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Fly with the Ospreys

This is a page about  the Whirley Crane Osprey nest in Richmond. CA. Its purpose is to provide information to those who are new to the cam.  It also proffers osprey related poetry, songs and stories. If you have a poem or song or chart you'd like to see on this site, please contact Midi.
All writing and personal photos are the property of the authors and may be shared only for non profitable purposes. Courtesy would dictate letting this site know if you do so. 
All photos captured from the camera are the property of and used by permission from the Golden Gate Audubon Society. They are not to be copied from this site without permission from GGAS. If you enjoy this site, please consider sending a contribution to:
​

www.goldengateaudubon.org ​

Osprey Season 2023. Part 3: Chicks

6/2/2023

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Picture
Rosie looking at her chick. June 2, 2023. 6:19 am. cap by craigor
The morning of June 2, several chatters saw a chick head in the nest. Richie had been staying near and both had been spending time looking down, so chatters thought a hatch was imminent. At this time, it is assumed but not known for sure, that this is the second egg, which was due to hatch. The first egg would be overdue, but anything is possible. All is different this year and human chatters can but wait and see. 
Midi was given the honor of giving the chick its nickname. She dubbed it Clipper for the ships that rounded the Horn in the early days of modern San Francisco history. ships that were fast but able, and beautiful in full sail. It is up to the GGAS to decide on naming this year, as well as whether to band the chicks. The thought right now is that they will not do any banding, due to the remote location of the nest. 
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Chatter Dk saw a head emerge at 6:20 am on June 23.
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Chatter J also saw a hatchling at 6:21 am on June 23.
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Both birds on the nest at 5:44 am on June 2, 2023. cap by PP.
For more information, click on  the Archives, the FAQ and the chronological FAQs on the osprey chat page. 
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Osprey Season 2023 Pt. 2: Eggs

4/21/2023

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First Egg of 2023 laid: 5:17 pm April 21, 2023
With this new nest, it is a challenge for the human viewers to see what is going on. Several chatters were quite observant, however, and chatter watcher knew the signs of imminent egg laying from past years, and so we were able to catch Rosie laying her first egg. The VA video shows it best.
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Rosie's first egg at 6:49 pm. Note the coloring, mostly white with a darker patch on the large end. cap by watcher.
In the absence of a good view, watcher's running commentary described the action best:
04-21 17:17
watcher:
 
look at the motions she's making - tail up and down
I can't tell if she has her wings propped
 
watcher:
 
if she gets all fluffed up it's a sure sign
 
4-21 17:28
watcher:
 
OMG that's her incubation pose - SHE DID LAY AN EGG!
WE have egg 1!
 
watcher:
 
yep beak plant and wiggle again as she settled over it
but I can't see it  
 

Picture
Egg 1 on April 21, 2023 at 6:38 pm. cap by watcher
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Richie was on the nest for the delivery. Right after the egg was laid, he got hungry and flew off for a fish, to eat it on the light pole. April 21, 2023 at 6:56 pm. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Proud parents Rosie and Richie. April 21, 2023. 5:53 pm. cap by Absent Corvid.
Now Rosie spends most of her time on the nest. Richie comes and goes, providing fish and sticks. And requesting nest time. He loves to sit on the eggs. Rosie does leave the nest for short periods, which is normal. Letting the egg cool off slows its development so that its hatching will be closer to the subsequent eggs. The ospreys know what they're doing, from years of experience. Richie also spends quite a bit of time on the nest, as well as flying off to find fish for Rosie and sticks for the nest. 
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Rosie in her "spot" watching and resting. April 24, 2023. 10:30 am. cap by jest
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Rosie on the strut eating her fish. April 23, 2023, 1:44 pm. cap by watcher
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Both on the nest. April 23, 2023. 7:14 pm. cap by midi
Egg Number 2 was laid on April 26 at 2:08 pm with Richie in attendance. 
 While the view is not easy to spot happenings in the nest, sharp chatter eyes saw the telltale signs of Rosie's behavior and when she stood up, they could see the second egg. It has more color than the first egg and should be able to be identified when seen. The eggs are quite deep in the nest and not readily viewed. 
Meanwhile, life goes on. Rosie spends most of her time lying quietly on the nest, leaving to eat the fish that Richie brings to her. There have been some intruders but they are easily chased away. At night, Rosie sleeps on the nest and Richie perches nearby. All is calm on the Whirley nest. And the weather has been cooperating. Nice, sunny days, not too hot, not too cold. 
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Rosie eating a Sarry Flounder. April 25, 2023. cap by watcher
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On the alert. April 26, 2023 7:39 am. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Both on the nest, April 30, 2023 at 10:26 am. cap by midi
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Richie flying off the nest. May 2, 2023, 6:53 pm. cap by Dinnae ken
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Rosie eating a striped bass. May 1, 2023. 3:13 pm. cap by watcher
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The nest at sunset. 6:46 pm. April 26, 2023. Cap by AC.
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Rosie yelling at an intruder April 26, 2023. 5:01 pm. cap by Dinnae ken
Life is peaceful on the Whirley Crane.  There are occasional visitors or harassers when a fish is brought to the nest, but our pair are well versed in dealing with such annoyances. Rosie spends most of the time on the nest, incubating the two eggs, but when Richie brings her a fish, she gets up and takes it to her strut and he happily takes over the incubation. We get an occasional glimpse of the two eggs. It appears that there will be no third egg this year. 
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On the crane and on the nest. May 2, 2023. 5:51pm. cap by midi
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Rosie incoming with nesting material. May 1, 2023. 12:26 pm. cap by watcher
 Below, our chatter Absent Corvid caught the series of actions of Rosie getting a fish on May 3, 2023 at
​6:23 pm. First Richie flew in the fish.  
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Then Rosie took it to the strut. It was a jack smelt, a small fish, just a snack. She soon finished and flew back off. 
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We received exciting news from chatter Bill D. Lassen, a chick from 2020 was seen at Coyote Point on the platform that was built for the ospreys. He is actively building a nest and mating. So far three offspring have been sighted in the area: Rivet (2017), Victory (2018) and now Lassen (2020). 
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Lassen and his mate on their nest at Coyote Point Spring 2023. unknown photographer. 
May 4-10    Life continues apace on the new Whirley nest. Rosie sits in the nest, incubating the eggs and calling to Richie when she is hungry. He brings her a fish, she grabs it and goes to the strut to eat, while he takes over the incubating. When she is done, she returns and has to nudge or sometimes even kick him to get him up. Richie seems to love to incubate. There are occasional intruders or aerial harassers, but they are easily dealt with. It appears that this new nest works better for defense as it is not so easily accessed. We have seen no mammal intruders. It would be hard to climb the cable. A raccoon tried before the eggs were laid and was unable to get far. 
Meanwhile, the ships come and go, and the chatters talk about this and that, and the world turns. 
If all goes well, the chicks should hatch near the end of May. The incubation period is normally 35-38 days. See FAQs for more information. 
And see the GGAS Youtube page for videos of the action. 
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Richie looks sleepy. Enhanced photo cap by Absent Crow. May 3, 2023 at 7:36 pm
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Richie on the boom at night. May 3, 2023. at 9:36 pm. cap by midi
Richie spends the nights on one or the other side of the boom, while Rosie sleeps in the nest. 
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Classic view from the crane. A ship carrying Subarus to the port, accompanied by two tugs and a view of the new nest on the crane. May 3, 2023, 6:56 pm. cap by dk
Video by VA of Rosie flying to the nest on May 3, 2023
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Both on the nest resting May 5, 2023 at 10:478 am. cap by midi.
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Both on the crane. May 9, 2023 at 4:53 pm. cap by dk
Note the teal rope. It has been on the nest for a while but doesn't seem to present a real danger as long as there are no chicks. 
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A view of the two eggs. May 9, 2023 at 10:58 am, cap by watcher
May 11-13  Life on the nest is all about fish. Rosie asks Richie to bring a fish then he goes to get one and brings it to her. He gets a turn on the eggs as a result. But when she returns, he often doesn't want  to give up his spot. She tries different tactics and finally he relents. Video on Youtube by VA. May 8, 2023
Below: Rosie brings a Plain Finn Midshipman to the nest. May 11, 2023  For more information on this fish, see the Fish Matrix or go to the fish chapter on this site. Video by VA.
​The gulls and corvids are always interested when an osprey has a fish. The ravens especially harass Richie and Rosie. On May 13, Rosie went to get her own fish, a large flat fish. But the ravens kept harassing her so she flew around with it. It also was a lively fish and at one point, she lost it then flew down to retrieve it. the following video captured much of the action, thanks to VA's skill at replaying the video from various angles. 
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The flat fish Rosie brought. Struggling with it. May 13,2023. 10:43 am. cap by PP.
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Rosie still struggling with the fish on the strut. May 13, 2023. 12:07 pm.
Richie's talon has grown back partly and doesn't seem to impede his fishing ability. He brings fish regularly to the nest and takes off and lands with ease.
Picture
The fish Rosie brough May 13, 2023 cap by watcher
May 13-22. Life on the nest continues according to the osprey daily schedule. Rosie has been fishing lately and Richie missed a few days, perhaps fishing for himself but bringing no fish to the nest. Now he is bringing them again. The crows and gulls continue to harass the ospreys whenever they have a fish. And a raccoon was spotted all the way up at the raven "nest" on the crane. 
Picture
Richie on the eggs May 13, 2023 cap by watcher.
Picture
Richie at night on the crane. May 15, 2023. at 9:52 pm. cap by midi
Fish delivery. May 12, 2023.  3:32 pm.  video by VA
Rosie being watched by a crow.  May 17, 7:29 pm.  video by VA
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Rosie flies in with a fish.. May 22, 2023. cap by watcher
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Rosie flies off the strut with her fish. May 22, 2023. cap by craigor
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Richie on the rail. May 22, 2023 at 8:26 pm. Cap by midi
The ravens and ospreys chase away a raccoon, a rare act of cooperative work.  May 21, 2023, video by VA
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Richie eats a fish he caught and takes off to bring the rest to Rosie, but he drops it. She must have seen that because she accepted that he came back without a fish. May 27, 2023. cap by craigor
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Richie o the rail. May 26, 2023. cap by watcher.
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Both on the nest in a quiet moment. May 26, 2023. 7:34 am. cap by PP
May 29-30:  This week we are on pip watch. Both eggs are due to hatch soon. It is hard to see the eggs this year but we catch an occasional glimpse and our chatters and VA are skilled at enhancing the picture to see better. Gulls and corvids continue to harass the ospreys whenever there is a fish at hand( at claw?). 
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View of the eggs. May 29, 2023. cap by watcher.
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Richie looking at the eggs.May 29, 2023 7:07 am. cap by PP.
Fish brought to the nest by Richie.  May 29, 2023.   8:44 pm.  video by VA
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Change of shift. May 31, 2023. 10:39 am. cap by dk
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A glimpse of the eggs. May 31, 2023. 10:28 am. cap by Toater.
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Begone with you, gull! May 30, 2023. 7:22 pm. cap by watcher
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The two eggs. June 1, 2023. 10:55 am cap by craigor.
June 2: A chick was seen  early this morning.  Go to the next chapter for more information and pictures. 
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Season 2023: Pt. 1 Rosie's Arrival

