Our Loomis Osprey trio has fledged but is still around and seem to love exploring their surroundings! One day they enjoy being fed by Femke, and the next day they feed themselves!
The first three photos below show a conversation between parents and one of the fledglings: Hauke on a tree branch across the street holding a fish in its talons, chatting with one of the youngsters who is expressing his hunger loudly while Femke is calling them back to home base.
The youngsters have learned to fish by themselves, as one photo of an Osprey in flight shows. They are getting ready for the Long Way South. At this time, both parents are still around.
We can see from the videos transmitted from the nest camera that less and less time in spent on the nest. We expect that Femke will leave in the next week or so, that Hauke will be around till early September, and that our triplets will hang around until later that month.
Many Ospreys can now be seen flying around the lake, from 8-10 new nests. Some may be our Loomis pair's progeny, but we have no way of knowing for sure. The last picture shows a fledgling from a nest that was built on a utility pole by a young Osprey pair discovered at the Chautauqua Golf Course (hole # 6 on the Lake Course) in late March. They produced two chicks - one seen here feasting on its own lake harvest.
We'll keep enjoying our Osprey's presence for another month or so before they leave on that long journey south, but we know that they have found a new home and will return!
photos by Jeanne Wiebenga
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