But hold on for a minute. The breaking news will follow in the next segment – after our reporter, embedded at the salt marsh, gives you the back story. No commercial breaks or partisan views. Promise.
I was exhausted when I returned from my ‘fully loaded’ work trip to the big city up north. I carried one of my cameras all the time, but couldn’t get a breather to focus my mind on anything but work. Zero pictures. So right after returning home, I took a walk at the salt marsh. I realized how lucky I am having this small enclave of nature one block away from home.
Arriving there, I saw things were lively at the Osprey family home. Papa Stanley brought a fish to Sandy, who had been busy decorating the nursery in the middle of the nest.
She took the fish, and I thought she would fly away to enjoy it. Like she had when I last saw her before my trip.
But this time she stayed at the nest. Just flew up onto the perch to eat her lunch. When you are close to the time, you better not go too far from home. She new that.
I left Sandy to enjoy her fish and walked around the marsh to check on the other residents. The Mayor, the older Great Blue Heron, was standing guard right below the osprey nest. It seems to be his new favorite spot.
And the Reddish Egret was hunting nearby, his long red hair flowing with his movements.
I noticed the Mourning Doves had returned. Several of them were foraging in the grass and flying around in the trees.
And the ducks were back too. A family of three Mottled Ducks was enjoying a pool of water next to the rest area in the park. They usually nest at the salt marsh and I was delighted to see them.
I am hoping to spot new little ducklings in June, like I did last year.
I continued my walk and saw another permanent resident, the Little Blue Heron. He was looking for something to eat in the grass, and was not shy when I approached. We have no trust issues. As far as he’s concerned, media is all good.
Another old friend was present too. The Tri-colored Heron was busy doing bird yoga. And showing off her beautiful colors. I took that as a hint. It’s high time for me to start improving my flexibility 🙂
Walking back towards the osprey nest, I spotted Sandy returning from her perch – via a short exercise round. She had finished eating and probably knew that opportunities for after-lunch exercise would be limited in the weeks and months to come.
When I arrived back to the nest, Stanley was working on rearranging the soft materials around the nest cup. Papa putting the last touches on the nursery. Something was definitely in the making.
When I left them, the parents-to-be were perching side by side in the nest. A handsome couple, I thought.
I walked home on the bay side and spotted this Anhinga drying her feathers in the sun.
Then, looking out towards the nest from our terrace this morning, I saw something was different. Eggs had been laid last night. Sandy was incubating. Hatchlings expected in 35 to 40 days. Yay!
You can see the design of the nest is centered on the nursery in the middle of the open floor plan. I hope you’ll also notice the soothing, earth-toned color scheme and the subtle decorations. All natural materials apart from the small piece of blue nylon rope, hardly visible next to the edge. It has followed the family from their old home into the new. Sandy’s favorite color.
In the next few months, you will see more of these ‘soft’ pictures, when I’ll zoom into the nest from a block away. It is the only way we can follow what’s happening in the nursery.
Thanks for visiting the Osprey family and our other friends at the marsh. I hope you enjoyed the breaking news. We all wish you a peaceful weekend and a good week ahead.
TINY LESSONS BLOG 
Breathtakingly fabulous, Helen. Those osprey shots are especially fine. What a wonderful resource and resort you have here.
Thanks for your visit and kind comment, Tish. I know I am very lucky to have this precious piece of nature next door.
Delightful news all round, Helen; I can’t stop grinning!
What wonderful décor with beautiful earth tones to soothe and relax. And, may I say, Helen, your feature image is one of your best; such majesty in action. 🙂
xoxoxo
Happy you liked the news, Carolyn! It’s so heartwarming to watch this couple share in all tasks. Stanley brings the food, but also sits on the eggs several times a day to give Sandy time to eat, stretch and relax. And he’s been feeding her at least two weeks already so that she doesn’t need to dive when pregnant 🙂
Its so good to get such a humorous update from the marsh Helen. Love the media jokes and decorating notes 💛
Those zoomed-in photos are amazing. I can’t wait to see the chick/s as they grow!
Happy you enjoyed the news, fact-checked and all 🙂 I think I can zoom into this new nest better than what was possible with the old, small one. We should learn about the hatchling(s) quite quickly and be able to see them already before they start looking out from the nest. Thanks Val!
Your enclave is filled with such great birds, ducks, herons, and others, and a great photographer to boost. Fabulous images, well crafted and so interesting.
Thank you, Hien. Glad you liked the news. It’s funny how many of these different birds either live at this small salt marsh or visit regularly from the ‘bird island’ situated just a bit north in the bay – only reachable by boat.
