The 2010 Osprey season heats up

That branch doesn't bother me either. Margaret, you're much too critical on yourself.

LOL, GP. Good caption and of course I don't mind.

Thanks Pelle.

GG and duc, I hope I haven't tempted fate by whinging about that branch. It's part of what is keeping the nest there.

I love how Big Hook is looking at Dad, in the last few pictures you;ve posted Margaret. Your very good at getting the expressions.
And how interesting, about the gifts.

Margaret I must say you have some great action shots of the Ospreys mating.

Boy what we guys must do to get and keep a lady (smiles)

Yes. I hope you bring your wife a nice big clump of weeds.

;o))

Burn, it really is lovely to see the two birds enjoying each others company. These clumps of weed and very fine twigs are being woven into what will become the nest cup, where the eggs will (hopefully) be laid.

Thanks Al. I've taken countless dozens of shots of them mating, but few with them facing the camera. By the way, weed won't cut it with the female of the human species. Diamonds are the acceptable norm. That's right isn't it Mrs Ed and Kim?

Or interesting plants with this crowd. Of course they are for anniversaries.

Thanks for the reading suggestions Margaret!

Actually, diamonds don't do it for me, but camera equipment or landscaping goes a long way!

My birthstone is a diamond and we do have the only public diamond mine in the US, so it is my nature ;o) No, I have not ever found a diamond but there are many found every day! Gardening and camera stuff make great gifts, too...oh what am I saying...I am happy when I get any present, even weeds...our birds have brought in quite a few!

Things are progressing well at the nest. Pete saw them mating yesterday and I received a call from Madame X late morning saying that Big Hook hadn't moved off the nest all day and appeared to be sitting as if on eggs.

I went down there this afternoon and sure enough, she was still on the nest. The egg, if one has been laid, is not visible, but both Pete and Madame X had the thought that if Dad relieved Big Hook on the nest and he went into a sitting position as well, that would seem to be a pretty fair indication that one has been laid. And that is exactly what happened this afternoon. Dad brought some more weed for the nest. I didn't see either bird do anything with it after the delivery and he flew off for close on an hour before returning. It was then that she flew to a lower branch for about 20 minutes and he took over sitting duties.

By the way, the water wasn't really that rather strange colour. That is a by product of me playing around in elements.

Dad stood close by, hoping Big Hook would move.

This is Big Hook. The difference in the sizes of these two is never more apparent than when they're sitting in the nest. She's remains prominent, whereas he can barely be seen.

See what I mean? I had moved down to the low path where the view into the nest isn't good, but the previous shot and this one were taken from the same spot.

Wonderful shots as usual. Sure hope she is sitting on and egg or two or three!

I sure hope there will be multiple hatchings, BeaHive. Fingers crossed.

Wooo Hooo! Fingers crossed! Great pix, Marggie!

Great shots. There sure is a difference in the size of them.

I do hope she's already sitting on some eggs.

Wow Margaret...great shots and I sure hope they are sitting on eggS!

Thanks for your lovely comments. I'll go there tomorrow afternoon and see if there's any chance of being able to get into a position where I can look deeper into the nest.

So, I just saw this thing on TV last night where a remote control helicopter had two petri dishes attached to it, and the scientists flew it into the air from a Sperm Whale blowhole. I think you should get a helicopter like this and remote control camera and zoom over the nest!!!

Thing is, they may not move off the nest for hours. I would imagine that the Ospreys, as tolerant as they are, wouldn't take too kindly to some noisy little device buzzing over their nest.

I bet they'd be using Osprey Profanities!

#&%?%@ no, surely they wouldn't.

Is that a quote from Big Hook?

Pretty much, Iris.

I spent a couple of hours at the nest this afternoon. Dad was sitting on the egg/s and Big Hook was standing close by when I first got there. He appears to absolutely relish sitting, occasionally pulling in bits of weed from the perimeter of the nest cup and rearranging it and dozing on and off. Big Hook flew down to one of the low branches, but eventually decided it was her turn to sit and flew back to the nest. Dad flew off over to the other side of the bay and returned an hour later to his branch on the tree outside Madame X's house with a fish, where he proceeded to eat it. I stuck around until the nest was coming into shadow, but he hadn't brought the fish to her. There's some plastic in the nest, which is a bit of a worry. I hope they discard it.

Here's Big Hook arriving back at the nest before the changing of the guard.

Good shot Margaret! Glad Dad enjoys nesting duties.

Thanks, Pelle. He seems so contented whilst sitting.

Lovely picture, Marg! He is enjoying his time with the eggs...

Thanks, Kim. I just wish we could see into the nest to confirm how many eggs and get photos of them. Sigh

Lovely shot. Have you thought of a name for new baby or (ies). Glad to see that Dad enjoys pitching in.

Great photo Margaret. I think I'll just be happy when however many eggs hatch and the little ones grow up. The thought of that plastic in the nest sure is something to worry about, but I'm going to think positive and hope they'll discard it soon.

Great picture Margaret.

Re. the fish--perhaps he thought since she had been out and about she had dined out!! LOL

No names yet, Burn. The circumstances or personality will provide the name/s, as with Harmony last year.

Duc, my stomach turns when I think of plastic in the nest. And it's probably not as potentially dangerous as fishing line or thin strands of rope.

LOL GG. Reading about Osprey behaviour, it seems the male typically brings fish to the female on the nest and the males even feed their mates regurgitant. I've not seen the latter. I think she must have already have had a good feed yesterday, because when he took the fish to the tree, she wasn't the least bit interested.

Fish AGAIN??!!

Hi, Al. No, today is only day 10 of when we believe the first egg was laid. Incubation is about 5+ weeks. Dad Osprey really relishes his time sitting on the egg/s. He snuggles right down and is a picture of contentment, whereas Big Hook gets quite restless. Madame X, who can observe them all day long, says that he is spending more time sitting than Big Hook does and has seen Big Hook arriving with her own fish since the incubation began, so she's a very independent girl.