The Osprey chick is in boot camp. Mama Sandy is trying to get her ‘wingersizing’. It’s time to strengthen her wings by exercising them. And to improve her self-confidence after the tragedy that killed her sibling two weeks ago. So now Mama Sandy is often retreating to her perch to give the little one room to move around in the nest and spread her wings. Why do I say her? It is because I snapped this picture the other night at sunset time when Dylan walked me through the marsh.
Her ‘necklace’ is very much like Sandy’s. So it’s a girl. Again. In the last few years Sandy and Stanley have produced mostly girls: one girl in 2014, two girls and one boy in 2015 and one girl in 2016.
Now this girl needs to learn to fly. But she is not yet exercising enough. At least in Sandy’s opinion. So yesterday when I sat on “my” bench watching the nest, I saw Sandy teaching her. By role modeling flight from start to end. She walked the talk, so to speak. She took off from the perch and just flew around for a minute. And landing back on the perch she demonstrated her well-practiced “come-from-below” approach.
She did this repeatedly. She did not go anywhere, just flew around the nest so the chick could see her. And the chick watched intently. Even flexed her wings a few times.
I was impressed by Sandy’s home schooling skills. Then my camera battery warning light began blinking. I started to change the battery. And…like so often previously, that’s when Stanley appeared. My camera’s bottom wide open, I watched him zoom in, leave the fish to Sandy and leave. Sandy divided it into two pieces and they started to eat.
The chick was hungry and wanted more. Or maybe her piece was smaller.
In any case, after Sandy had eaten enough, she started to feed the chick.
Perhaps Sandy made a point right there. If you’re a baby and don’t want to learn to fly, I’m going to feed you like a baby. Or maybe that’s just my speculation. In any case, the chick’s recovery seems to be going quite well. The intensive flight preparation classes should get her airborne shortly.
After spending quite a bit of time with the Osprey family, I only had time to walk quickly around the marsh. I spotted my friend, the beautiful Tri-colored Heron.
And a hybrid Mottled Duck, whose friend put up quite a show for me. Or maybe I should say gave me a free preening lesson. If you have the time to actually be at the salt marsh, and need a smile, please watch the short video below.
A White Ibis family was foraging close by, and among them was this beautiful juvenile. She was only partly white. I am guessing she was born last year.
At the far end of the marsh, the Clown (Reddish Egret) sported his red, spiked up hair do. He was busy chasing a Great Egret away from his fishing camp. The latter obliged.
Just when I was leaving the marsh, I spotted a Blue Jay. He didn’t care to pose for a portrait, but showcased the gorgeous colors on his back.
When I arrived home, a tiny Mockingbird baby was practicing her songs on the garage roof. Her repertoire was not yet well developed, but her obvious joy of just being alive was enough to give me a big smile – and something to ponder.
Thank you for being here. Please stay tuned…the now traditional chick naming lottery is starting next week. Dylan will take care of it, just like last year. Peace.
TINY LESSONS BLOG 
Loved the colours of the Blue Jay feathers.
The Blue Jay’s colors are very bright – all different blue hues. They are quite easy to spot, but move constantly so they are difficult to ‘shoot’.
Such a thrill to witness nature young and old. You do a great job relating all the details Tiny. Thanks for these precious photos and fabulous story
Thank you Eddie. I find the natural life fascinating. Somehow the bird parents know exactly what to do – I guess they are better tuned into their instincts than we are.
What a glorious celebration of spring here, Helen. As I always do, I enjoyed the activities of the new osprey family, especially Sandy feeding the chick. Your subsequent photos were also so vivid and clear; love that reddish egret and the blue jay back.
Thank you for your kind comment, Jet. Mama Sandy is clearly a bit worried about the chick’s progress and is encouraging her to start a more vigorous exercise regimen. The Reddish Egret always gives me a smile with its elaborate antics 🙂
What a beautiful story to read about Sandy ‘s schooling effort! Lovely heron photo capture.
A wonderful treat for Sunday morning. 🙂
Sandy is a great mom and right now she wants the chick to strengthen her wings and start flying exercises. Thank you, Amy! Have a beautiful week.
I love your mid-air captures of mama and the ongoing sagas of life in the marsh. Thank you Helen for the fun stories and great photos. blessings, Brad
Thanks, Brad! It was quite interesting to watch Mama Sandy demonstrating flying, repeatedly. She wants the chick to start an exercise regimen …pronto 🙂 Blessings and hugs!
Fantastic photos! I love your bird shots.
Thanks so much, Tim!
The Osprey saga and photos are wonderful to follow, and I like the videos too. It’s nice to live in a place like yours and walk around the marsh without people telling you to keep off certain areas, or not to do this and that.
