Yesterday I arrived at the refuge, near the nest of the Ospreys I have been following this year. The two chicks were not visible, but the two parents were there, with the mother making loud calls.
“Honey, the kids are hungry! Time to go fishing!”
He seemed oblivious to her calls. After about twenty long minutes he finally flew away. She watched him soar toward the marshes.
“He better catch something good!”
Some twelve minutes later, he was back, with no fish!
Male Osprey landing back on nest.
“Honey, I tried, but …”
In no time she sent him back out again. Another half hour passed during which she flew around to look for him, leaving the nest without adults protecting it.
Osprey nest without parents. The two chicks were in it but not visible from my angle.
The two chicks were making noises and eventually stood up in the nest.
Osprey chicks in nest.
Finally, the male Osprey came back with a big catfish.
Male Osprey with catfish.
Young Ospreys looking at their meal delivered by male Osprey.
The father proceeded to tear out pieces of catfish and fed them to one chick while the other waited for its turn without complaining. It would not be fed until the first chick had finished eating.
Male Osprey feeding chick.
I did not see the female Osprey again, but she was probably somewhere nearby either fishing or eating her fish. I had spent roughly an hour and a half watching the nest and it was time for me to go.