I always love and enjoy your posts, Helen! This post’s captures are again gorgeous and so much variety! So nice to have the salt marsh within walking distance, so easy to take a break from life and enjoy nature at its finest. 🙂
I was anticipating what the breaking news’ was, thinking I might know. I knew it was getting that ‘time’ and am so happy to see Mama Sandy incubating, yay! Glad she had that fine fish for dinner the day before from Papa Stanley, such a good hubby. I am looking forward to all your future posts of the nursery’s happenings! Exciting!!!
I thought you would know what news to expect, Donna 🙂 I am excited too that we will be able to follow the events in the nest a bit better now. But to learn how many eggs there are might be a challenge as the nest cup probably is quite deep…and I’d need to be lucky to “shoot” from my terrace just when Sandy and Stanly do a quick shift change. Thanks Donna!
Glad you have a bird’s eye view of the nesting pair!
I am too, didn’t count on this ‘bonus’ when we decided to buy our home six years ago 🙂
All the beautiful birds are very busy in the marsh.
Yes, busy time has already started for the 2017 nesting season. Thanks Tim.
Welcome back home Helen. I delight in your excursions through the marsh. Kudos on the family news and thanks for a heart-warming and fun break. Hugs…
Thank you, my friend. I am happy to be back in my tranquil environment and discover things are moving along towards a new, exciting nesting season at the marsh 🙂 Hugs to you too!
Thanks and enjoy your mellow marsh. XD
Wow, how exciting! Thank you so much, Helen for sharing the news. Love these remarkable captures here!
The start of a new nesting season is here – again. I can’t believe how time flies 🙂 Thanks for being here, Amy, and for you kind comment.
The ospreys look so much more comfortable in their new and well-decorated nest. They’ve moved up in the world! 🙂
Yes they have. And I think they are happy about the added square footage and the much improved security 🙂
Ohhh, soon, babies! I love this time of year in your neck of the woods. 🙂 ❤
I love this time too! So much happening in the bird world…much better news than in the human world 🙂 Hugs ❤
Now that’s the truth, girl. Hugs ❤
My, My, My. I didn’t think you could top those fabulous first photos of the fish-catch. But the zoom photos of the actual nursery are amazing. Well done, Tiny. Can’t wait.
Thank you my friend. Happy you enjoyed the news. Talking about weather…today we’re surrounded by fog, white and thick like milk, and I can’t see the nest or any of the salt marsh. Hope it’s gone by tomorrow!
So glad to be back at the salt marsh seeing all those old friends.
Thank you, Susan. Happy you joined this ‘expedition’.
Wonderful close ups of the upcoming babies!! Very exciting. Definitely get some stretches and yoga in your spare time Helen. 💕🌿
Thanks Karen! Happy you enjoyed the news. You’re right, and the ‘yoga bird’ reminded me about it, I will need to start yoga or some other kind of stretching exercises – even without having any ‘spare’ time 🙂
How wonderful Tiny that the eggs are laid, all your hard work is seeing fruit in restoring their nursery. What a great shot looking into the nest too. Love the clear vivid pics of the Osprey in flight. I am especially impressed with the bright blue of the Little Blue Heron, it is beautiful in the sunlight. How good it is for you to have a please to unwind after a busy week, I know how refreshing it is when I go out in the bush and the quite sound of wind and birds calling. Enjoy your week my friend:-)
Thank you Ashey. The blue of the Little Blue Heron changes with light conditions, I have noticed. And possibly also with the breeding season like for so many other birds. I have noticed the latter with the Tri-colored Heron too, sometimes a bit ‘dull’ and other times very bright colors. The osprey family seem very happy with their new home…the added perch comes to use every single day. Sometimes Sandy eats there, sometimes Stanley just perches there to be close to her. Have a wonderful week, my friend 🙂
Yayyy! Great news, Helen! Wow…hard to believe another year has gone by! The pics are stunning and I’m happy you were welcomed home with such great friends! Sending lots of love ☀
I was very happy discovering these good news after my return home. Happy you came to visit us, Lorrie. Sending you healing and love ❤
Thanks, Tiny! I so look forward to your updates from the salt marsh!! And thank you again for all the love you offer ♡
Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos and wonderful news, Helen. It’s always a breath of fresh air to visit your blog. 🙂
Thank you Carol. Always happy to hear you enjoy meeting our friends 🙂
All’s well in Marsh land, lovely post and images. 🙂
Thank for your visit and kind comment, Maverick 🙂
Wonderful breaking news, Helen. Your photos are really breathtaking. I loved seeing the nest, so lovingly put together by Stanley and Sandy. I’m so envious of the reddish Egret’s hair. :).
You made me laugh with your Reddish Egret comment, Sylvia. He really has a great hair 🙂 I am also impressed by how nicely Sandy and Stanley have filled the almost empty nest, and the nursery at the center looks really soft and comfortable 🙂
I enjoyed looking through your images and the story, I am sure it takes a lot of patience to capture them! My favorite is especially when Papa Stanley brought the fish, he looks so serious 🙂
Papa Stanley is busy fishing several times a day. He already fed Sandy at least two-three weeks before the egg laying…so that she didn’t need to dive while pregnant 🙂 And now he’ll feed her for 35 days while she is incubating…and then he’ll feed all of them until the chick(s) are at least 6-7 weeks.
It’s great news Tiny! I’m happy for you, knowing now that the Osprey family will grow! Congratulations! Best wishes to you dear friend! 🙂
Thank you H.J. for cheering us on here at the salt marsh. It is indeed great news and exciting times. Best wishes to you and yours as well 🙂
Amazingly fantastic, Helen. Those osprey shots are particularly fine. What an awesome asset and resort you have here…What great style with delightful earth tones to relieve and unwind.
Thank you! Our little marsh is a great place to visit – a resort for birds as well as for people 🙂
You are lucky. We are lucky. What a show!
Definitely lucky. And happy you came to the show. Thank you kindly David.
Ah, now we can see direct into the nest; that’s great Helen, and it doesn’t matter about the inevitable slight blurriness — you’re shooting from what, c.100m away or something?
I would say the nest is ca 200-250 meters away so when I use the max of my super zoom camera (1200 mm) I can get these pictures. After 600 mm the picture quality declines and the smallest shake will cause blurring. It is still nice to be able to see into the nest and hopefully discover a little head or two quite soon after hatching.
You are indeed lucky to have so much nature next to you. As always you captured some gorgeous images.
Thank you Otto. I am happy you visited me and my salt marsh friends. The park is indeed a great resource for us all on this island, but so convenient for for me to just walk over there with my cameras and enjoy all the goings-on.
Wonderful osprey pictures. I would find it very hard to go away even on pressing business.
I do find it difficult to go away, but since Papa Osprey won’t agree to bring lunch and dinner on our table, I still need to leave occasionally.
Work, the curse of the birding fraternity.
😀 definitely.
What a delightful surprise to wake-up to after such a busy time away – congratulations!
Yes, this time of the year is exciting at the marsh…nesting season has started! Thanks Joanne.
There’s no place like home for you, Helen. I love the yoga shot.
That yoga bird had a very impressive pose 🙂 Thanks Catherine.
The photo immediately above the words “I noticed the Mourning Doves had returned. Several of them were foraging in the grass and flying around in the trees” looks like a tall, slender model with a fan blowing on her for a windblown look 🙂
Looking forward to following the continuing news from the Osprey nest! How long is the incubation period?
The incubation period is 35 to 40 days…so we should be seeing little head(s) soon after March 20th.
Exciting!
Holy sh*t, Helen, your pictures are outstanding!!! I cannot believe how good you have gotten and am stunned by what I saw in this post today! What lens are you using? That baby must be huge because the detail you are now getting on the Ospreys is mind boggling!!! You really need to be proud of yourself for what you are accomplishing! NICE and then some!! Just WOW! Thank you thank you thank you! ❤
Thank you dear Amy for your very kind comment! I am happy you see progress in the last couple of years. I most often use two Canons, the Canon 80D with different lenses of which the longest as of now is a 300mm telephoto lens (I’m dreaming of a 500 to 600mm super telephoto lens, but they are really pricey) and for most shots from very far, I use my old Canon 50X HS superzoom camera. Now that I have learned how to use it properly, I have noticed it takes fairly good quality pics up to 600mm, but the quality drops drastically when used at 1200mm – which I have to do trying to get pics of the nest from my terrace more than a block away. Thank you again, my dear friend, for your encouragement ❤
Lovely to have the osprey next to your door
What an amazing post! I have been “off the grid” for a few months, so it is nice to come back to catch up on what is going on in the salt marsh. The action photos are fantastic, and the color on the the little blue heron is amazing! I can’t wait to read your next posts and get caught up.
Thank you Stephanie! I have noticed that the color of the Little Blue Heron varies between individuals and also depending on the lighting conditions. As to the Osprey family, I am expecting we get baby news any day now 🙂