Raising Aussie Osprey

So sad about the other chick, but yes the strongest does push out the weakest to ensure survival of the fittest. As always, a very entertaining series of pics. Love the WW, and the patience of the Osprey, but coming in for attack from the front is too much, lol!

It's always amazing to see your pic Margaret. Oh too bad for the other chick, I wouldn't have mind adopting it. That little Wagtail make me laugh. No enough to harass the big guy, but use it as a resting place awesome.

Your photos of the chick being tended to by mom are beautiful!! Just so fascinating..

It's after midnight and my brain is addled. Here's one of the shots I took before heading off to work this afternoon. The little chick has grown so much since yesterday. I'll post more in the morning.

Getting sleepy

I had to head off to work. The chick was fast asleep.

So adorable!

When do chicks start getting feathers?

Yah, that chick looks like a bumpy chicken

Yes, Pelle, it is really gorgeous. I probably won't go down there again for another couple of days. Work really does get in the way of a good time.

LOL Mrs Ed, that's exactly what I thought it looked like.

Iris, I'm not sure when the feathers will start coming through.

What I have noticed is that the chick mirrors the parents actions quite frequently.

LOL about the bumpy chicken!! That's what was going through my head too!!

Maybe we could knit a little coat for it!

Another great series, Margaret. Our Osprey have long departed. What an opportunity you have in being able to photograph from above !

linth, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I feel as if I've been dropped into heaven. I can't believe I am in such a privileged position. I won't be able to get down there tomorrow but may be able to on my way to work on Tuesday. I'm longing to see what the little chick looks like now.

Nanny, sorry this response is a bit late. The incredible gentleness of this big bird with the over sized talons picking her way gently towards the chick and then feeding it tiny bits of fish with that great big beak over a period of about half an hour is an honour to watch.

This shot is from a week ago, but in the absence of anything really new, thought another one of the Willie Wagtail driving poor Dad crazy might be amusing.

That's a great one Margaret!

As linth says, what a rare opportunity to take pics from above! Love the chick imitating the parent, have you noticed how a new cat accepted into the area will 'copy cat' a top cat in the way they copy their sitting position?

Thanks for that last pic of the WW. I needed a good laugh!

That shot is a doulble WOW!!!

Well I finally got back to the Osprey's nest today. It was a cold, wet day in Perth. When I first arrived, the female was on the nest. After a while she got up and moved out onto a branch and took her sweet time, having a luxurious stretch. I wasn't sure if I was seeing the chick, but there was this wet looking shape where she had just got up from. I watched and waited and I began to feel really apprehensive as this shape wasn't moving and it was drizzling and I thought if it is the chick and it's already wet, then being in the cold drizzle won't help things.

This is all I could see - and it wasn't moving.

She started moving back down to the nest after several minutes.

Then the male arrived with a fish which made me cautiously optimistic.

She's on the right of the picture. Just to the side of her leg with the band on it, if you look towards the centre you may see a round, brown shape. That's junior's head.

Finally the little one came into view. It's bigger and so much darker than when I saw it last. It seems as if the Ospreys are fair game for anything. Pity I didn't get a shot of it, but the male was being hounded by a falcon when he was bring the fish in.

Open wide

More

You can see the chicks crop filling up,

Fantastic shots Margaret! Daddy looks very attentive and proud! What a great opportunity this is for you!

Its crop is bulging.

Thanks Wallaby. It's unbelievable that I can do this whenever I'm not working.

This message was edited Nov 5, 2008 8:06 PM

She watches as the chick moves a few inches away, satiated.

The Willie Wagtails left the Ospreys alone because these two Kookaburras were close by, and unlike the Ospreys, they will take chicks. I saw at least four Willie Wagtail babies on the track under my observation area. The two adults would fly up to me and land about 2' from me, not chattering aggressively as would normally be expected. I put my hand out on a few occasions and got within an inch of one of them hopping onto my hand.

Fantastic shots, Margaret. Do you have a movie camera ? Since you have this great viewing position it would be nice
to capture some video also.

What an extraordinary thread this is Margaret, we're so lucky to be able to share this experience with you!

This is an amazing thread! Thanks so much Margaret!

Wow that chick is growing fast, and it is much darker than last week.

Thanks knip, it would be a sad thing if I kept this to myself. It's bucketing down today, so doubt that I'll get there. Then work the next two days, although I should be able to stop off on my way to or from work, when it will hopefully be brighter than yesterday.

linth, coming from you, with your current shots of the magnificent Bald Eagles and previous posts on Ospreys, that's high praise indeed. Thanks. I'll think of hiring a ?DVD recorder.

Yes, Nanny, that's what surprised me as well. Shame the two of them didn't survive.

Pelle, thank you.

I don't think I've posted this before. It was taken a week ago.

This message was edited Nov 6, 2008 7:54 AM

It continues to amaze me to see this scenario. The male such a good provider, and female a great attentive mother. Thanks.

Margaret, Keep on posting. Lee

Thank you, Burn and Lee. I'm more than happy to keep sharing.

As always, I have to crop heavily to show the chick, otherwise it wouldn't be able to be distinguished from the sticks and detritus is in nest. I took this shot about four hours ago.

Someone asked if the parents ever left the nest unattended. Well, now I can say, yes they do. Both adult birds were away for about twenty minutes this afternoon.

Blimey, he's growing like a weed!