This is the latest report in the continuing saga of “Ozzie and Harriet in Brooklin,” starring a local pair of nesting ospreys that we’ve been checking about two or three times a week.
The image above is of Ozzie yesterday. He’s cursing loudly, battle-ready, and returning home fast, where Harriet has been screaming for about 10 seconds. A third osprey, probably Brutus, is circling high overhead.
Ozzie returned to the nest, where Harriet was now on her feet also ready to defend their home, which we hope soon will be a nursery. Brutus circled twice more and flew off.
Ozzie stayed on the nest for about two minutes more, then left to get lunch as Harriet was settling herself low again in an incubating position.
We’ve seen two threatening dives on the nest while Harriet has been low and flat in the nest, apparently incubating one of more eggs. Here’s an image of one on a very disturbed Harriet, which happened on May 6:
Leighton Archive Image
We’ve seen no dives on Ozzie when he was doing his share of the apparent incubating (which is less than Harriet’s share, but not insignificant). Both dives on Harriet seem to have been by the same rejected osprey, which we’ve named Brutus. As regular readers know, Ozzie and Brutus courted Harriet and Ozzie won her taloned hand. (Brooklin, Maine)