July 22, 2005
Questions Answered
First, I wanted to thank everyone again for their support of our first Eagle Cam. As many have seen, this week we shut the cam down for the season, and we also added a few final shots to the Gallery, so you can see the last bit of action at the nest. We feel incredibly lucky to have had all three eaglets hatch and successfully fledge. It was an amazing season -- kudos to the outstanding parents!
Also, I thought it would be a good idea to post answers to several frequently asked questions that we've received about the ospreys.
A chick question: Why does the youngest chick look so limp?
Both chicks have been pretty docile recently because of the weather. We're in the midst of the worst part of a Washington, DC-area summer with lots of heat and humidity. The heat index this week has been around 100 degrees every day, so the chicks have been spending a lot of time lying around and hiding from the sun.
We did notice this week that the father osprey was at the nest more (possibly bringing more fish). At the same time the oldest chick was occasionally letting the youngest eat with him. Does this mean that the oldest chick is less aggressive when dad brings more food? Very likely, and hopefully it will continue.
A fish question: Why do the chicks need help tearing up fish at meal time?
Fish skin is tough, and ripping into it requires a good bit of neck and beak power. It takes awhile before chicks are strong enough to rip off bite-size pieces themselves.
If you'd like to see the tearing process up close, check out a video clip on this Finland documentary website. The filmmakers' movie clip (the 3MB sample is higher quality) shows a mother osprey feeding her young. Notice how she has to twist her neck to tear up the fish, and also notice that you can see her nictitating membrane (or third eyelid) come down to protect her eye as she tears into the meal. Also, in the background of the first feeding shot, look for the one chick just coming out of its egg. Wonderful clip!
A banding question: Will you band the osprey chicks?
At Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge we do not normally band birds. In the past it was done when the raptor populations were in serious decline, but banding is not done now. The only reason the eaglets from the Eagle Cam were banded is because Craig Koppie, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, went up to remove the one eaglet. It was decided that while he was there, he might as well band the eaglets. The Vermont eaglet would certainly have been banded when she was moved out of state, but Craig took the liberty of banding all three while he was in the nest. Right now, no one from the Fish and Wildlife Service has plans to visit the osprey platform, so we will not be banding the chicks.
A perching question: Why doesn't the father osprey stay at the nest?
Based on the actions of both the eagles and ospreys, it appears that the adults don't like hanging out at the nest unless they have to. If you remember, the eagle and osprey females did not start spending the night at their nests until right before their first eggs were laid. Before that the females would sleep in the nearby trees with the males.
The father osprey seems to stay at the nest for only brief periods of time while preferring to perch in other places. Some biologists believe that the males like to perch closer to their food source, while others have speculated that the males just don't like being around all the chaotic nest activity and begging chicks.
A former osprey pair question: What happened to the pair of ospreys that were formerly at the platform nest?
We've run the Osprey Cam for five years now, and in the first four years we had another pair on the nest. Our original pair returned in March and began rebuilding the cam platform nest only to suddenly up and move to a newly installed platform located nearby. We're not sure why they did that (they were very productive at the cam platform) but the other nest site appealed to them more. The folks who observe the Refuge ospreys just reported that it appears the old pair did not produce any chicks this year. It's likely the late move threw them off. Some years a couple just doesn't produce, but there is no reason why they can't try again next year.
And finally, we've had a few questions about building and locating an osprey platform. For those who want to know more about this topic, be sure to visit our previous web log post that points to several websites that offer construction plans. It's also a good idea to email your state department of natural resources as they might have important information on building and locating an osprey platform in your neighborhood.
Thanks for your questions!
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster