It’s been a wonderful August so far at the Osprey Nest. That’s the summer home of the fish hawk family known here as Ozzie and Harriet and their 2024 youngsters David, Ricky, and June. All of the youngsters are flying well and seemingly enjoying their flights, but they aren’t good at plunge fishing yet. They still depend on Dad to deliver their meals.
Above, you see June after she just flew to the nest and began begging for food. Then, in the second image, Ozzie came to deliver his daily headless fish to the nest for June to share. (Ozzie usually eats the head off the fish as his portion; it’s probably the most nutritious part of the fish.) The nest has become a meeting place and perhaps where some of the family stays overnight.
The speckled youngsters have been growing fast. Below, you’ll see that David is almost as large as Ozzie. They’re sitting together on a nearby pier railing after a successful fishing lesson.)
Of course, Harriet is even larger than Ozzie. As with most raptors, the females are larger than the males, probably because the moms are usually the first line of nest defense. Speaking of Harriet, I’m seeing less and less of her. She seems to take long freedom flights and fish for herself now that she’s completed her grueling motherly duties. She’ll probably be the first to migrate, flying south by herself, perhaps thousands of miles. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on August 11, 2024.)