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Quote by: lilywriter

What happens if the mate does not return?

If last years mate doesn't make the return journey, another will show up Last year Dad had two ladies after him and his nest! Or was it the year before? The second lady was very hard to discourage. She did not want to leave the nest Dad gave up - in disgust I think - and his mate had to shoo her off. It was a gentle shoving. I had the feeling the females were siblings - very similar in markings and the lack of any real animosity on the part of the established female.

I digress. There will be a female and a male one way or another. This is a prime nest and feeding territory.

WEDNESDAY April 18, 2012

WEATHER FOR CALGARY

A few scattered flurries in the morning
Variable cloudiness throughout the afternoon
High 6C
Wind E 5km/h

7:54 a.m.
Same O on the nest again this morning.



No real activity since I turned on the camera. Our O has remained perched on the rim gazing around the area..

8:14 a.m.
Head tucked in out of the cold. At first I thought maybe he was preening but he held that position quite awhile, looked up once, and tucked his head in again.

8:38am

Same O on the same front corner as I log on this am. Just perched there looking about.

8:41am just flew off

8:40 a.m.
Working on a stick for a few minutes then flew off to the lower left.
.

8:43 a.m.
Returns to do a bit more work.


Ooops, almost tipped over while wrestling with this branch.

Judy

For the record

I just checked back on the arrival time of the O's.

2011 both arrived together on April 16

2010: I show both home on April 15

2009 They were both home on April 12

I didn't go back any further. The weather - lots of heavy duty storms have been sweeping across the Rocky Mts since early March. I do not know the O's fly way, but I imagine it follows the eastern slope of the Rockies so the heavy weather would undoubtedly slow down the annual migration.

BET, I have gone back through our screen captures and checking carefully for breast markings while watching the camera. I am convinced this is the female because of the dark distinct necklace feathers.

Hi BET,

Thank you for the great information! We have been watching the nest building activities by the one at the nest and have been amused. He brought a huge branch and could nothing with it. I think it fell off the edge.

I have three other nesting sites (not on camera) that I drive by on a fairly regular basis. I have passed two of them and no ospreys around the area yet. They have shown up around the same time as the Enmax ospreys.

We have had some very bad storms in the mountains over the past few weeks and last week had a real dump of snow in the Rockies in the Banff/Canmore area.