Thanks for following the Osprey family’s trials and tribulations. I am hoping the chick will soon start exercising her wings vigorously. It is indeed great to live so close to nature, but right now we have a heat wave that reminds us of July-August so I am only doing short walks of 30 minutes to see the birds – in addition to walking with Dylan 2 x 45 minutes a day 🙂
I will have to start thinking of names for the new baby girl. lol
Great photos as usual my friend. ❤
Thanks Jackie! Yes, please start thinking of good names for the girl. I am hoping to see her make progress this week. Hugs ❤
I’ve got my thinking hat on! 🙂
Its good to see the dedicated parents and young “…….” growing up. Her necklace is quite elegant. I’m thinking of an elegant name for her. 😉
Great captures Helen 💕
Thank you, dear Val ❤ I am sure you will come up with a great name proposal. Dylan will ask for them later this week 🙂
Perfect! I forgot what it was though ….. 😉
I like you new word, “wingersizing”. 🙂
That word is often used about osprey chicks exercising their wings…by people who follow their nesting seasons 🙂
Oh my, the Reddish Egret always has me smiling out loud – he’s SO delightful!😄
I also laugh every single time I see ‘the clown’. His antics are so theatrical 😀 and sometimes he even looks at me as if saying ‘did you get that?’
What a treat to witness Sandy’s aviation lessons and the neurotic duck. Wonderful images as always. 🙂
I am hoping the aviation lessons will help the chick to start strengthening her wings…she should be fledging before the end of the month. The neurotic duck gave me a smile too. Thanks, Maverick
It’s good to know that parents in nature have the same problems as us ha! It’s a beautiful world you share Helen 🍀🐣
Thank you, Karen. It seems to me that parents in nature seem to know what to do…sometimes better than we, the human parents, do 🙂
Sounds like I missed some recent events in the Salt Marsh. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of the sibling.
Unfortunately something happened the week I was in Ft. Lauderdale and the Everglades. One chick died and the other was affected too, but now seems to have recovered quite well.
So glad there is a somewhat better ending. They almost feel like family.
For all the osprey excitement, I like the static mottled duck best in your usual superb gallery.
I liked that picture too, quite peaceful compared to her ‘neurotic’ friend. Thank you, Tom.
What a great Mum is Sandy! And, Stanley, a wonderful Dad. This little girl certainly has every opportunity to become a fully fledged member of the Osprey community.
So many wonderful images, Helen, and I loved the video. You say he/she is a ‘hybrid’..!?
The Clown (very apt name) always brings a smile, and the Tri-coloured Heron is a beauty.
xoxoxo
I agree with you, Carolyn, they are great parents. I just hope the chick is well enough to start her flying exercises soon. Hybrid means that, over time, the Mottled Ducks have mated with Mallards and the blue in the wing comes from that. They (males and females) look quite similar to female Mallards, but are lighter in color. The Clown always makes me laugh…he even looks at me after some of his performances as if asking ‘did you get that?’ 🙂
I found quite a good article related to the Mottled Ducks, Helen. Their habitat is quite detailed and restricted ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottled_duck
Love the Clown’s spiked hair. You’ve named him well…. 🙂
Really great shots Tiny! The nestling is doing really well, and it is wonderful to watch the phases of development and training as you have. Thanks for sharing this, especially to see the devoted father bringing the food to the nest, what a great team! It is always a trial for bird parents teaching the fledglings to hunt for themselves, so this will be the next venture after the nestling becomes airborne. Loved the other pics of course, always love to see the Clown, and the gorgeous patterns and colors of the Blue Jay Have a great week my friend!
Thank you for your kind comment, my friend. It is fascinating to watch the chick develop and how Mama Sandy is encouraging her to start exercising her wings more. Stanley is still bringing in most of the fish, although Sandy has gone fishing a few times already. The Clown makes me laugh every time I see him. He does his antics (running, flapping his wings and making sharp turns) and then he looks at me…to make sure I caught it on camera 😀 Have a wonderful week, Ashley.
Appreciate the update! I’ve been wondering how the smaller family is doing! 💗
Thank you Carrie! The smaller family seems to be doing fine. Papa hauls in fish and Mama teaches the kid 🙂
It’s fun to read about how Mama Sandy modeled flying for the young one. I’m looking forward to when the baby is flying.
Sandy’s repeated short flights were clearly a demonstration for the chick. I have not seen her do that in previous years, but this chick is still recovering and slower in her wing exercises. I am hoping she will fly in the next one week.
Things appear to be normalizing at the marsh, for what I can see, the birds are looking good and more lively… great post Tiny! 🙂
We have had a few thunder storms in the evenings lately and the water level in the marsh is higher and much more comfortable for the birds now. Thank you, H.J. 🙂
Amazing that you can follow them over the years. And that Wing Span. Wow. Inspiring post.
