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Observations & Images
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With the day threatening the same stormy forecast as yesterday, I traveled light to the Refuge with only what camera equipment would fit under the umbrella. Restricted to only the handheld camera, naturally, the expected storms never came. At left the three nestlings are spotlighted by the sun shining through a break in the clouds. Then, without warning, the female nestling flew off the nest and completed a circuit of the area. |
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The female nestling, at back right, swoops back into the nest. It was quite a surprise to find that two of the nestlings are now capable of flying. Perched overhead, the female Osprey watched the proceedings without comment. |
| The female nestling takes wing again. |  |
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She would try to land on every likely perch that she'd pass with, usually, little result. When she is able to land she finds it hard to keep her balance without resorting to using her wings to stabilize herself. |
| A perch she did make it to was the top of the old dead tree trunk that used to be a great favorite with the male Osprey for a long time. Here the female nestling can be seen standing on it at upper right while the female is perched at lower left. |  |
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Inspired, the aggressive nestling began hopping up and down in the nest before he, too, lifted off to fly a loop around the area. |
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The little nestling watches the aggressive nestling land back in the nest. The aggressive nestling seems to prefer the nest for the time being for it never attempted to land anywhere else on any of its flights. |
| The female nestling watches the passing storm clouds. |  |
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Hunger pains bring the female nestling back to the nest where her siblings, along with the female who can barely been seen at center, had been enjoying some of the fish brought by the male. After eating the female was up and away again. The pictures of her in flight below clearly show her juvenile feathers edged with white. |
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The aggressive nestling, at left, and the little nestling together by themselves in the nest. The days ahead will be marked by the saga of the little nestling who has a ways to go to catch up with its more advanced siblings. Also, after today, the two flying nestlings have clearly graduated to become fledglings and will be called that from now on. |