July 19--WHAT A DAY!

We did an early morning check on the chicks.  They were quiet and waiting for breakfast.  The dad showed up, and there were wings EVERYWHERE.  In fact, dad got knocked out of the nest and needed to find a new place to rest.  He was nursing his wing and we were concerned enough to some back later....

Waiting for breakfast

Dad brings breakfast

Dad gets kicked out...maybe the fish was too small!!!!

And the kids seem proud!

Why do I picture Peter Griffin..OUCH OUCH...

And when we showed up at 5:30 PM, there was... Two Osprey out of the nest....So either we have a helper nearby..or SOMEONE FLEW!!!!

Dad to the west...

And BLIKIN to the east!!!!!!

Blinkin, the dominant female seems to have flown 100 FEET to a nearby post.  WOW! 

But she seems stranded...Blinkin, the bravest of the brave seems trapped.  She is unable or unwilling to take off.  How did THAT happen.  We have a few theories and observations.  If she was showing off to her brother and sister she could easily have been blown off the nest by a gust or over extended herself.  Once that happened, and she was flying, she may have been blown to the post, or showed off and flew to dad since that was his haven.

The other observation my ever observant wife pointed out is an open cage is ALOT harder to take off from then a closed nest (see newtons laws :-)).

And as I pointed out to an observer, poor Blinkin could be afraid of heights..all her life, there has been something solid under her feet..and now....50 FEET!  I would be terrified!

So now comes something that makes me smile..."Aunty" swings by and lands on the platform beside Blinkin.

This is a mature Osprey, likely young and female.She stays for a minute, and leaves as poppa arrives with supper.

And one minute after dad delivers supper..a THIRD, mature female with a very strong necklace did a flyby,

I have so much respect for animals in general and ospreys in particular.  They are SO much more aware than we give them credit for.

So we went home and talked to the girls.  Harry Potter or Opreys...the pictures below show the answer to THAT question :-)

Winkin tried EVERYTHING!  She pooped to make herself lighter...

She flapped and flapped...

Dad tried to motivate her by flying by with a fish....

And delivered supper to the other two kids...

Winkin flew to the very edge of the platform...

And it was too dark to take any more pictures..check the blog tomorrow to see what we find in the morning!

****Update..she was not there in the morning on the 20th, and there is no body on the ground, but we could not conrm three chicks in the nest.