EH is still being fed by it's parents, Bea and Jasper. We have yet to see EH  bring a fish to the platform on its own.

Yesterday morning about 7:15, EH fledged. The juvenile is hanging out at various locations on the tower and nearby trees. Maybe we'll see EH back on the camera before the family departs the nest. It was 71 days before EH took flight which is the longest of all the juveniles since we placed the camera on the tower on 2008. 

EH finally came back to the nest. After sitting on the platform for 71 days, I'm sure it needed to stretch its wings a bit. 

As of July 24, EH has yet to fledge. The juvenile has been exercising its wing muscles in anticipation of its initial flight. Juvenile osprey normally take their first flights 7 - 8 weeks after hatching. Tuesday, July 25th, will be nine weeks since EH hatched. It's possible that EH has developed a bit slower as Jasper did not provide a steady stream of fish in the early developmental stage this season as he had been in the past, which required Bea to leave the nest to provide nourishment for EH.

Bea and Jasper continue to provide EH with fish and are often seen near the nest. Most likely encouraging EH to take flight.

Today marks the 48th day since EH hatched.  Initially after the two chicks hatched, Jasper did not provide fish as he has done in the past. Often, the chicks were left alone while Bea set out to find food. The first chick, JK, died about one week after hatching. Crows have often been seen about the nest and tower, so we're thinking that maybe JK was attacked while Bea was away. 

EH, the second chick, is now 48 days old and has grown into a young juvenile. As either parent brings fish to the nest, EH is quite eager to receive and pester Bea as she still tries to feed EH. 

With Bea leaving the nest daily to find fish since Jasper occasionally brings food to the nest, the chick, EH, is left alone. The chick is lying in the shadow of the camera while a crow looks on. We are hoping the chick gets enough food to quickly grow to ward off any dangers from other birds.

 

Jasper has not been supporting Bea and the chick as Bea had left the nest for over 45 minutes today before she brought a fish in for EH. It's possible Jasper may be supporting a second nest.

Bea continues to leave the nest as Jasper only appeared once yesterday morning with a small fish. The chick is often left alone for periods of 15 minutes or more.

Jasper has returned with fish.  😊

 

Not sure where Jasper has been. He was last seen Tuesday, June 6th, in the afternoon with a fish at the nest. During June 6th, Jasper was not seen until late afternoon. This season has been different than the previous years, with Bea frequently leaving the nest flying about the area, bringing in more sticks and moss. Past seasons she has always stayed on the nest, never leaving her chicks.

Yesterday we did not see Jasper all day and Bea often left the nest and eventually brought in a small fish for her sole chick and herself. We're hoping Jasper has just been off sight of the camera and unsuccessful hunting. Bea will have a difficult time caring for the chick if she also has to find food while leaving the chick unattended. There are often crows in the area and on the tower's communication equipment. The crows may have played a part in the first chick's death. 

Bea and Jasper have lost their first chick JK. We had storms and high winds Friday and especially on Saturday. The chick, JK, most likely died from exposure as the temperatures also dropped into the mid 50's which is rare for May. 

So now the pair has the one chick, EH, and with no competition for food, EH has a better chance of survival.

Bea and Jasper's second chick hatched at 8:26:13 this morning, May 23, 2023. The pair had two eggs that were laid on March 12th and March 15th with incubation periods of 40 and 38 days.

The second chick's name is EH.

Bea and Jasper have their first chick hatch for 2023. The chick's name is JK. Last year Bea laid three eggs, but no chick hatched. We believe the chick hatched this morning as the pair seemed a bit apprehensive.

The chick's name is JK.

Today marks 4 weeks since the first egg was laid, and the second egg was laid three days later. So we possibly could see two chicks in about two weeks or so. The pair has not had chicks since the 2021 season.

Below, Jasper is incubating the two eggs.

Bea and Jasper have settled in nicely to the rhythm of incubating their two eggs. The first egg was laid April 12th and the second was April 15th. From past history the pair usually sees a chick about 38 days after the egg was laid which should be around May 20 - 23. So it should be another five weeks until the nest has little chicks wiggling about the nest. 

The nest itself has taken shape compared to what it was at the beginning of the season. Back in 2017 a crew secured hardware cloth underneath the fence platform to prevent eggs and chicks from falling through as that has happened in past years when the osprey's nest wasn't up to par.

Bea and Jasper have their second egg that was laid Saturday, April 15th. With the pairs history they would normally have had chicks on the nest by now. This is the latest the pair has laid eggs since they have been on the nest since 2011. 

We have our first egg of the 2023 season. Not exactly sure when the egg was laid, but I'm thinking it was this week. The pair is very last, compared to prior seasons, with their egg laying. Maybe they knew of the cold snap we had and decided to hold off. Regardless, we (they) have the first egg which I for one thought the pair would not have any this year. 

Bea and Jasper's last successful clutch was in 2021 with two of their three chicks fledging. Last season the pair had three eggs, neither of them with chicks hatching. 

The pair, Bea and Jasper, are finally starting to rebuild their nest. They have a very long way to go, but at least they're making an attempt. In past years the pair were quick to tidy up the nest atop the 100' communications tower. Below are the before and current photos of the nest rebuild.

As a few viewers have mentioned, the pair doesn't seem very interested in repairing their nest or mating.

It's not looking very promising for 2023 at the rate Bea and Jasper are moving. We'll continue to keep an eye on the two. If we are lucky, maybe Bea and Jasper will get their act together.

As you can tell, not much work has been done by either osprey to repair their nest.

Welcome to the opening of Palmetto Electric's 2023 Osprey Season. Bea and Jasper have returned for their 13th season. The pair is a bit late in their return compared to previous seasons. The nest, atop of our 100' communications tower, is in desperate need of repair.

So far Bea and Jasper have accounted for 16 fledging juveniles. Last year the pair had three eggs, but Bea stopped incubating them mid April. She must have known the eggs were not viable. The last year a chick fledged for the pair was 2021. 

We welcome your posts and are glad to see the pair has returned safely back to their nesting grounds.