3/1/2023

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Rosie has Arrived!

​March 1, 2023
Picture
Rosie landing on the nest upon arrival cap by watcher
After days of cold and rain, Rosie flew in at 4:09 pm on March 1, 2023, a cold but sunny day. She immediately chased off an ospsrey intruder then the raven that was hassling her, reclaiming her nest. 
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Raven on nest. 4:46pm. on March 1. cap by midi
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Rosie arguing with the raven 4:43 pm. cap by midi
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Rosie making herself at home on the rail. March 1, 2023. 4:41 pm. Look at those big feet! cap by watcher
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Sunset on the day of Rosie's return 6:26 pm. cap by midi
Rosie and Richie quickly reunited to spend the night together on the ROV wires. All is right in Whirley Crane land. 
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Richie and Rosie on the ROV wires. 6:40 pm. March 1, 2023. cap by midi
March 2: Rosie and Richie seem to have connected and spent the night together. Both were sighted today on the light poles by chatters on site.  Rosie was eating a fish. 
Picture
Rosie on light pole. PHoto by Toaster 28. March 2, 2023
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Osprey on light pole. Photo by Toaster 28. March 2, 2023.
March 3: Rosie and Richie were spotted on the light poles. Rosie was eating a fish at one point. An unknown female came to the nest briefly and was chased off by the raven. The ravens are apparently building a nest on the boom of the crane and are asserting control over the nest. 

