Birding in Maine» Osprey

Juvenile Ospreys – Ready to Face The World

John Briggs — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:28:59 +0000

This post will probably be the final update on the three juvenile Ospreys that I been watching all summer long. To refresh your memory, back in the spring, an adult pair of Osprey moved into the platform nest in the harbor just off Fort Road, on the campus of the Southern Maine Community College. Three eggs were laid and all successfully hatched.

Young Osprey grow very rapidly and are ready to fledge when they are about 50 days old. They continue to stay near the parents for another 50 days while they learn the hunting and flying skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. The family will go their separate ways just prior to fall migration. While Osprey nesting success is quite high, it’s after the young leave the nest when they will begin facing bigger problems. Major causes of post-fledgling mortality are electrocution, emaciation, gunshot wounds, and poisoning.

The Osprey migration is not due to the fact that these birds cannot survive Maine’s cold and snowy weather. They migrate because the cold winter weather freezes the rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds, making their food supply, fresh fish, inaccessible. Because these fish provide 98% of the Osprey’s diet, its unavailability would likely cause the Osprey to starve to death. To survive, the Osprey migrate south to Florida and South America.

The juvenile Ospreys that I have been watching leave their nest for short excursions around the harbor. I’ve spotted them on the rock jetty that leads to the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse and on masts of sailboats at Spring Point Marina. The adult Ospreys still bring fish for the juveniles, as evident in one of the photos below. It seems that flounder is the food of choice for these growing birds.

It won’t be long until these birds leave the nest permanently. Some will migrate to Florida, where fish are abundant and the waters don’t freeze. Others will migrate to South America, a journey of over 4,000 miles. These young birds are ready to face the world and all of the dangers that lie in wait. If they survive, some of them may return to Maine in the spring, and possibly back to the nest they were raised in to raise a family of their own. I will miss them and wish them luck in their journey.

Bird Photography: Juvenile Ospreys

Enjoy these photos and an HD video of this Osprey family. They will soon be leaving for a warmer climate and all we will be left with is an empty nest and fond memories.

The following photos were taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click one of the thumbnails below for a full-sized view, and then use your arrow key to navigate through the rest of the photos. ©2011 John Briggs Photography | All Rights Reserved

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 50 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Juvenile Osprey eating Flounder | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZq1ka4G0As

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Osprey Chicks

John Briggs — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:17:35 +0000

The Osprey pair at the Southern Maine Community College has three beautiful, healthy looking chicks. Recently, the chicks have come up from the bottom of the nest and are now peering over the edge. Yesterday, the three chicks and one of the adults busied themselves with preening. I was pleased to see first one head, then two, and finally the third head look out over the edge of the nest in my direction.

The lighting was not quite right for good bird photography, but I captured some half decent images of the Osprey family. I’m going to return to the location Thursday morning and give it another try and hopefully capture some video too. In the mean time, here is the Osprey family at SMCC in South Portland, Maine.

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Osprey Catching Alewife

John Briggs — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:56:58 +0000

The Alewife run at Damariscotta Mills, Maine is an annual event that I look forward to every year. Like a child anticipating Christmas day, I get restless and giddy waiting for the peak inland run from the ocean to their fresh water spawning grounds in Damariscotta Lake. Peak run this year was delayed by cool rainy weather, but it’s in full force now. The area is the best location that I’ve found to photography Osprey catching Alewives.

Several visits to the fish ladder at Damariscotta Mills over the last two weeks were somewhat disappointing. I captured a few photos of Osprey, but now that the run is at it’s peak I expect to capture several hundred photos. I am heading to the mills tomorrow morning, hoping to arrive at sunrise. Stay tuned for what I hope is an awesome day!

Bird Photography: Osprey

Manual Exposure, 1/1000, f4, ISO 320, Evaluative Metering

Osprey catching alewife | Damariscotta Mills, Maine

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Video of the Day: Osprey Pair on Nest

John Briggs — Sun, 01 May 2011 15:59:29 +0000

Osprey | Click thumbnail for larger view

Here’s a short HD video of the Osprey pair at Southern Maine Community College, for those who are following my posts on these birds. It appears that there are eggs in the nest because of the behavior of the pair.

While watching the Osprey, I saw the adults taking turns in their nesting duties. The Osprey would slowly lower itself onto the nest, and then use its beak to tuck the eggs under its body. I also observed a pair of House Sparrows nesting within the Osprey nest. Neither of these species seemed put out by the other.

Enjoy the video!

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 35 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Osprey pair on nest | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsiDfmOwsRA

Happy birding!

Photo of the Day: Osprey in Flight

John Briggs — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:59:23 +0000

The Mill Pond on Parker Head is a great place to find Osprey fishing. This morning, I was just a tad too late to photograph the Osprey catching herring. A kind lady, who came out to greet me, said that I should have been there an hour or so earlier. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. My best bet will be to watch the tides and hope the lighting is good for my next trip to the pond.

I captured the following photo as the last of the Osprey flew directly overhead. After I packed my gear back into the car, an adult Bald Eagle flew overhead and was close on the heels of an Osprey, striking at it and trying to get it to drop its fish. I just stood there, jaw on the ground, wishing I would have waited a few minutes to pack my gear away.

Osprey in flight

Happy birding and Happy Earth Day!