With their two juveniles fledging, Bea and Jasper remain at the nest to keep other pairs from taking ownership of the platform. Our pair spent a few days chasing off another osprey couple from the tower. Their two offspring have been roosting in nearby trees or structures in adjacent property from the tower.
With AT and HT fledging, this marks 19 successful hatchlings for Bea and Jasper since they first occupied the nest in 2011.
Now that AT and HT have, fledged Jasper and Bea are tasked with retaining ownership of the nest atop our communications tower. Another osprey pair has been attempting to make the nest their own. Jasper and Bea have been chasing off the squatters.
The first photo is the new male to the left of the nest and the bottom is Bea with one of the new osprey's on top of the camera bracket (shadow).
We believe the juvenile, HT, fledged this morning a little before 10am. The lone juvenile watched its sibling fly around the tower. A little envious. Bea and Jasper have been encouraging the two juveniles to take flight by flying past the nest for several days or hovering over top the tower.
It shouldn't be long for the second osprey to join its sibling.
Update: Friday, 6:38am - Correction, it is AT that has fledged. HT is still on the nest. Another female osprey along with her mate tried to get HT removed from the nest, but he didn't budge. Maybe HT with muster up his courage and take his first flight soon.
This week will begin the juveniles seventh week from hatching. It looks promising that the two will fledge and take their first flights soon. Last week we noticed Jasper fly in and take the fish that Bea was feeding their offspring, most likely encouraging AT and HT to take flight.
Notice the semi-transparent lens in the second to last photo. This is the nictitating membrane which keeps their eye moist and clean and they use it while diving into water to catch fish.
