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Observations & Images
13 February 2007
Nest Building
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Today marks one year to the day that observations of the Osprey activity at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge began. Unfortunately, the anniversary finds things far from the favorable condition they were in last year. View the 13 February 2006 page and compare how different the two days are. Though the male Osprey works to replace his lost nest, no female has taken an interest in him. Probably because he has little to offer until he can get the nest into a usable state. |
| Today the male tried to remedy his loneliness. The male lifted off and performed the aerial display characteristic of male Ospreys trying to attract a female. The display is variously called the "fish flight" or the "sky dance". |
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The male's flight was textbook in its nature. During the entire display he emitted extremely loud, short calls. Note his beak is open in many of the pictures catching him in the act of crying out. |
| Clutching a fish in his talons he would climb then hover for as long as he could with his body held almost vertically with the fish extended out in front of him. |
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From hovering he would dive down toward the ground.... |
| ....then rise again and repeat the process all over again. |
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Sadly, I appeared to be the only one taking an interest in this beautiful aerial display. |
| No Ospreys could be seen or heard anywhere in the area. If he was hoping to attract a female she never showed up or, possibly, did not find the size of his fish impressive enough. |
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After what must have been a fairly exhausting effort to put on the display he glided over to the new nest site. |
| The pile of material, visible just below and to the left of the male, is beginning to grow but is nowhere near the nest shape forming at the old nest site. |
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Eventually he made a short jump, while still carrying the fish, to the branch he seems to be favoring these days. The imminent threat of severe weather chased me from the area so I did not see how the rest of his afternoon went. |
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