Ospreys are returning elsewhere as well. A pair was sighted at the Richmond Yacht Club nest and at the Wharf Street nesst.
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Osprey on the light pole 3-3-23. 11:31 am. cap by craigor
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Quick visit to the nest by an unknown female osprey 3-3-23. 11:46 am. cap by midi
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Two ospreys on the same light pole 3-3- 23. 5:30 pm. cap by Dk
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Chased off by the raven. 11:49 am. cap by midi
 March 4: Rosie and Richie are spending quite a bit of time together, getting to know each other again. they have been observed eating fish but we have not seen Richie bring a fish to Rosie. Rosie and Richie both spent time on the nest.  Then they  shooed  off the ravens and the crows. The ravens  who like to think they own the nest and indeed, appear to be building a nest on the upper end of the crane. 
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Rosie on the rail 3 4 23 9:32 am. cap by J
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Richie and Rosie on the ROV wires 3 4 23. 8pm. cap by Robin
March 6- The ravens are actively building a nest high on the boom, in a protected area. Rosie has been chasing them off but rather half-heartedly. She and Richie are still in the getting reacquainted mode and not very territorial yet. The ravens brazenly land on the nest as though they own it. 
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Raven's nest. March 6, 2023. cap by watcher.
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Raven on the nest. March 6, 2023. 12:46 pm.
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Peregrine falcon on the crane. March 6 2023, 10 am. Cap by Dianne A.
To add to the confusion, a peregrine falcon landed on the crane and tussled with the ravens. The falcon left. 
Picture
One high, one low. Night of March 6, at 10:10 pm. cap by midi.
March 7: Much the same today. Richie and Rosie spotted on the light poles, at one point eating fish. Rose brought in a reddish fish, possibly a goldfish?
Picture
Rosie bringing in a red fish. Still cap by PP from VA video. March 7, 10:23 am.
March 8: The weather was better today and Richie and Rosie were active, sitting on the light poles, flying and even coming briefly to the nest. 
Picture
Two on the light pole March 8, 2023, 12:38 pm, cap by Dinnae ken.
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Rosie on the rail March 8, 2023. 11:10 am. cap by watcher
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Rosie on the rail March 8, 2022 11 am, cap by Benjamin
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Stick brought to the nest March 8, 2023. 10:16 am. cap by Dinnae ken
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Followed by Jseter's loud complaint cap by Dinnae ken.
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And Jester stealing the stick for his own nest on the crane's boom. cap by watcher.
March 8-10. While the ravens continue to build their nest on the Whirley Crane boom, and the gulls visit the nest proper, the osprey action is all on the light poles. On March 10, Richie and Rosie were sighted both apart and together on the poles ,watching and eating. And there was one attempted CK by Richie. The action is best viewed from the ground, in person. So come down to the nest if you get a chance. If you are too far away, there are chatters who go down there and post photos and videos on the chat
Picture
Gull on nest preening. Still picture from video by VA , March 9, 2023.
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Two gulls on the nest, still picture take from video by VA.March 9, 2023
Rosie? eating a fish on the light pole. March 11, 2023 video by Toaster28
March 10-12  The action continues to be on the light poles while the crows build a nest on the crane. 
Picture
Both on the same pole. March 11, 2023. photo by Toaster28
Picture
Corvids and peregrine falcon. March 11, 2023.
At night, Richie and Rosie usually sleep on the ROV wires, sometimes close together, other times farther apart. In inclement weather they seek refuge elsewhere. 
Picture
Rosie flying with a striped bass, being harassed by a crow. March 15, 2023. Photo by Dianne A.
With the cams down due to high winds blowing down the electric poles on Canal Blvd. we had to rely on our BOTG (boots on the ground) reporters to tell us what was going on. And they delivered! Rosie and Richie were seen on separate light poles then on the same one briefly until both flew off to go fishing. They seemed to be fishing over by the sandbar. Rosie returned with a large striped bass and spent a long time eating it.
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Osprey on the light pole 3 15 23 photo by Dianne A
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Osprey (Rosie?) with fish. March 15, 2023. photo by Dianne A
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Rosie with her bloody striper. March 15, 2023. Photo by chaya.
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Probably Richie on a different light pole. Marcy 15, 2023, photo by chaya.
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Rosie finally settled on a lightpole by the Richmond Yacht Club to eat her fish in peace. March 15, 2023. photo by Dianne A
There has been some discussion about proper terminology. The cam is for all and one must find a balance between scientific terms and terms that are understood by the general public. In biology, the term CK refers to the two birds' cloacae actually making contact and presumably transferring semen. Of course, human observers can never really be sure when this happens, just note the signs, such as the female's receptive raised tail. According to Tony\ Brake, the correct term for any attempted but not necessarily successful CK is copulation. This can be confusing as it it not necessarily how the layperson understands it. At the moment, the chat group as a whole has adopted ACK, attempted CK, though some prefer to follow the scientific terminology. For more information, see
​
https://ospreytaleteller.com/2014/04/07/the-cloacal-kiss/
Picture
Attempted CK on the nest March 17, 2023. cap by Toaster 28.
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Rosie on the light pole 3 17 23. photo by midi
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Richie on the other light pole 3 17 23 photo by midi
March 20: The cams are still down so we can't see everything that Rosie and Richie are doing, but our local chatters faithfully visit the nest and report back. It appears that the ravens have abandoned the nest they built on the boom of the crane and have relocated back to their light pole. Meanwhile,  Rosie and Richie seem to have reclaimed the crane and  are busy preparing the nest. They have been seen bringing sticks to the sheave and then to the nest.
Picture
Rosie getting a stick from the sheave March 19 2023. photo by Toaster28
Picture
Rosie on the rail. March 21, 2023. cap by watcher
March 23: The action has moved more toward the nest. Richie and Rosie spend time on the light poles and usually eat their fish there. But they are coming to the nest. Richie stays up on the pulley while Rosie has been sitting on the rail of the nest. She calls to Richie for fish but seems to be catching fish for herself. On March 23, two observers on the ground watched Richie bring a fish to the nest then be chased off by the ravens. The gulls and ravens have been more aggressive this year. But the ravens did abandon their nest on the crane and seem to have nested on the light pole where they were last year. Meanwhile, Rosie and Richie moved toward the nest. 
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ACK on the rail. March 23, 2023. cap by watcher.
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Rosie on the nest March 23, 2023, 6:05 pm. cap by PP.
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Incoming stick. March 23, 2023. photo by Toaster28.
March 25: Rosie and Richie are spending more time around the nest, although they tend to do their eating on the light poles. Rosie, especially, sits quite a bit on the nest rail. She also seems to be bringing all the sticks. So far the nest is rather haphazardl placed sticks, which are stored first on the sheave. Richie brought fish to the nest today. 
Picture
Rosie on the rail March 25, 2023. 5:14 pm cap by calneva
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Rosie on the nest 3 25 23. 2:20 pm cap by watcher
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Rosie takes off after an intruder 3 25 23. 2:04 pm cap by watcher
A funny look at Richie poking up behind Rosie taken by VA on March 23, 2023
​​March 27: A pattern has set in, but not one to Rosie's liking. Richie goes off fishing in the morning and catches a fish, then eats it on a light pole. Rosie comes to the nest and calls for her share but Richie does not bring her any. Sometimes, he comes to the nest, but empty taloned. Occasionally there is an ACK (attempted CK). During the day, they may bring a stick or two and store it on the sheave. There is little active nest building going on. 
Picture
Rosie on the cables March 27, 2023 at 10:15 am, cap by midi
Picture
Rosie flies off after an intruder. March 25, 2023. 2:04 pm. cap by watcher


One has to wonder what role, if any, Richie's broken talon plays in his behavior this year. Is it harder to catch fish so that he can only provide for himself?  Increased intruder interruptions? Is he less able to defend himself now? Or are there other reasons? Is he just not ready to the commitment yet this season? Humans can only watch and conjecture. 


