The young osprey has now left the nest. She’s independent and fully capable to take care of herself. And with that, the 2014 nesting season is officially over for the osprey family I’ve been following since January.
I saw this magnificent young bird eating and resting in the nest for a few hours on Monday and then again (from my terrace) on Tuesday. She left that evening to explore her wider surroundings and has not returned.
I thought this might be a good time to look back on the nesting season’s most interesting events, and particularly on the day when the nestling became a fledgling.
Building the nest , or rather renovating last years home, started in mid January. Papa osprey went back and forth to the Home Depot store and brought home building materials. Mama osprey was the designer and put it all together.
The couple had a few interesting and fairly loud arguments during this DIY renovation project. Wouldn’t any couple? This happened particularly at times when papa osprey came home empty-handed.
Then mama osprey was sitting on the egg and papa osprey was feeding her.
And protecting the nest from intruders. A dramatic show of force was displayed by both mama and papa osprey when two dogs took their people for a walk on the wrong side of the nest on March 15. I assume the egg had hatched (or was about to) at that time.
Soon the nestling was big enough to peek out from the nest. That’s when I spotted her first.
Papa osprey went on frequent fishing trips and brought home the “beef” that mama osprey fed to the nestling.
Mama osprey kept feeding the nestling and took care of her until she started “wingersizing” and then finally fledged. I have put together a sequential gallery of photos I took over a two-hour period on May 13. You can see how determined the young one was to fly. Mama osprey had to be careful not to be hit in the head by a flying twig or by the youngster. I had to laugh when I looked at these photos again 🙂
Anyway, that’s the day the youngster learned to fly. Soon after that papa osprey took over her training. They went on fishing trips together and he then kept an eye on her until last week when I witnessed her coming back to the nest with a fish.
I hope all of them will have a great summer and fall wherever they are going. I’m already looking forward to the return of mama and papa osprey in December-January. The juvenile will probably return to breed in her birth environment only in her third year.
I hope you enjoyed this successful nesting season as much as I did.
TINY LESSONS BLOG 
That was a fun thing watching it grow up through you. Well done my friend!
Thanks Jackie! I’ve learned so much this year and hope to do better next season…will need some better gear too 🙂
I loved the osprey family season and seeing it through your lens and clever words. Now we’ll all have a little of the “empty nest” feeling.
Thanks Cyndi. I’ll certainly have an empty nest feeling for a while. I want to be a bit better prepared next year as I’ve learned a lot about them and also from them this year 🙂
Wow, time has sure flown. I’m amazed how quickly the baby is leaving the nest.
Yes it feels like I discovered the family only a couple of.months ago and yet it’s been over five months. The baby grew up in a blink! I will miss them and already look forward to next year 🙂
How amazing it was to share yours and their journey from prenatal to empty nest – thank you so much for sharing!
Happy you enjoyed it Joanne! Thanks for following along!
It was a wonderful season. Thank you.
Thanks for being with us all along Gallivanta!
It was a great pleasure. Perhaps there is another lovely book in there?
Let’s hope she thrives and returns.
That’s what I’m thinking too. And I hope the “old folks” will return in late December-early January to the same nest. As long as both of them are ok, they usually do.
If only our young could become self-sufficient that quickly. 🙂
Amen! That process seems to become longer and longer. It’s not easy for the new fledglings out there 🙂
what a super series of images thanks Tiny, I cannot watch our birds through their nesting time, but can imagine it all now you have shown us so beautifully … lets do it again next year!
Thanks Christine! I hope to do it again next year, but will need to look into better equipment…maybe Santa can bring just in time for the next season 😉
Sweet Tiny I am just in awe of all the fantastic pictures you have taken of the osprey family. I thank you for sharing them, I have really enjoyed them. Hugs
Thank you Mag! I’m happy you enjoyed the story of the ospreys. I just spotted two ospreys yesterday, need to look at my pictures to see if they are from this family. Hugs
I love this post. Lovely photos.
Happy you liked it Matti! I just got a new Canon zoom (up to 1200) so I can get closer to the birds without disturbing them. Next nesting season I can take okay (it’s still far) pics of the nest from my terrace 🙂