This may be our last installment in the weekly saga of Ozzie and Harriet, the ospreys that raised three youngsters here this summer. These parents have done a very good job. As you may remember, we’ve named their youngsters David, Ricky, and Lucy, in birth (and size) order for identification. All of the youngsters have fledged and Ricky has disappeared.
We haven’t seen much of Ozzie this week, but Harriet, David, and Lucy have been flying nearby and regularly returning to the nest or to nearby treetops. The image here shows David having difficulties emulating his parents’ ability to balance on the top of a high spruce near the nest.
David and Lucy are spending a lot of time flying and learning to fish. We haven’t seen either one catch a fish yet, but we’re not watching for extended periods anymore and they often fly far from the shore to fish in Eggemoggin Reach.
The youngsters frequently (but not always) return to the nest when one of their parents brings a fresh fish home. Below, we see Lucy who has just landed in the nest after her mother appeared there.
(Brooklin, Maine)