Picture
Close-up of Richmond's injured talon March 25 2023. cap by watcher

​Meanwhile the nest is a mess. Sticks are stored on the sheave, one presumes to be placed later on the nest, and a few sticks are placed haphazardly on the nest. No real nest building has gone on. The weather has played a role, several stormy days each week, with heavy winds and rain, but on the sunny days, the two ospreys don't do much either. 
March 30:The action has moved to the sheave on the crane, where Richie and Rosie have been stockpiling sticks for a while. Today was the first sunny day in a while and both ospreys got busy brining sticks. Our BOTG (boots on the ground) got some great shots of sticks being flown in. The two birds spent more time together too. But Rosie still appears to be feeding herself, instead of the usual pattern where the male brings fish to the female. 
Picture
Stick being flown in. March 30, 2023, 1:38 pm. cap by watcher.
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Crane shot showing where they are nesting and where Rosie likes to perch. March 30, 2023, chaya.
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Both on the boom. March 30, 2023. 12:34 pm. cap by watcher
The evening of March 30, a raccoon was seen climbing to the nest and up the crane. 
Picture
Raccoon. May 30, 2023. 8:15 pm. cap by craigor
April 1- With a day of sunny weather, Rosie and Richie really got going today, bringing stick after stick to their new nest. It appears that they have decided on the sheave location for their nest, although Rosie seems to like to sit on the rail still by the other nest. Today the nest started to take shape, with a real nest bowl. And the pair spent more time together. 
With this development, we are ever more dependent on our boot on the ground chatters, who take great photos and videos onsite to share. 
Picture
The new nest. 4-1-23. 12:27pm. cap by PP.
Picture
The nest bowl. 4-1-23. 11:57 am. cap by watcher
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RnR on the ROV wires at night. March 31, 2023. cap by benjamin
April 4: Rosie and Richie seem to have chosen the sheave nest as their nest for this year. Both  have been bringing sticks there.But Rosie likes to spend time on the rail as is her wont. And both can be seen on the old nest at times. The new nest is fully formed, with a nest bowl and both birds seem to fit, although it is not as spacious as the old nest. We can only wait and see. 
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RnR on the old nest. April 2, 2023. 132pm. cap by wathcer
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Both on the sheave April 2, 2023, 9:58 am. cap by midi
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Bringing a stick. April 2, 2023. 2:45 p. cap by watcher
Crow harassing Rosie eating fish on a light pole April 2? 2023
They seem to be eating mostly on the light pole, with each catching their own fish. But a few fish have made it to the nest. For information on these, see the Fish Matrix.
April 5: With nice weather today, Rosie got busy repairing the damage done to the sheave nest by the previous winds. She had a fish too, apparently caught by herself. Richie has not been doing much. 
Picture
Rosie brings fluff for the nest. 4 5 23. cap by watcher.
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Rosie on the sheave nest. April 5, 2023. 1:13 pm. cap by PP
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Rosie eating a fish Richie brought. April 8, 2023. taken from a video by Toaster28.
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The nest on the pulley/sheave. April 8, 2023. cap by watcher
April 9: With the continued warm, sunny weather, our two ospreys are getting back in the groove. Richie is delivering fish, there sas an ACK today, and they are spending more time together on the new sheave nest. Rosie also spent quite a bit of time on the rail, her old spot.
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Both on the sheave nest 1:20 pm 4 9 23. cap by midi
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ACK on rail. 4 9 23. 5:14 pm. cap by viewer
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The nest as seen from below. 4 9 23. cap by watcher
Chatters all love Rosie and she has been photogenic lately. 
Picture
Rosie collage by Absent Corvid. 4 9 23
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Both on the new nest. April 11, 2023.12:04 pm. cap by Chappy
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Rosie on the nest.. April 12, 2023. 7:21 pm. cap by midi
April 13-18: Rosie and Richie are in a pattern now. They have chosen their nest and are working hard to make it suitable for chicks. Every day they bring sticks and materials for the nest bowl.Richie has started bringing fish to Rosie, although she also catches her own. The crows and ravens continue to harass the ospreys but they defend themselves without trouble. Rosie is spending more and more time on the nest itself, although she takes her fish to the strut to eat. Richie is spending time on the nest as well. There have been frequent ACK's (i.e.mating). Chatters think an egg in imminent. 
It may be hard to see an egg with this new nest and a limited view but the camera operators are doing their best to show the next close-up. 
Picture
Both on the nest. April 14, 2023. cap by AbsendtCorvid
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Rosie with a fish on the strut. April 13, 2023. cap by seabiscuit
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Quiet time on the nest. Aril 16, 2023, 5:29 pm. cap by midi
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Side by Side. April 16, 2023. 7:3 5pm. cap by watcher.
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Corvid harassment. April 16, 2023. cap by watcher
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Rosie brings fluff for the nest bowl. April 17, 2023. cap by watcher
April 18-20: Richie and Rosie are staying close to their new nest, the upper one. They bring in sticks and soft nesting materials and they bring in fish. Sometimes, Richie delivers, other times, Rosie fetches her own. She likes to eat her fish on the strut. The corvids continue to harass the ospreys when they are eating but appear to be no real threat. Rosie spends more time sitting on the nest and there have been more ACK's, some of which appear to be successful, so chatters are hopeful that an egg will soon appear. 
Picture
Incoming stick. From Toaster's video, April 18, 5:34 pm.
Picture
Intruder/Visiting juvenile? on lower nest, tolerated by Richie and watched by Rosie who is on the loser nest. April 19, 2023 10:23 am. cap by midi
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Quiet time on the rail for the pair. April 19, 2023, 10"08 am, cap by midi
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Rosie and a gull harasser. April 20, 2023. cap by watcher
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Richmond flies in. 3:39 pm. April 21, 2023. cap by watcher
Egg has hatched! Go to the next chapter for more information and to the GGAS Youtube channel. 


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​There is a new game afoot among the WWOC/chatters. Whenever a fish is seen caught by Richie or Rosie ,either the chatter who spies it or PP makes up a little song. This was started by PP, who created an annex to the Fish Matrix for fish that don't make it to the nest. Each fish noted gets a little song. Fish brought to the nest will continue to be logged by our Fish Matrix Master craigor. 

Toaster 28's fish song:

 Fountains fountains everywhere!
 Ponds of water I declare! ]
Fishy fishy wishy wish,        
Where did Rosie catch her fish?
 
 Goldfish color is the best
I will bring you to the Nest. 
Rosie’s goldfish can’t be beat 
 We will now have lots to eat
 
 Lots of goldfish for us now
 So let Rosie take a bow
 Fish for me, fish for you 
 I will share my source with you.
 
 Fountains fountains everywhere 
 Ponds of water I declare!
  Fishy fishy wishy wish 
This is where I catch goldfish!  
 
Toaster28

Attempted CK Rosie and Richie.  March 11, 2023 video by Toaster28
Richie and Rosie can be seen on separate light poles, often calling to each other, and sometimes eating a fish, or occasionally together. There have been a few attempted CK's. 
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Attempted CK on a light pole March 11, 2023. cap by Lee
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Raven nest on the crane. 3 12 2023. cap by watcher
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Rosie and Richie sleeping near each other at night. March 11, 2023. cap by midi
March 13​: Richie and Rosie were on the light poles most of the day. But Rosie did pay one quick visit to the nest, bringing a stick. She chirped and looked around. When nobody answered, she flew off with the stick. Is she trying to get Richie to help her build the nest?
Video of Rosie flying and being harassed by a crow. Photo by  Dianne A  March 15, 2023.
​March 16: The weather was better today, warmer and sunny. And the ospreys responded. Rosie was seen delivering a stick to the crane and Richie attempted a CK on the nest. 
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Attempted CK on the nest. From video by Toaster28, March 16, 2023.
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Rosie with a stick. March 16, 2023. photo by Dianne A.
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Stick delivery to the sheave. March 16, 2023 photo by Toaster28.
Attempted CK on the sheave March 16, 2023. video by Toaster28.
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Intruder coming to the sheave where Richie and Rosie are already. March 16, 2023 from video by Toaster 28
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Rosie and Richie on the wires of the ROV late afternoon of March 17, 2023
In the late afternoon of March 17, midi was at the nest. She saw Richie and Rosie on the wires of the ROV. Then they both flew off and seemed to be fishing in the ship channel. Midi walked along Canal Blvd. and soon saw Richie on one light pole eating a fish and a bit farther along she saw Rosie on another light pole, also eating a fish. Midi came back to the nest area and before she left, she again saw Rosie and Richie on the wire. Then they flew off again. 
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Last year's raven's nest. Midi heard them on the nest when down there. March 17, 2023
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Rosie placing stick on the nest. March 19, 2023 photo by Toaster28
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Rosie on the rail. March 21, 2023. cap by watcher
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Rosie on the nest. All back to normal. March 21, 2023. cap by chaya.
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Richie flying with his fish. March 23, 2023. Photo by Toaster 28.
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incoming stick by Rosie March 23, 2023. photo by Toaster 28.
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Fly in to sheave. 3 25 23. 12:07 pm. cap by watcher
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Rosie brings a stick 3 25 23. 12:46 pm. cap by lee.
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Both on the sheave. March 26, 2023. 12:17 pm. cap by PP
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Close up of Richie's injured talon 3 25 23. cap by watcher
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Messy nest. March 26 2023. cap by midi
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Intruder. March 27, 2023. cap by watcher.
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Two on the sheave. March 30, 2023. 1:56 pm. cap by watcher
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Rosie brings a fish to the nest. March 28, 2023. from video by VA
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Trying to make a nest on the sheave. March 30, 2023. 1:46 pm. cap by Dinnae ken.
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RnR on the crane together. 3 31 23. 4:40 pm. cap by PP.
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CK on the rail. 3 31 23. 4:52 pm. cap by watcher
Fetching a stick from the ground. March 31, 2023. Toaster 28. 
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ACK on the rail. April 2, 2023. 2:10 pm. cap by J
There have been a few ACK's. We cannot know if any were successful CK's but there is some hope. 
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Richie arrives on the nest mound. April 3, 2023. 11:48 am. cap by watcher
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Rosie on the sheave nest April 3, 2023. 8:39 am. cap by PP
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Converging boats of different sizes. April 3, 2023. 6:28 pm. cap by midi
And of course, the boats provide an endless source of entertainment when the osprey are away. 
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Footing is tricky on this nest, but Rosie persists. April 5, 2023. 12:42 pm. cap by PP
April 8: The weather has been sunnier and warmer and Richie and Rosie seem to be responding appropriately. They are spending much more time on the nest area and today Richie brought fish to Rosie! The usual pattern is emerging. to chatters' chagrin, however, the osprey pair has chosen the pulley/sheave as the location for their nest. It does not look as secure spacewise and they have trouble maintaining balance when they bring sticks. But they have their reasons and we can only wonder what those reasons are and "Trust the Ospreys." 
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Richmond brings a clump for the nest April 6, 2023. cap by watcher
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A handy perch for Rosie. April 7, 2023. 11:29 am. cap by PP
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Fish arrival. 4 8 2023. 11 am. cap by watcher
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Richie on the sheave nest 1pm. 4 8 23. cap by midi
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Rosie on the strut with a lively fish. 4 9 23 8:41 am. cap by Dk.
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Rosie sleeping on the rail 4 9 23. cap by Dk
April 10-12: Rosie and Richie have definitely chosen the pulley/sheave area for their nest this year and they have been busy bringing sticks and other nesting material. It is beginning to really look like a nest. They are also spending time together on the nest. They still spend the nights elsewhere. They were perching on the ROV wires at night but lately they have been out of sight of the cameras. Richie has brought some fish to Rosie as well. 
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Rosie flying in a stick. April 10, 2023. cap by watcher
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Richie brings a fish to the nest. April 11, 2023. late morning. cap from VA's video.
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Rosie eating a fish on her strut. April 12, 2023. 9:57 am. cap by PP
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Rosie working on the nest. April 13, 2023. 11:53 am. cap by midi
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ACK on the nest. April 14, 2023. 10:57 am cap by midi
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Quiet time for Rosie. April 14, 2023. 5:39pm. cap by midi
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Rosie eating a fish on the strut. April 16, 2023 cap by watcher
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Green rope brought in. April 17, 2023. cap by watcher
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Green rope on the nest. April 17, 2023. Cap by watcher.
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ACK on the wire. From Toaster's video of April 18, 2023, 5:42 pm.
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First fish of the day for Rosie. April 19, 2023. at 8:35 am, cap by Dinnae ken.
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Sleepy Rosie on the rail. April 19, 2023. 9:22 pm. cap by craigor
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Rosie with a flatfish April 20, 2023. 4:43 pm. cap by watcher
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Both on the nest. 4 21 2-23 4:08 pm. cap by midi



