ERRATA: The eldest osprey chick at Salt Point hatched June 7, 2014 and is *13
days old *today. The second chick is *10 days old* and I still have had no
clear evidence of a third chick yet. They raised three chicks last year,
unusual for a first brood, and I was unable to see a third egg laid so
time will have to tell us.
PLEASE KEEP REPORTING ANY OSPREY SIGHTINGS you have to me
cec...@gmail.com. I am following 40 nest alone g the lake, but I know
there must be much more in the Cayuga Basin. Your help in sincerely
appreciated!
Queen of Typos!
Candace
cec...@gmail.com
On Thu, Jun 19, 2014 at 6:58 PM, Candace Cornell cec...@gmail.com wrote:
It's been frustrating since the Salt Point osprey nest is a few inches
deeper than last year, but now that warm weather has come, I have finally
seen this year's chicks—the eldest is 20 days old, the next looks about 17
days, and there may be a third like last year, but it is too difficult to
see inside or through the stick nest to be certain. The female at Salt
point, Ophelia, has started standing in her Mombrella (a term coined by
osprey cam watchers) pose with wings partially spread, shading the chicks
below and the little ones are now clearly visible panting in front of her
or at meal time while being fed.
Female ospreys are the model of maternal sacrifice and absolute
dedication as they maintain these poses for 18 hours a day from mid-June
rain or shine until the chicks are too big to hide in the shadow she casts
in late July. When temperatures are in the 90s or 100s, Salt Point's male,
Orpheus, and other male ospreys hide in the shade of trees, but Ophelia,
and the other mothers, must stand and shade their chicks. Ophelia can see
the cool lake just yards away, but *never* takes off, leaving the chicks,
to take a refreshing dip. Her refusal to abandon the chicks for even a
moment to satisfy her own gratification shows the level of her stamina and
perseverance. I spent weeks last summer observing her in awe of her
tenacity and utter dedication to her nest and nestlings.
For those interested, I summarize my osprey observations in a blog *On
Osprey Time
http://www.lansingrec.com/parks/20-salt-point/salt-point-articles/27-on-osprey-time*
as
part of the Friends of Salt Point website
http://www.lansingrec.com/parks/salt-point. The highlight of the Salt
Point and Osprey sites and blog are the wonderful photographs sent to us
from photographers captivated by the point and the osprey family. The site
will soon be expanding to include artwork, children's projects and reading,
more local history, insect check lists, and much more. (Pardon the plug!)
Good birding!
Candace
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