An Osprey Family Album (continued)
Part 4 (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Changing Chick Profile)
Photos from August 7th
The young
Ospreys have learned to feed themselves, but they haven't learn how to
share.
The tug of war
is on! Maybe they're learning the "survival of the fittest"
principle.
T' neck with all the sharing stuff!The Mother looks like she's getting into the match or maybe she's just ready to step in if things get ugly.
It was nip and tuck and lasted a surprisingly long time (maybe a half a minute), but the chick on the right won...
... and with a
flap of the wings celebrated his victory as the "loser" protested helplessly,
perhaps nursing a bit of a bruised ego."To the victor go the spoils." Another Osprey lesson learned.
The
"take-offs" and "landings" have got to be pretty impressive to a young
Osprey with a "front-row seat."
The Mother still brings brushy material and sticks back to the nest...
along with
other interesting unidentified objects.The young Ospreys observe with interest as the "amazing flying parents" come and go. They may be getting a notion -- we shall see.
Photos from August 10th
Trying to get
the competitive advantage, one youth uses the talons to grip the fish, while
pulling with one leg and flapping the wings. It works!
But, alas,
there's no place to "run," no place to hide. "There's got to be
some way to make a clean getaway... hum!?!"
Despite the
sibling rivalries, and "playful" squabbles, the three Osprey "teenagers"
seem to get along pretty well and may be "hatching" a plot to make their
escape into the wide open world of the flying Osprey OR maybe they're having
a staring contest to see who will blink first.
Photos and text by Milt Moody
Copyright 2003 ©
Milton G. Moody – All Rights Reserved