​
​Welcome Rosie
 
Welcome back, our Rosie
Welcome home today.
We are glad to see you,
Our favorite osprey.
 
Did you have a good time
Down in Southern clime?
Do you like to be alone,
Down there on your own?
 
Now it’s time to get busy,
Find Richie and mate,
Gather sticks and eelgrass,
Start to nestorate.
 
Lay some eggs, one, two, three
For us all to see.
We will watch day and night,
To dawn’s early light.
 
Chicks will hatch and will grow,
Keeping us on edge, 
Until the day that fully grown,
They decide to fledge.
 
Then we will scan the skies
For their bright blue bands.
Until you and they decide,
To migrate to Southern strands.
 
Then Richie will be alone,
Again a bachelor.
And we will have to wait
To see what is next in store.
 
But Rosie, you will return,
For you always do.
We know we will see you again,
We can count on you.
 
So let’s raise a toast
To our ospreys dear,
Here’s to Rosie and Richie,
And a new osprey year!
 
Midi 2021




​






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End of Season 2022

11/1/2022

0 Comments

 
The end of the osprey season comes when Rosie starts her migration. But for the WWOC, it extends a bit and ends when they hold their annual party. Rosie left unannounced this year. We really don't know exactly when.
Richie has been gracing us with his  presence every night, perched on the ROV wires. We hope he is regaining his strength for the upcoming season. And that his presence will deter the corvids from intruding on the nest this coming season. 
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Richie on wire. October 25, 2022 cap by lurker2020. 7:29 am
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Richie on wire, September 15, 2022 cap by?
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Richie? on the Subaru lot light. October 30, 2022 photo by chaya
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Richie? on the light October 30, 2022. photo by chaya
2022 ​Fish Charts
End of season is when our renowned Fish Matrix Master posts the final counts of fish caught and brought to the Whirley Crane that season. Below are the charts. One notable development this year was Rosie bringing in goldfish. We never did locate their origin. 
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For more fish information, including comparisons to previous years, see the Fish Chapter (Sept. 2018)
​
 The WWOC annual gathering was held this year at Pt. Molate park, in honor of our dear departed Molate. It proved to be a wonderful location, a beautiful view of the Bay, the bridge and Mt. Tamalpais, great weather, and plenty of shade and space. There were more than 40 attendees, many of them new to the chat group, and all having a good time. Many more attended virtually on chat. 
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The ad hoc planning committee: craigor, Robin, Dianne A(with husband) and midi.(with the Golden Osprey).
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Highlights were craigor's talk on the history of the Point Molate area, the hotdog mustard challenge, and the fish bean toss game.   Clay, the educational director at GGAS, helped people make osprey headbands, and  the GGAS director Glenn Phillips conversed with many chatters. The WWOC thanks the GGAS for their presence at our celebration of the nest. 
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Making osprey hats with Clayton
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Ready to compete. Who can make the straightest line of mustard?
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And the winner, with the straightest mustard line was #6- Gramps!
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The "Museum" All objects shown were found in the Whirley Crane osprey nest.
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Just hanging out, enjoying the sun and chatting
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Craigor's informative history talk
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Snakey escaped for a few minutes to spend time with chatter MHall.
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Chatting by the Bay with a view of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
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Dianne A's toss the Fish in the Nest game.
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Lunch is served. There was a nice variety of food and some very tasty dishes. The favorite seemed to be toaster28's trail mix. Many reported taking bags home with them. 
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Craigor and brother Jeff created a large heart in memory of Molate. Campers were encouraged to add to the heart throughout the day. Seabiscuit decorated the nest quite imaginatively with materials she either found or had brought with her. 
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After lunch came the finals for the fish toss then the music began. The DelPrado brothers craigor and Jeff performed, as did midi and seabiscuit, along with seabiscuit's friend Bobo and Benjamin's brass ensemble. Quite an entourage. I'll let the music speak for itself in the video curated by craigor. 
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craigor and Jeff with Mt. Tam as the backdrop
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Benjamin and his bandmates
Video created by craigor from footage gathered from Robin, our videographer and designer, and various other chatters. 
To cap off a perfect day, an osprey was seen flying over the Bay by the beach just as the DelPrado brothers were singing about Richie. The osprey, most likely Richie, flew around, periodically starting to dive to catch a fish then deciding against it, for quite a while before finally heading back to his side of the Bay in Richmond. It is hard not to believe that he heard the music and came to investigate. At any rate, all welcomed his visit. 
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The annual blowing of the conch took place for Rosie on her migration and perhaps already relaxing at her Southern beach. 
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Annual ceremonial blowing of the conch by craigor and calgal.
Note: Photos were being posted and reposted on chat the day of and after the party. I was unable to identify the source of each cap and therefore cannot give attribution. The photos are the property of the person taking the picture and should not be copied without their permission. I am assuming permission for this post only. 
We wish Rosie and Brooks a safe, refreshing  stay down in Southern lands. We will watch for Rosie in early Spring. We thank Richie for showing up to our party and hope to see him on the ROV wires each night. May his talon heal and may he find many fish to eat this Winter. 
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Part 8: Off the Nest

