May 08, 2005
Osprey Clutch & Platform View
As of Sunday morning, we still have three eggs, so I'll go out on a limb and declare that three is our final total. It's a good average-size clutch, and even if all the eggs don't hatch (sometimes an egg never hatches), it seems likely we'll see some chick action, especially now that the parents have been doing a better incubating job.
Because our website server was in and out during the egg-laying process, we're not sure of the exact date when the second egg made its appearance, but based on when the first and third arrived, this is the likely timetable:
1st egg laid - 4/28
2nd egg laid - 5/1
3rd egg laid - 5/4
Normal incubation is around 35-43 days, but last year all the eggs hatched in around 38-39 days, so this means we will hopefully see hatching begin in the first week of June.
Also on another topic, we had a cam watcher write in to ask us if we could give some perspective as to where the Osprey Cam platform is at the Refuge. Unlike the Eagle Cam nest, the Osprey Cam nest is very visible to visitors -- in fact, the osprey platform is right off the Wildlife Drive, which is a paved road that snakes through some of the more scenic parts of Blackwater Refuge.
In the background of the Osprey Cam image, you can see the Visitor Center building off in the distance. The building is under renovation right now, which is why you sometimes see lights on in the evening. The marshy area in front of it is a freshwater impoundment that has varying amounts of water at different times of the year.
Even though there is water around the platform, the platform pole itself is in solid ground and leading up to it is an access road, which is accessible from the Wildlife Drive. Refuge staff use the access road to get to the platform to maintain the equipment. The platform is far enough back from the Wildlife Drive that the visitors on it don't bother the birds.
As for the area in front of the platform -- the area you can't see on the cam -- we can offer a video clip from last year that gives you a better idea of what that area looks like. Below is a MPEG video clip (5.5MB) that was taken last summer and shows one of the two osprey fledglings taking a beginner's flight. As the osprey flys away from the platform, you can get a view of the Blackwater River, which is directly in front of them.
The video is not especially high quality (I can say that -- I took it!), but it gives you an idea of what a beautiful view the ospreys have of the river. To download the clip, right-click on the link below and choose "Save Target As," then download the clip to play from your computer.
| Osprey Fledgling Flight |
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Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster