Pat DiGeronimo
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I've been tracking 4 nests this year. The nests are at Jones Beach, OR., Puget Island, WA., Vancouver, WA., and Skamania, WA.
I have tried to locate nests that are near eye level, by finding a shooting spot on a hill, or dike area. I have been real lucky with the nest locations this year. I have spotted over 25 nests with in 75 miles of my home in Vancouver, WA.
I keep lots of notes, as I'll visit a nest and spend the whole day observing the Osprey. Patience is the the keyword.
I plan on putting together a website soon to pass on my observations I have experienced. It is under construction now. http://www.digitalpat.net/
Here is the some info I got from the Birds of Oregon, A General Reference Guide. By David B. Marshall. This is a great book for detail information on all birds.
Osprey eggs are laid between 23 Apr and 8 May (mean 30Apr).
Males share the incubation of eggs.
Eggs hatch in about 38 days, and after hatch the female remains in almost constant attendance brooding the young for the first 30 days, while the male provides all the fish for female and young.
An Osprey pair raising two young consume about 375 lbs of fish durning breading season.
The male spends non-hunting time perched nearby.
Young make first flights at 50-55 days.
What I have observed is the male returns about every two hours with fish.
Larger fish have the head removed, smaller are whole.
After he delivers dinner, he hangs out at the nest for a few minutes then takes off. When he leaves, he will usually fly close to the water and drag his feet in the water. I assume he is cleaning his claws.
The young, like the parents, have very good bathroom etiquette. It is comical watching a chick getting face down in the nest, near the edge of nest, with rear end in the air to go to the bathroom.
Here is the family from yesterday at the Vancouver nest.
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Those eyes and tongues are wild!