7/20/2022

1 Comment

 
This osprey season is coming to and end. The hurry and flurry of mating, laying eggs, and raising chicks has given way to a quiet time together before migration. Out of three eggs, one didn't hatch and one chick died at 7 weeks, leaving one offspring to fledge and begin to start its new life. Right now, Brooks is flying adroitly, going off then returning and eating fish provided by her parents. Rosie and Richie spend less time on the nest but have been returning at night and during the day just to drop off a fish. 
It has been a rather rocky ride and we hope the next month or two will be calmer, with the ospreys remaining healthy, plenty of fish caught, and successful migration later in the summer. As every year, the chatters and lurkers have learned much from the ospreys. 
​Week 10:  July 18-24  Brooks on the nest
PictureCorvid hanging out on the nest in Brooks' absence. July 18, 2022. cap by lurker

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Richie and Rosie on the nest at 4:30 am. July 19, 2022. cap by dinnae ken
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Gull harassing Brooks. July 19, 2022. 9:43 AM cap by lurker
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Richie and Rosie just hanging out together. July 18, 2022. cap by FW
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Brooks is hungry. July 19, 2022. at 8:56 am. cap by MW
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Brooks screaming at intruder July 19, 2022. at 11:17 am. cap by dinnae ken
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Gull annoying Brooks. July 19, 2022. at 12:23 pm. cap by lurker
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Brooks resting and tug. July 19, 2022. cap by FW
Life has settled down at the nest. Brooks has mostly been staying on the nest waiting for someone to bring her fish, which she eats readily. Rosie has been supplying most of the fish with Richie bringing an occasional striper. Rosie is spending the nights on the rail. Richie spends some nights there. Brooks flies off for a short flight occasionally but returns quickly to the nest. 
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Brooks taking flight from the rail. July 20, 2022. cap by lurker
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Fish for Brooks. July 20, 2022. cap by FW
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Brooks mantling over her fish. July 20, 2022. cap by MW
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On the rail with Mom. July 21, 2022. cap by FW.
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Eating a goldfish at 8:51 am brought by Rosie. July 22, 2022. cap by MW
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Brooks on rail. July 22, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Time for a little exercise July 21, 2022. cap by dinnae ken
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Brooks at sunset. July 21, 2022. cap by lurker
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Brooks and Rosie on the rail. July 22, 2022. cap by FW.
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Richie returns to spend the night after being gone all day. July 22, 2022. cap by MW.
 Richie has not been spending time on the nest. He quickly dropped off a fish on July 23.   Rosie has faithfully been bringing fish to Brooks,  a jacksmelt and a pfm on July 24. She has a spot right by the pier where she can catch a pfm quickly. (see the Fish counting Matrix for more information). 
Week 11: July 25-31 : An Interloper and an exchange
Rosie takes off and gets a pfm from by the pier in a few minutes, then delivers it to the nest. July 25 at 6:15am. video by craigor. Not long after, a juvenile visitor came to the nest. Brooks expertly defended the nest but then deferred to the visitor and left. Richie dropped off a fish, apparently without noticing the changing of chicks. 
Juvenile visitor to the nest,  July 25,  9:30 am.  video by B. 
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Juvenile visitor . 9:56 am July 25
The visitor, dubbed Trudy by some chatters, stayed on the nest, chatting up a storm. Interestingly, both Rosie and Richie responded by dropping off fish. Brooks made some attempts to retake the nest but was rebuffed.
It is known that the bird is young due to the white marks on the feathers. It is assumed that she is a female due to certain behaviors, her heavier size and her speckled chest. It is also assumed that she fledged from a nearby nest recently and is now exploring.She still expects to have a fish brought to her but can eat one by herself. 
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Trudy gets a fish from Richie and loudly claims it as her own. July 25 at 10:08 am cap by lurker.
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Trudy heads for the boom. July 25, 12:11 pm. cap by FW
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A quiet moment. July 25, 3:31 pm. cap by MW
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Trudy mantling. July 25 11:41 am cap by FW
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Rosie brings Trudy a goldfish. July 25 at 5:44 pm. cap by FW.
Instead of rebuffing the visitor, Richie and Rosie upped their fish bringing. Below is the statement from the Fish Matrix Master at 5 pm. More fish came later. 
 
"Four for Rosie today ties her season best. Highest total for a day this year is eight, six for Richmond and two for Rosie. Would not be terribly surprising to see that exact ratio reversed today. She just needs to bring two more by nightfall.
Six fish today and the last four have been eaten by some kid from down the block."

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Trudy still squawking at night. cap by MW
At 5pm, a smelt was delivered by Richie. At 5:46, a goldfish was delivered by Rosie. Trudy flew off. Brooks flew in to claim a fish and Trudy came back to reclaim the fish. They had a struggle over the goldfish. At 7pm, Brooks was on the nest again and Trudy landed on her, still clutching the goldfish. Brooks was mantling over the herring that had been brought earlier. Trudy attacked Brooks and Brooks went into a submissive position. 
Trudy spent the night at the nest and Rosie slept on the rail nearby. In the morning, the calls for fish started. Brooks has made several attempts to retake the nest but has been rebuffed. 
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Trudy with a new fish. July 26, at 7:13 am. cap by J
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Quiet time but still queen of the nest. July 26, 12:52 pm. Cap by MW.
To add to the confusion, at one point an adult female appeared on the nest, first alone, then with Trudy. 
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Not Rosie. July 26 at 4:47 pm. cap by J.
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Trudy on nest and not Rosie on rail. July 26 at 4:47 pm. cap by J
PictureRichie. Rosie and visitor Trudy on the rail July 26, 2022 at 9 pm.

Rosie and Richie spent the night with their new stepdaughter Trudy on the rail.Trudy later moved to the nest to sleep. By morning, all were gone off on their own ways. 
​The morning of July 27, Rosie delivered a pfm to the nest. Trudy immediately came rushing in to claim it, screaming all the while. She then flew off again. Brooks has not been seen on the nest but may be nearby and may be fed off the nest by her parents. 
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Trudy eating pfm from Rosie. July 27, 2022. at 8:14 am
While the nest is empty, the gulls and crows take advantage and come in to clean up the fish bits.
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When the ospreys are away..... July 27, 2022. 8:12 am. cap by Dinnae ken
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Crow clean-up crew. July 27, 2022. 9:14 am. cap by MW
Rosie and Trudy spent time on and off the nest throughout the day. There were only two fish brought to the nest, however. Brooks has not been seen but there is indication that Richie and Brooks are nearby and that she is possibly being fed off nest. 
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Trudy on the nest quiet. 7 27 22. at 11:18 am. cap by MW
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Rosie and Trudy on the nest and rail. 7 27 22 8:15 pm. cap by Dinnae ken
Two chatters Dianne A and Ali went to visit the area in person. They discovered a banded juvenile on the Wharf Street nest off Canal Blvd. This has to be Brooks. So apparently she is well and fed on another nest. They also found Richie probably on a light pole, conversing with Rosie across the air. 
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Brooks on Wharf Street nest 7 27 22 photo by Dianne A
Another chatter saw this same nest 2 days earlier, with an osprey, possibly Brooks.
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Richie calling to Rosie? July 27 2022. photo by Dianne A
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Osprey on Wharf Street nest. July 25,2022. photo by B
On July 28, another chatter Leah went to the area by the nest to look for Brooks. She confirmed that Brooks is staying at the Wharf Street nest, along with another juvenile, probably born on that nest. All seems to be going well. Meanwhile, Trudy is queen of her nest, being fed by Rosie and an occasional fish from Richie. Richie appears to be around the area and communicating with Rosie.
​
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Crows on the nest, July 28 at 9:09 am. cap by MW
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Close-up of the pfm
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Rosie delivers a pfm. July 28 at 9:38 am. cap by Robin
Early Afternoon, a quiet time of day 
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Trudy quiet on the nest July 28, 2022. 12:09 pm. cap by FW.
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Richie and Rosie on the crane. July 28, 2022. 12:16 pm. cap by craigor.
Exciting views of Brooks from the ground:  all photos taken by and property of Leah. leahsteinbergphotography.com

