The magpies were at the nest this afternoon and then dad shows up to send them on their way. Can the guy not get some peace???

4:00pm MDT

I was gone most of this day. Left the recorder on - but the video stream ceased working so missed a lot of activity.

Dad has been busy starting the nest base with lots of sticks! I didn't see any crow fights on what recording I did have. The magpies were a different story. While I was reviewing my video, two magpies were on the left side of the nest box. A third came flying in and attacked them


Off they flew, but hard on the tail feathers of the attacking magpie came Dad - Talons first - bye bye magpie 3.


I am far happier with Dad vs Magpies than Dad vs 3 Crows.

Greetings osprey friends after what seemed like a long winter - Janet, Judy, BET, Michelle, Carolyn, others. Thank you for all of the wonderful s'caps, and commentary. I don't have video streaming so really appreciate the updates that you have posted. Dratted crows and magpies. Dad needs Mom to help guard, and build the 2015 nest.
Calgary weather today is really mild, even warm- and predicted to be so,(at least at the time of posting) for the next two weeks.

I peek in at a couple of the other nests (Hellsgate, and Dunrovin Ranch) less often - they are of course a little farther ahead of us, weather wise. I can't help but think of Super-Mom and where she is right now. When I view some of the satellite transmitters paths of osprey migration patterns. ("Rapunzel" and others) I wonder what path Mom has taken, what hazards she may have encountered, and cross my fingers that she returns. Amazing how "attached" I/we get to these precious feathered friends and how we end up cheering for their health, safety, and another year's return to the nest.

That's it for now - I don't post often but I am here and appreciate all of the activity posted by you more technically skilled folks than me. (thanks for the assistance last year, Judy and BET!) And to some of our more creative folks - we should think of some names for the Calgary chicks this year..

DKY

Welcome back to the zoo DKY

Dad has been bringing in a lot of sticks this late afternoon. He seems to have a penchant for landing on the side rail nearest the cam and dropping the sticks there. Often they disappear down the side. The thought has past through my mind that perhaps he is doing it purposefully to build up the bridge between the nest box and the pole. It seems to me that long ago when the zoo had cam control and moved the view around that the pair at that time had filled in the space.

I noted this evening that Dad was perched there.





One of my weird double images that shows how he drops the stick on the edge

8:00 pm

Could this be mom? I am not sure if it is the light but the chest seems to have brown markings.

***It is now 8:16 Pm Calgary time. I am looking at an osprey on the nest. Is that not Mommy-O? I don't see the white centre in the dark spot on the head & there appears to be dark feathers on the chest. The one I saw earlier today was certainly Daddy-O but this looks different.

8:20 pm

Two at the nest

***Well that answers my question!! A couple of minutes after I last posted. I was watching when Daddy-O came flying in with a fish which Mommy-O gladly accepted. She then flew off to eat it somewhere else.