Thank you everyone for the updates and scaps. When I saw mom alone at the nest today, I too felt it this was the last time we would be seeing her. As she poked at a few sticks, I thought about how she was fantastic. Even though it has been a trying year, she did great.

Last year, after ENMAX shut down the camera, I went down to the nest on September 16, 2011 and took the picture below of our Dad. He, too, was a great osprey. At least, I think it is Dad -- as I reviewed my pictures, I saw he did not have the white on his feathers like a juvie. I remember him sitting in his favourite perch in a tree, flying around a little and then going to the water. Good work, Dad, good work.

Thank you so much JudyB for the update on the chick at CWRS. This certainly relieves much anxiety of not knowing how she was doing. We'll hope and pray this chick can indeed catch up with the rest of the ospreys.

As if this day has not been emotional enough...I just saw the photo you posted Christine of Dad from last year. Thank you for sharing that wonderful photo...I love it!

10:44pm..........Thanks Christine for the pictures of Dad..........it brings a tear to my eye as I write this. We will hope that Mom finds herself another brave, strong mate for next year.

Empty nest.

Can somebody ease my mind about the chick in Rehab? If it is "ours" and everyone has migrated I get an image in my mind of her arriving back to an empty nest and calling but nobody answers. She will be so lonely, or am I crediting human feelings to her? But maybe Enmax will have shut the cam down by then and we won't see when she migrates anyway.

I worry about that, too, SamsNana, but I think it is more a human concern than an osprey concern. Our chicks were spending time away from the nest before one of them stopped returning, either because he/she migrated or because he/she got into a bit of a pickle on that balcony, so I'm quite confident that they all had watched Mom and perhaps other osprey catch fish in the river.

And I'm guessing much of that is instinct, so the "teaching" just speeds things up a bit. If it's not one of our chicks, my guess again is that it's a chick who has spent time following her parents around before doing some exploring on her own and getting into trouble.

If it's ours and the cam is still on, she may return to the nest and do some calling - and she'll almost certainly be well fed, so it may be a while before hunger chases her off to catch her own fish, as chicks do like room service. But I'm guessing once she decides she's on her own, she'll be fine.

aww thanks everyone great information and posts - feel so sad if this is goodbye:cry1:

Thanks to you all for the great s'caps and posts yesterday. This may be the first "on-camera" documented case of a female staying late in the season to raise her young alone. You can't help but be proud of her for all she's accomplished on her own.

A job well done Mom Calgary.

I wish Mom and her chicks a safe migration and hope Mom returns next year with a new partner.
I have faith the chick in rehab will be fine as well. Instinct will kick in once he's free.

7:33 a.m.
One very empty nest this morning and nothing but gulls on the sandbar.


7:44 am
Magpie arrived to clean the nest.

Good Morning......
Christine.....Thank you for the picture of Dad. How we learn to love these raptors. He was quite special.

Empty nest.....expected that yet... It's their time - safe journey and to mom, come back safely for next year with a new mate. While I came late to this nest this year, next year it will not be so.
carolyn