​
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And a quiet night with Rosie and Trudy on the rail. There is a new order on the nest. 
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Trudy on the rail. July 28, 2022 8:30 pm. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Rosie and Trudy sleeping on the rail. July 28, 2022 at 10:11 pm. cap by midi
July 29 was the start of a new order on the nest. In the morning, the nest was empty, so the gulls and crows came to clean up. Around 8 o'clock, Rosie brought a striped bass to the nest and Trudy flew in screeching "Mine, mine." She then proceeded to eat the fish, squawking all the while. Finally Rosie flew in with a goldfish to exchange for the striper. Rosie held onto the now stiff striper while Trudy ate the softer goldfish. At one point, she flew off with it. Richie put in a quiet appearance in the morning.
A striper for Trudy.  7 29 22 7:57 am.  video by B
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2 ospreys on the nest, 1 on the rail. 9:40 am. cap by PP
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I'm sleepy but it's still MY fish. July 29, 2022. 10:34 am. cap by MW
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Richie on the rail. July 29, 2022. a little after 9:30 am.
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Rosie brings a goldfish and takes the striper. Trudy likes the goldfish. July 29, 2022. 11:45 am. cap by craigor.
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Is Rosie trying to get the striper back or cleaning up after Trudy? July 29, 2022. 10:04 am. cap by Dinnae ken
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Meme by FW
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Trudy eating her goldfish on the rail. July 29, 2022. 12:15 pm. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Trudy takes the fish with her. July 29, 2022. 12:08 pm. cap by Dinnae ken
 All three were on the rail in the evening, At one point, Trudy flew in and sat on Richie's back!  Later, Rosie was left alone on the nest while 2 birds, presumably Trudy and Richie were sitting together on the ROV cable. FW's meme says it all! 
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Three birds on a rail. July 29, 2022. 8:12 pm. cap by FW
Trudy landing on Richie  July 29 evening. video by B
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Rosie alone on the wire at 9:30 pm. July 29, 2022. cap by MW
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Meme by FW
Order has been restored to the nest again and a pattern has been set. The nest is often empty as its residents go about their daily business. The crows and gulls come to take advantage of their absence. A fish is dropped off sometime during the day by Rosie and perhaps Richie. Trudy appears to partake of the fish. She appears to be well fed and is perhaps being fed elsewhere as well. One day she arrived with a fishtail from somewhere. Perhaps she is learning to fish for herself. The nights are spent, in different configurations, on the ROV cables or the nest rail. In contrast to previous years, when Rosie and Richie would be sleeping together either on the ROV cable or the nest rail, Rosie often sleeps alone now. 
Migration time is fast approaching. The human observers never know when this actually happens as the juveniles fly around, going farther and farther away from home, then one day in August they are gone. We do usually see Rosie and Richie together one last time before she migrates, usually in September. Keep your eyes peeled for blue bands around the East Bay! 
​

​Week 12: August 1-7 It's All About Fish
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Rosie brings a pfm at 15:51 pm to the nest, July 30, 2022. cap by Dianne A
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Trudy sleeping on the rail. July 31. at 10:01 pm. cap by MW
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Trudy is hungry and vocal about it. August 1 at 10:5o am. cap by MW
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Richie on the ROV wire. August 1, 2022. 12:06 pm. cap by FW
A pattern has established itself. Trudy has a full crop, has appeared wet, and seems to be well fed somehow, somewhere. Richie and Rosie are bringing her fewer fish. The three spend their time apart or sometimes together, but seem to always be in the area, on a light pole, on the ROV, on the nest rail, or fishing somewhere. 
Chatters too have quieted down and are showing up less. They seem to have accepted the state of affairs, now that Brooks has been located. The osprey season is winding down. 
Craigor, the Fish Matrix Master, made a wise statement recently:

Somebody has probably mentioned this, but all these intruders, plus our faux-Rosie and faux-Richie (remember?) visitors this year, and chicks swapping nests... is probably all a sign of a healthy and growing local community of O's. There's just more O's around than there were a few years ago so they run across each other more often and have to change their behavior accordingly.
And I even seem to recall reading that O's will act territorial and defensive up to a certain population density, but when they get really numerous (as on Cape Cod back east) they shift to more of a colony-type behavior with more comfortable and flexible sharing of territory. And I suspect we're seeing evidence of reaching that density.
I did note from Tony\'s remarks that it is now the Richmond shoreline and not Mare Island that is the epicenter of Bay Osprey life.



August 3
Just when life on the nest seemed to be calming down, Trudy surprised everyone by bringing a fish to the nest. And not just any fish, but a shark! And it appears she may have caught it herself. She brought it quietly, not screaming as she does when offered a fish by Rosie. She ate it to the last bite. It is thought that she caught it herself by Brooks Island. See video on Youtube.

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Trudy's shark. August 2, 2022 9:12 am. cap by craigor
Trudy's shark.  August 2, 2022.  video by VA
Then on August 3, Rosie flew in with a big striper for Trudy. As she was eating it, however, it became clear that there was fishline and a hook attached. Chatters watched with bated breath, but Trudy skillfully ate around the hook and line, and it fell to the ground, to everyone's relief. All that practice with eating around a fish spine had paid off. 
Fish Matrix master craigor said: "Sensible. Just had to eat around the hook until it pulled loose, then there was nothing holding the line to the fish anymore. So, lift it off the nest, give it a good shake, presto!"
Birdbrain remarked: "It's funny how what we had deemed 'bad table manners' (spitting out the skin, leaving the spine hanging on a wire) turned out to be what saved the day."
Many chatters changed their opinion of Trudy that day, no longer a spoiled screecher but, as more than one said, a Warrior Princess. 
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Rosie with a large striper. August 3, 2022. 1 pm.
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Striper with fishline and hook, August 3, 2022. 3:36 pm. cap by MW
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Taking the fish to a light pole to eat. August 3, 2022.
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Rosie and Trudy sharing the fish gut. 8:11 pm. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Fishline and hook on striper. August 3, 2022. 2:47 pm. cap by Honored Guest
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I'm tired. This is a big fish! But it is my fish. August 3, 2022. 7:22 pm. cap by jest
August 4: The drama continues. Today Trudy and Brooks appeared at the same time on the nest and a tussle ensued. It was rather fierce but nobody appears to have been harmed. By evening, Brooks was gone and Trudy was on the rail alone for the night. 
In others news, word came back that both Brooks and Molate, who were given a DNA test while being banded, are male. Trudy did not receive a test so we can only go by appearance at this point. Most seem to think she is female. 
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Skirmish between Trudy and Brooks. August 4, 18:05 pm. cap by FW
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Skirmish between Trudy and Brooks. August 4, 2022. 18:04 pm. cap by B
Above: Skirmish. around 6pm. video from VA

Below: Interloper arrives and leaves, then Rosie comes in with a fish.  6:25 pm. August 4.
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And Trudy slept alone in the night. August 4, 2022. 22:15 pm. cap by MW
Life goes on mostly off the nest now. Trudy shows up now and then to call for a fish. Rosie comes by with a fish and drops one off for Trudy or if she is not there, flies on to eat it herself. Richie has perhaps visited the nest once that we know, calling against intruders. Rosie can sometimes be seen on the crane up high.  We see ospreys sitting on the ROV wires, where Rosie and Richie usually sit off season, usually just one now. Where is Richie and how is he doing with his hurt talon? Trudy remains the Queen of the Nest when she chooses to appear. The season is definitely drawing to a close. If you visit the area, watch for blue bands, check the nest and the surrounding areas and get on chat to tell us if you see any ospreys. 

