Straight Out of the Tree Hole

I think I know which tree hole the baby was in. I just was never there to see it stick its head out. So the first time I saw the owlet, it was after it had fledged.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- The mother barred owl

The dad is traveling the woods hunting for dinner. The mom perches on a branch of a tree within eyesight watching her youngster. She is trying to encourage it and keep it safe.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- Barred Owlet – This was high up in a tree.

It has rained a lot this spring and it has been very windy at times. It has reduced the number of times I have been out looking for owls. I see a lot of new downed trees in local woods. The night I took these it was cloudy and near sunset, so the conditions were very dark. Here’s hoping if you are experiencing a drought you get some rain, and if you are getting too much you get a reprieve. Happy Friday!

Dad is Busy Fishing

As the babies grow bigger, the dad seems to get busier catching fish. In a 4 hour period I saw him bring in maybe 4 fish. As the babies get bigger ,I suppose he will get busier.

Dad is Busy Fishing- Going to a neighbouring perch

Sometimes dad brings the fish directly into the nest. At other times he brings it to a neighbouring perch and waits. When the female tells him they are ready he flies over to the nest with the new catch. To me it looks like he is riding a skateboard here and not carrying a fish.

Dad is Busy Fishing- Babies are in the middle of the nest

What do osprey eat? According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

The osprey’s diet is almost exclusively fish, a unique characteristic among raptors. They are opportunistic about the species of fish they catch, but they can only catch fish swimming within three feet (1 m) of the water’s surface. They rarely take fish over 16 inches (40 cm) long. 

Dad is Busy Fishing- I love it when he flies in facing the light

They on occasion will catch small birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Will they catch a fish a fisherman snagged? Watch the video taken by The Crossroads on the Schroon River in the Adirondacks of New York. Beware a curse word is used.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/697994289596277

I worry about them having trouble with a hook. On the Hudson River they seem to have no issue getting fish on their own. Maybe the ones on small rivers upstate will resort to stealing from a fisherman. Have a Happy Tuesday!

Osprey Family 6/8

It was a hazy day, but I figured I would try my luck with the osprey. We are supposed to have more rainy days this week. Despite the haze, I saw a lot.

Osprey Family 6/8 -You can see to babies by the parent on the right side of the photo.

The babies are starting to look more like Osprey. They are also peeking their heads above the nest more.

Osprey Family 6/8 -One being fed and the other looking in the same direction as the other parent.

These are all taken at a distance with a zoom lens and are cropped.

Osprey Family 6/8- One of the parents with both kids in the photo in the bottom of the photo. One head is just visible under the other baby.

Even hazy days can be good days! Have a great week!

Raccoons in a Tree Hole

A lot of different animals can live in tree holes. Owls, wood ducks, opossums, and squirrels are some that do. I passed by this tree and saw a fuzzy ear sticking out one day. I decided to go back and it turned out to be a home for a raccoon family.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- You can see part of the ear of another raccoon on the left side of the hole.

This was near sunset after a rainstorm with thunder and lighting. The light was not that great.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- He was interested in me.

I am assuming I could be seeing the babies. People think raccoons only raid your garbage. They look cute, but they prey upon other animals like barred owls and screech owls and their young, or steal their eggs. They will go after mice and rabbits as well.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- Someone else in the family wanted a peek.

Have a great weekend! Here’s hoping you will get some good weather out of it.

Incoming!

Incoming! This appears to be the dad with a fish. The two babies are visible in the nest by the mom. One young osprey is looking away while the other youngster is looking towards the camera.

Incoming! The two babies are just visible by mom in the nest.

This was today. After work and an appointment I stopped by for a short time to view the nest. We had some sun today, but also clouds. In the later afternoon/ early evening facing towards this nest is almost facing the sun. It makes for bad light. Someday maybe I will get photos like this in the morning.

Incoming!

Stay safe! Have a happy Tuesday!

The Babies Are Visible!

The Babies Are Visible! Osprey Babies

The Osprey babies stuck their heads above the top of the nest several times today. I could not get them in sharp focus. This is with a zoom lens and heavily cropped. When they grow bigger I hope to get some better images. Most of the time I was looking at the nest I did not see them, and sometimes I saw one head. I have a few images where two heads were visible. They are very small. Have a great Monday!

Sizing Up Dinner

We continue to have a lot of rainy days. I did view the osprey in between storms. No baby osprey heads visible yet as of Friday night. This nest is deep.

Sizing Up Dinner

In the above picture it appears the female osprey is sizing up the fish the male is bringing in.

Sizing up dinner- Battle Scars?

The above piture appears to be the male. He has some white areas on his wing. I wonder if that is normal or batle scars from chasing off eagles and other osprey or them chasing him.

Sizing up dinner- This fish he appears to ate completely himself. I believe I was told this one is a herring.

The fishermen wanted to see what fish the osprey was bringing in, so I showed them the back of my camera. I think it was this image. They thought it was a herring based on what they saw in the back of my camera. The one fisherman said he was using herring as bait to catch stripper.

Here’s hoping we get some clear days. Here’s hoping we will get a clear night or two. They are saying here that Sunday night has a possibility to be a great night to see the Northern Lights, if it is not cloudy and everything pans out as they are thinking. Happy Sunday!

Are You Lost?

The black-bellied whistling-duck lives along the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and small slivers of Texas and Arizona. Which location did I see this duck? None of the above. I saw this in New York.

From All About Birds- The shaded areas show where they normally are.

According to All About Birds these are the locations these ducks should be in the shaded areas of the map.

Are You Lost? Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck- They spent a lot of time with their heads under the water. They eat grasses and and a variety of aquatic animals including snails and insects. All About Birds says they typically forage at night. They dabble in ponds or forage in fields.

It is going back and forth between a river and a pond like area. It is not alone but with a few others of its kind. Why is it here? Did a storm blow it all the way up here? Is this a result of a dwindling food in its normal spots? Are birds loosing their directional sense? Do they have wanderlust? Is it getting too hot in the areas they normally are? Did someone capture these or buy them to have in the US and they successfully staged a group escape? It is a mystery.

Are you lost?

If they nest up here, nest predators would be raccoons and rat snakes. Great horned owls could take the adults. There maybe a great horned owl family nearby and I almost stepped on a what looked to be a black rat snake. Being near a river, there are bald eagles close by.

Are you lost?

These pictures were taken from a road with a zoom lens and were cropped. I will not go where I am not supposed to be. I do not go on private land without permission. It was a cloudy, dark day. We have had a lot of those. Maybe in the future if these creatures are still there, I can capture them in better light. Expect the unexpected. Happy Thursday!

Osprey of Another Kind?

I went to watch the osprey from one nest and low and behold these Marine helicopters flew by. Are these Osprey helicopters? That would be too funny if they were.

Osprey of Another Kind?

There were 6-8 of these flying by twos south along the Hudson River towards New York City. I had a zoom lens on and could not get the total number in one photograph. I am guessing they are getting ready for Memorial Day tomorrow.

Osprey of Another Kind?

All gave some; some gave all.

Howard William Osterkamp, Korean War veteran US Army

Remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces.