! It's still warm here, we are going to have a couple of days in the mid 80'sF (@ 29ºC or thereabouts) a couple of days this week. Some places in the U.S. are extremely cold with snow ... here in Florida, the foliage on some trees is just changing color and leaves falling. We usually have cold in this part of Florida during January/February.

Great shots!

I think Harmony is being a rebellious kid!

Yes, GP, Harmony has well and truly fledged.

Lin, some parts in the north of the state had 47C yesterday (116.6F). In Perth , our really hot weather seems to hit from January through to the end of March.

In this shot, Harmony remained motionless, but with wings still out a little and feather bristling along her back. Big Hook is preparing to leave the nest.

It appears like a stand off, but Big Hook is actually still in the process of leaving the nest. All of this happened within about 5 or 6 seconds.

I don't want to start interpreting, but there was a sense of a subtle change in the way these two will view each other from now on. This was the first time I'd observed the chick asserting itself.

Big Hook flies off and was gone for well over an hour, before returning with a fish.

Harmony flew up onto the right hand branch shortly after Big Hook left, but only stayed there for about 10 minutes before returning to the nest

....

Harmony settles down for a nap. I had to crop it heavily for some detail. Big Hook fed it when she returned with the fish. Dad also flew by with a fish, but didn't stop, no doubt as he could see that Big Hook had beaten him to it. He then took his catch and was eating it on his favourite branch outside Madme X's place when I left.

Stay tuned for more.

Hi everyone,
Margaret some great stories and some beautiful images. Wow the temperature is really kicking in! I look forward to catching up hopefully on Sunday if I leave Bangalore on schedule.
Some of the behaviours you describe are ones I recognize. Certainly the year before Aussie, the twins regularly took flying lessons with mum and dad. I don't ever recall this with Aussie. I sense from your narrative and photos there just isn't the 'competition' between sibling and mother like last year where it developed into a battle for survival with mum not being able to feed herself.
I agree, I wouldn't expect Harmony to leave the nest for at least another couple of months although her sighting's will become less frequent I suspect. One question, do you think Harmony has taken the 'plunge' yet? Have you seen her with 'wet' feathers yet?I wonder when the young take the plunge for the first time - there's the obvious urge to catch fish, but in this weather I do suspect the birds may take the opportunity to cool off! Anyway thanks for starting the new thread and see you soon,
Pete

Pete, will you really go to the nest in 38 degree heat? I suppose you'll be desperate to see the changes that have occurred in your absence. Have you ever observed this chest thrusting behaviour before? I know Old Ma Osprey did it to Aussie last year, but that seemed to be in the final stages of their conflict and certainly had a more aggressive flavour to it than I've observed with Big Hook's actions towards Harmony. Oh, and I haven't seen any evidence of Harmony having taken the plunge yet.

I went to the nest this afternoon. Harmony was on the nest, alone, enjoying a meal of? You guessed it - fish. There were three or four leisurely post-prandial flaps of the wings before it settled down for a nap. Big Hook arrived with a fish not long before I left on a kayak retrieval, but Harmony wasn't the least bit interested and when I left Big Hook was eating it herself.

One shot to share from this afternoon and that's only to accompany the post.

Pic borrowed from Margaret, of course.

Well done, GP. LOL.

Great shots, Marggie!

LOL Good one, GP.

Oh, and what a beautiful accompanying shot it is Margaret!

gardenpom: LOL, Love the added caption!

Wonderful pics Margaret!

I guess the accidental fall from the nest is considered the fledge?

Although necessary it's sad to see things change between Big Hook and Harmony.

Stunning Margaret...you sure are lucky to be able to view them like this. Rian

Margaret, I wonder if Big Hook is just like a mom that's trying to get the grumpy child out of bed for school? Big Hook looks like she's just pushing Harmony to exercise rather than sleep and eat all day. Whatever the reason, your photos are incredible. Sorry it's so warm there, I'd gladly exchange our freezing 22 degrees with you any day.

GP, love your caption!

As Big Hook always does it right before flying off, I had assumed that she was trying to get Harmony's undivided attention to the act of flying. Kind of like how you place a hand on the shoulder of a hyperactive kid to get them to focus their attention on what you are trying to tell them.
I once had a litter of pups that had a "slow" one in it and the mother would do something like that when teaching them mousing and rabbit hunting. (I kept the pups until they were 10 weeks, just so she could train them more)

Pelle, I think you're right about the fall from the nest being considered the fledge, although I've read that even going out onto a branch is considered fledging, which she had done before her unplanned tumble.

Thanks, Kim, Lin, Rian and duc. I think we're very fortunate to be able to view the nest as we do.

duc, I've already had an offer of temperature exchange. No, you all can keep your cryogenic cold.

Juney, what you say by way of a possible explanation of this chest thrusting action makes sense "Watch this, this is how it's done". But who knows. Maybe with more observation the reason behind such a purposeful action will become clearer.

Now this is a bit mean, but this was Cottesloe Beach yesterday morning. There really is an Osprey connection, though. On the left and middle horizon there's a fuzzy bit of land. This is Garden Island, where Old Ma Osprey was hatched and tagged as a chick in 1990.

Wow, that is a Gorgeous Beach! It was hot and humid here today and I bet our beaches were packed, but our beaches don't look anywhere near as stunning as Cottesloe!

Oh, gosh! I got a lump in my throat. That is beyond beautiful. It has been overcast or foggy for most of the last month. The temperature hovers around freezing and as it is so damp, you had better watch for ice when walking or driving. I had forgotten how much I love and miss the ocean and the ocean beaches until I saw your picture.

I am going to be going to the beaches as soon as it gets warm here!

Excellent images once again, Margaret.

Sorry to hear that it so hot. Maybe that large iceberg that is heading your way will cool things down. It's massive, from my perspective (140 square kilometers). But, I understand that it poses no threat and will melt and break up into smaller icebergs as it moves farther north.

Margaret, I'm glad you and Lin are enjoying the warm weather. That beach looks soooo good right now. Hope that iceberg does break up!

It is a gorgeous beach, one of many up and down the coast. We're spoiled for choices. Occasional problem with White Pointer (Great White) sharks, though.

Linth, it's not an isolated (pun intended) event to have icebergs break off the Antarctic ice shelf and head our way. However, they usually melt along the way. What a sight that'd be off the beach. When the state was in ultra-severe drought a few years ago, there were many suggestions on how to bring water to the parched south west. There were some hair-brained ones, along with one or two that had real merit but were rejected because of the cost. Lassoing an iceberg and dragging it up to Perth has been suggested on a number of occasions.

It appears that the nest structure itself is sacrosanct to the Willie Wagtails, but anyone out on the branch is considered fair game. Here's one giving Harmony a hard time yesterday.

..

...

Harmony didn't appear to be overly perturbed by the assault