osprey

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By JL Raptor update: Ranger Cove, Osprey nest 07/24/2018
Ranger Cove: Osprey Nest report
 
Dad osprey had brought in a fish and dropped it in the nest. 
The two siblings arrived, screaming defiance at each other.
That is Brother Piper at the front of the nest and Broken Feather behind him.  
They have lost sight of the fish and are looking for it.
Broken Feather finds the fish and Brother Piper whirls around to try to get it for himself.
Out right, no-holds-barred, sibling rivalry breaks out – it is Broken Feather, on your left who wins the fish.

By JL Raptors: Ranger Cove, Osprey Nest update, 5 photos, 07-20-2018
Ranger Cove: Osprey Nest Update
 
Thought I would show you up close details of the fish grab by Broken Feather in yesterday’s video.
Dad is bringing in a big fish.  That is Piper closest to Dad.  And Broken Feather, to Piper’s right.  
Broken Feather is alert and ready to make her move.
 
Oops!  Broken Feather is so aggressive she at first grabs Dad’s toe instead of the fish.
I see this happen fairly frequently with bald eagles too.
 
Broken Feather mantles the fish – hides it with her wings – so that Piper cannot get to the fish.
Dad leaves the chaos!
Defiant!  Broken Feather gets to the perch where we watched her learning to eat on a slippery slope.
 
Birds are all great parents!  They have not forgotten Little Piper.
Mom came back a few minutes later with a fish just for Piper.
Can’t you just hear Piper saying: oh my, my very own fish!

By JL Raptors: Broken Feather update 1 photo, 1 video 07/18/2018
Ranger Cove:  Broken Feather Update
 
Broken Feather has learned  2 lessons:
1) that if she picks up the fish that her parent has just brought in and flies with it away from the nest,
she doesn’t have to share the food with her brother Piper.  
2) She is also learning that it is hard to stand on a slippery fish – on a slope no less – and eat it.
 
Sorry about the shaky video.

By JL Raptor report: Broken Feather update 07-16-2018
Ranger Cove – Broken Feather Update
 
I watched as an unknown female osprey fledgling drifted into Ranger Cove.
Neither Ranger Cove parent osprey reacted.
But oh, did Broken Feather have something to say when the intruder tried to land in her nest.
From left to right: Piper, Broken Feather and the intruder thinking about landing.
The intruder realized it was headed for the wrong nest and quickly left.
Broken Feather was very proud of herself!

By JL Update, Broken Feather 07/15/2018
Ranger Cove,  
update Broken Feather
Broken Feather was dripping wet from her last attempt at fishing from the bank.
Determined to be a true osprey, she left the pile of logs and gained altitude.
The fledgling plowed into the water, true to her species.
Alas, Broken Feather didn’t get a fish.
But her heart is still saying work at it and so she did.
There were several more attempts, all empty talons.
Then dad osprey showed up at the nest with a fish and the sibling ospreys got a meal.
Maybe tomorrow Broken Feather and her brother Piper will each catch their own fish.

By JL Raptor report: Update on Broken Feather, 6 photos, 07/13/2018
Broken Feather Update 7/13/2018
 
I got to the lake edge this morning and found Broken Feather on a log at the shoreline.
 
 
She was trying out a new way to fish – not an osprey way at all.
Maybe she had been watching great blue herons stalk the shoreline and go after a fish.
There is an deep pool of water at her feet.
 
 
A fish flashed by and Broken Feather made a leap – talons flared in hopes of catching the fish.
 
 
Broken Feather was almost hidden by the reeds between us as she hit the water.
 
 
Thankfully, ospreys swim well even when they are mad that they have made a miscalculation.
 
 
She missed the fish and I missed the shot of her jumping back up on the logs.
Twice she tried this way to catch a fish and twice she missed.
We will have to see what she does the next go-around.
Dad osprey did bring a fish later in the morning and both Broken Feather and Piper had a meal in the nest.
Her tail made her jink hard to the left as she approached the rim of the nest.