28 March 2016


Updated photo of chick hatching.


Our Osprey Chicks Are Hatching!

We should have a chick hatch today as we have a pip (see photo).  :)

Today marks the 41st day since the first egg was laid. The second and third egg are 38 and 35 days respectively. Now that the weekend storms have passed hopefully the chicks can hatch with calmer weather.

15 March 2016

It's been pretty quiet on the nest the last few weeks though all that should change possibly by next week. March 22nd will be the beginning of the fifth week since the first egg was laid and we could see the first chick very soon.

08 March 2016

Today marks the third week since the first egg was laid. Jasper has been relieving Bea of incubating duties, allowing her to stretch her wings. So we are about half way through the incubation stage. The pair should have temperatures in the mid 70's beginning tomorrow and into next week.

 

02 March 2016

It's just over two weeks since the first egg was laid on February 16th. We are anticipating that egg hatching could begin the week of March 22 - which will be the 35th day for the first egg. 

In previous years Bea and Jasper's clutches normally hatched in April. In fact April 10, 2015, was the earliest hatch the pair has had since they've been frequenting the communications tower.

Below Jasper is incubating the clutch as Bea is off eating a fish this morning.


22 February 2016

We have our third egg of the 2016 season.
Our 2016 season wouldn't be complete without Bea's pine cone. Every year since she first arrived, Bea has had a pine cone beside her to occupy her time while incubating the eggs. Not sure if she actually eats the seeds, but she spends her time nibbling away at the cone. Anything to pass the time. :)
As of this morning we still have two eggs. The first egg was laid late afternoon/early evening Tuesday, February 16th. The second egg was laid Friday, February 19th. If a third egg is laid and the chick hatches it will be at a great disadvantage as the chicks will hatch asynchronously and it's small stature compared to its siblings will not enable it to compete for food. 

Last year we saw a tremendous amount of sibling rivalry between the second and third chick. Amazingly the third chick hung on and eventually fledged.