June 22, 2006
One-Month-Old Chicks
Nest Update: The bucket truck worker was delayed on Thursday, so we're planning to have him come out on Friday to replace the cam. Hopefully thunderstorms will stay away so we can get the camera swap done. Based on how the cam looked after we recently cleaned it, we believe there might be a leak in the water-tight camera housing and it's letting moisture and humidity collect on the inside, so we're going to put in another camera.
One cam watcher asked how the ospreys handle our visits to the nest. Ospreys are more tolerant of humans than eagles are, but we still try to minimize the number of times we go up to the osprey nest.
Normally there are two times when we won't go up -- right after the chicks are born (because the chicks can't regulate their own body temperatures and need their mother at the nest) and right before the chicks are about to fledge (because spooking them could make them jump from the nest prematurely, and they could hurt themselves). But right now -- with the chicks turning one month old this week -- we are still about three to four weeks away from a first flight, so it's a safe time to visit.
When our bucket truck worker does go up, the parents will fly around and call out, but they will not normally bother the visitor. The chicks will mostly sit and watch as the worker cleans or repairs the cam, and the osprey parents will return once the worker leaves the platform. In the end, it's probably more stressful for the parents than the chicks.
One-Month-Old Chicks
So how are the chicks doing? From what we can see, they all appear to be doing well, and as of Friday, they will all be at least one month old. Our bookstore manager reported that as of last week, the youngest was still being aggressive in getting its share of the meals, which is probably why it has survived to this point. However, I did notice that in just the last few days, we've seen some photos where the youngest was seen with its head down, which likely means it is learning to be submissive much like the middle chicks have in the past.
In the first three weeks of nest life, the oldest allowed the youngest to eat beside him, so we're not sure yet if the youngest is being put in its place by a middle chick or by the oldest chick, now that our youngest is getting bigger. I did see some photos today that clearly showed the youngest maneuvering around to get some of the meal, and the chick seemed to be successful in getting fed.
One cam watcher was concerned that the youngest might be getting shut out of the meals altogether, but that doesn't appear to be the case. What's likely happening is that the younger chicks may have to wait until the older chicks are full before they can have part of the meal. In such a crowded nest, that might mean that the younger chicks don't get a part of every meal, but each chick is growing bigger, so it doesn't appear that any of them are being seriously deprived of food. Fortunately our father osprey continues to be a dependable and prolific provider.
In the recent Gallery update there were some interesting shots that I wanted to point out. We saw one cute photo showing the youngest with its mouth wide open making it clear that the chick wanted mom to feed it. We also saw a very interesting shot of the oldest chick trying to feed itself -- a sure sign that the oldest is growing stronger.
In a few photos we got a good look at the chicks' crops. As a reminder, a crop is a storage area near the chick's chest where food is held until the chick is ready to digest it. A full crop means the chick is getting fed, so it's always a good sign to see.
And we saw more photos of the chicks flapping their wings. This flapping practice will help prepare their muscles for their first flight, which normally comes at around seven to eight weeks of age.
In this photo, which I just received, we can see a chick relieving itself or "slicing" as falconers call it. The ospreys' anal muscles are very strong, and the chicks can easily clear the nest when they go.
In our most recent photos, it's been easier to spot the youngest chick because the older birds are developing their feathers and are losing the white stripes down their backs. On the "Citizens to Protect Maurice River" website, they have an osprey slide show where you can see how the chicks' stripes disappear as they begin to develop their feathers.
Once the chicks' feathers are more developed, they will look like this young osprey on Martin National Wildlife Refuge (which is managed by the Blackwater staff). Notice that the immature osprey has tan tips on its feathers -- this differs from an adult's solid brown feathers.
One concern at this point is the crowded nature of our nest. As the chicks continue to grow and begin flapping more, the young will have to be careful that they don't push a fellow sibling out of the nest. Fortunately our cam platform is rather large and provides a good bit of room, but the nest will undoubtedly get more congested as the chicks grow and become more active. At some point, the mother will likely take to sitting on the edges of the platform or perching on the platform's support arm, outside of our camera's view (as seen here in a 2004 photo) in order to give the chicks more room. The crowded nest might also mean that the father will spend more time perching in nearby trees rather than on the platform.
One of our cam watchers just sent me a link to a very interesting osprey slide show from a nest on our local Potomac River. One of the things you notice when looking at the photos is that this three-chick nest is already looking very crowded because the nest itself is not very large. In fact, it makes our platform look roomy. But it's good to see that these three chicks look healthy and active. [When viewing the slide show, I noticed that if you click the arrow on the far left, it will automatically scroll through the shots.]
Thanks again to our cam watchers for their photos, emails, and questions. And if we hear that the cam replacement will be delayed for any reason, I'll post a message on the cam page tomorrow. We appreciate your patience as we try to get a better cam in place -- one that will take us through the rest of the summer until the ospreys migrate sometime between late August and mid-September.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster
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