It’s been great to follow the Osprey couple for four years now. I have learned so much and try to contribute to the research on non-migratory Osprey, which is still quite skimpy. Happy you enjoyed the post, David.
Ahh…home-school for the little chick!! In one of those photos, the Mamma is so steely-eyed and nearly fierce looking, I would obey immediately!😀 Thank you for the glorious photos of the birds – the colours are stunning, particularly of the Heron and the Jay – wow! Also, thank you for sharing and teaching me so much about the birds – a real life Mockingbird! Fantastic! 😀
Yes, Mama Sandy means business 🙂 She wants the chick to start a vigorous exercise regimen and I hope she will be successful. The chick should be fledging in the next one week or so. I have learned so much about all these birds in the last 4 years observing them up close and personal. The Mockingbird baby had fledged that day or the previous day. She still had some of her baby feathers and her head was a ‘baby head’, but boy was she singing! Thanks for being here, Annika.
Sandy is a great mother but she really excelled in 2015, didn’t she?
You are right! Having three fledglings is rare and remarkable in the osprey world!
Great pics. The Boss and I did the beach yesterday, Sunday
Went south to Indian Rocks so we did not get to see the osprey nest.
Your pics are better than what we
can see from the ground anyway.
If you come to Sand Key Park, the best way to spot the chick is to watch the nest from quite far away, unless it is right next to the edge of the nest. Hope you had a great beach day just south of us!
What a great mom Sandy is! Lovely photos:)
Yes, I agree that Sandy is a great mom. I have so much respect for her. She is caring, but firm 🙂
Beautiful photo of the Mottled Duck… the patterns in the water and the reflections of the bird. Also chuckled at the Clown chasing the Egret, but really it is serious business when it comes to protecting his fishing area.
The Clown always gives me a good chuckle. Now he was running after the Egret and flapping his wings, then stopped close by with his hair spiked straight up…and the Egret, double his size, got the message 🙂
The little Mockingbird does indeed look full of joy to be alive! Sandy looks more task-focused, busy making the point that learning how to fly is serious business. 🙂
That little Mockingbird baby was singing her heart out. She must have fledged that day or the previous day as she still had a ‘baby head’ and some of her baby feathers. Seeing her so full of joy was very inspiring 🙂
It’s amazing you are able to follow a family of ospreys this close. Fantastic photos, once again, Tiny.
Thank you, Otto. This time the osprey family saga had taken a bit happier turn 🙂
LOL on the camera battery Tiny – I feel your pain on that one!! Wonderful captures of nature at work. Beautiful
I have missed so much action during battery changes or when I choose to answer my phone 🙂 Thank you, Tina.
I am again speechless when seeing Your stunning photos. Thank You.
Thank you, Matti! Have a nice week.
Just amazing what a short period of time passes from egg to being ready to fly. I am just so happy that little one survived. Beautiful captures of beautiful wildlife sweet Tiny. I enjoyed the slideshow and video. The red spiked-up hairdo gave me a giggle. Coming to see all your beautiful photos and reading what you say is so exciting. Love it! Hugs and give sweet Dylan nose kisses for us.
I know, birds grow so fast! This chick hatched about 8 weeks ago and I hope she will actually fledge today! She was already a couple of feet up in the air last night 🙂 The Reddish Egret always gives me a chuckle – his hunting routine is so theatrical. Have a wonderful week ahead, dear Mags, Chancy and Pooh.
It would be so nice to have a place to go and watch so much wildlife like you do. I am thankful that you share your visits to the marsh in pictures I enjoy them so much. Hugs
Truly I feel like I am in a National Geographic documentary! Such amazing photos and I love your thinking about why the little one got the little piece of fish. We currently have lots of Canadian Geese and their gosling troops on the river banks. Last night we saw a swimming lesson. So adorable.
Thank you for you very kind words, Sue! The salt marsh is such an amazing little world onto itself – I have seen 35 different bird species there over the years….and the ‘permanent residents’ have become like friends. I am happy you have some adorable goslings to observe 🙂 I’d love to see some swimming lessons soon too…have not seen any ducklings or Moorhen chicks as yet this year. Have a wonderful week ahead!
Thanks Helen for taking the time to write such a lovely blog =) You have such a lovely way with words. I loved seeing the pictures of Dylan tonight with Eli, Bently and Saki too. Of course, now you may have more followers since I forwarded your blog to family members to see Eli with his buddys at the dog park.
Thanks Kathy. These guys are such good buddies, but Dylan was fairly tight-lipped about their secrets 😀 Have a wonderful trip!
This are fantastic photos
Absolutely fabulous peek into the lives of these gorgeous creatures!