Osprey Update

_DSC7273 nx 72dpi, originally uploaded by Donnie Fulks.

I have been so busy farming I have not had time to present some of the thousands of Osprey pictures I've taken since the last Osprey posting here on the blog. I believe the last Osprey post was back in the late spring showing the adult pair building their nest outside my office window. Quite convenient for a busy farmer who happens to enjoy photography. I will endevour to unveil more Osprey pics in the coming weeks.

Seen in this silhouette is the mother and the two surviving chicks. Originally there were three chicks. The little guy did not make it past the middle of July. Ever since the eggs were laid, dad has been busy fishing and bring fish back to the nest with very little rest. When the chicks were about half grown, the mother began to help catch fish for the ravenous chicks, more so after the chicks were old enough to eat on their own. The chicks are now almost grown and started to fly this past week. As you will see in the coming pictures, their growth has been remarkably rapid. They just hatched in late May or early June. It was only a month ago today that they started to grow wing feathers and were about a quarter of the size. Just in the last day, both chicks have started to fly further than the next light pole. I suspect they are now flying to the river with their parents and learning how to catch fish. The reading I have done indicates they will begin their migration south to Central or South America around the end of August- just 3 weeks from now.