Osprey Up-date

I went back to the Audubon Nature Reserve yesterday morning to check on the Osprey. Everything was quiet when I got there at 10:00, no sign or sound of the Osprey, so I went to check out the Bushtit’s and Robin’s nests.  Just after taking a photo of the Robins nest I heard the Osprey cry and I hurried back to the platform to see what was going on. A single Osprey was on the perch, which is called a “pilot’s perch”.  The perch is an important accessory to the nest platform to provide a perch for the male to stand guard when the female is on the nest.

A closer look at the bird on the perch indicated it was to my surprise a female. Soon other birds appear and it looks as though we have two pairs competing for the nest.

This photo shows the female still on the perch and a male, no necklace, coming into the nest site with something.  It looks too short to be a stick that they would normally add to the nest.  As best as I can tell it’s possible a small fish minus its head.

Now all hell breaks loose here.  Notice the big female in the center chasing off the male on the left while the first female is still on the perch though visible upset.  By this time there are a total of six birds in the sky swooping and screaming.  It’s all-out war.   ---- hello Lee? Could you call Salem Electric for two more poles and platforms?