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Rosie brings a pfm to an empty nest. August 5 at 12:29 pm. cap by craigor
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Rosie on the crane. August 5. at 2:52 pm
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A quiet moment alone for Trudy. August 5 at 4:41 pm. cap by midi
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Trudy alone at night. August 5, 2022. at 9:13 pm. cap by MW
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Trudy sleeping. August 6, 2022 at 19:53 pm. gif by Robin
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Rosie on the crane. August 9, 2022. cap by Dianne A.
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Trudy and sailboats. August 6, 2022. 15:15 pm. cap by FW
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Richie on the crane. August 9, 2022. cap taken from VA video.
​Week 13: August 8-14
August 10: Richie and Rosie seem to be keeping close to the nest, often perched on the crane where they can watch. Richie will fly in to chase off an inquisitive intruder. Trudy has flown the nest and hasn't been seen in several days. An osprey has been seen on the Wharf Street nest but a band wasn't sighted, so we can't know if it is Brooks or not. We assume the fledglings are exploring the area and getting ready for their migration. 
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Empty moonlit nest. August 11, 2022. cap by FW
Osprey with fish   August 13, 2022. video by VA
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Richie on the ROV ship. photo by Chaya. August 12, 2022 copyright to Chaya.
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Rosie on rail, Richie on nest. August 13, 2022. cap by C
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Rosie on the rail. August 13, 2022 cap by MW
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Rosie at night on the rail. August 14, 2022. cap by MW
Rosie with a fish. August 13, 2022. 8:39 am. video by J
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Richie on the nest. August 14, 2022. cap by C
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Richie moving sticks. August 15, 2022. cap by PP
Week 14-16 August 15-31 Richie and Rosie 

The two juveniles, Trudy and Brooks, have not been seen to identify in a while. Observers from the ground have seen an osprey on the Wharf Street nest, where Brooks took up residence, but they have not seen a band. An occasional osprey flies to the nest for a moment, but they are unknown to us. Rosie and Richie have taken to spending the night together as in the past. They can usually be seen from the ATN cam roosting on the ROV wires. Rosie spends much of the day on the nest rail. Richie puts in an appearance occasionally. Both have been seen eating fish, usually on a lightpole. The crows and ravens come to the nest occasionally to clean up tasty tidbits buried amid the sticks. They are tolerated for a while then sometimes Richie or Rosie will chase them off. 


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Richie on the nest. August 16, 2022. gif by Robin
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Richie and Rosie on the rail, night of August 16. Cap by PP.
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Raccoon below. August 16, 2022. Cap by CdA. For a video go to ggas youtube channel.
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Rosie on nest alone night of August 23, 2022 cap by MW
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Richie on the nest Augustt 22, 2022. cap by CdA
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Richie on the nest August 28, 2022 cap by PP
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Rosie and Richie on the nest together. August 22, 2022. cap by CdA
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Rosie on the nest alone. August 23, 2022. cap by MW
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Rosie defending the nest August 26, 2022 cap by J.
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Rosie on the rail. August 28 2022. cap by J
Interloper to the nest. August 23, 2022.  video by VA
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Osprey, possibly Rosie, on ROV wire in early morning of August 29, 2022. cap by MW
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Osprey on a lightpole, Rosie? August 31, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken
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Osprey eating on light pole photo from the ground by Toaster 28. August 2022
Who is on the wire?  August 31, 2022. Video by VA
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One is a lonely number. Richie alone on the wire? September 2, 2022. cap by Judi
Ir is presumed that Rosie left on her migration at the end of August, the earliest she has ever left. The last photo of her on the nest is August 28. An osprey is observed almost every night on the ROV wires. We assume that is Richie. We have also seen him on the crane.
​September. Richie alone?
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Osprey on the ROV September 6, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken.
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Richie on the crane. September 4, 2022. gif by Robin
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"Pretty Sure that's Richmond". September 6, 2022. cap by FW
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Plenty of Activity around the nest still. September 6, 2022
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The empty nest. September 3, 2022 cap by MW
Farewell to Rosie and Brooks and Trudy the intruder. May the winds in your wings be fair and you arrive safely in your Winter home. Perhaps one day, we will learn where you spend the winter. We await Rosie's return in the Spring and hope to see Brook's XA band in a few years. 

And to Richie: we will be watching for you over the Winter. Please visit the nest occasionally. We hope your talon heals or that you at least adjust to it, so you can fish successfully. 
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Zoid on the empty nest. September 16, 2022. cap by PP
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Richie on the wire. September 17, 2022. cap by Robin
We think it is Richie who sleeps on the ROV wires each night, often leaving very early in the morning. Nobody has sighted him elsewhere in the day, so we don't know where he is hanging out. On the sand spit as he did in the past? Or at Meeker Slough, where late chatter SailMonkey often saw him fishing. Or perhaps at the San Pablo Reservoir, taking advantage of the trout that were planted there? 
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Probably Richie on the wire. September 19, 2022. cap by MW
1 Comment

Part 7: Learning To Fly

6/22/2022

1 Comment

 
Week 6: June 23-29.   Developing and using their wings
The chicks have been banded and named. The oldest is XA, Brooks and the youngest WM, Molate. More information on their names can be found in Part 6.
Their feathers have come in, they have grown, and they have developed talons and strong legs. In short, they are ready to start practicing flying. And learn to be independent. They will spend the next few weeks doing just that.  Their development is a bit behind the chart because they hatched later this year. 
This week is all about food. Richie and Rosie must up their game to provide for their teenagers, who need sustenance to grow, develop and start flying. Richie had a few off days when he wasn't bringing as many fish, but this week, he and Rosie have provided up to 7 fish a day. XA, the eldest, is always the first to be fed, while WM hangs back, but eventually WM gets its turn. Both have become quite vocal about calling for fish. They have found their voices!
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Waiting for supper. June 24, 2022 cap by FW
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WM gets a bite. June 26, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken
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What's This? is it good to eat? June 25, 2022. cap by midi
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WM being fed by Rosie. June 28, 2022, cap by midi
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My fish, says XA. June 28, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken.
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More fish please. June 28, 2022. cap by midi.
The chicks are being left alone on the nest more. Sometimes one or both parents are right on the rail or crane boom. Other times they are off fishing and the chicks are alone for a while. They are well camouflaged and the parents are alert, coming whenever there is a threat.
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Alone on the nest. June 25, 2022. cap by midi.
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Rosie protecting the nest. June 24, 2022. cap by midi
Rosie feels the need to protect her growing chicks as they begin flapping. So she is bringing sticks to build up the rails. One such stick was so big she had trouble but she persisted and finally found a good place for it.
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Rosie brings in a big stick. June 29, 2022. cap by midi
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Rosie arranging the stick. June 29, 2022. cap by midi
Although the chicks are more independent now, like all teenagers, they still need family time, they need their parents nearby and they are most comfortable at night at home on the nest, where they are well protected and loved. 
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Afternoon siesta June 24, 2022. cap by midi
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All covered including Eggie. June 28, 2022. cap by C
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Bookends, looking out June 23, 2022. cap by FW
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The entire family on the nest. June 24, 2022. cap by midi
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Trying to fit under Momma. June 24, 2022 cap by midi
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Still like to cuddle. June 24, 2022. cap by midi
So here's a lullaby for the chicks before they get too old for such things. 



​Osprey Lullaby Season 6  intro: CFC
 
   C                         F        C
  Go to sleep now in the nest,
         C                   F        C
Just lie down and take a rest.
     Dm     G7          C
And I will tell you a tale
      Dm           G7        C
Of a boat that once set sail.
         
   C                          F                  C            
That boat flew the chicks way up high
    C                 F                 C
To the blue moon in the sky.            
C              Dm                G7       C
The moon rocked them on its swing
    C     Dm    G7    C
And a lullaby did sing. 
         
C                         F       C
So they soon fell fast asleep
C                         F           C
 A sleep so soothing and deep
  C             Dm         G7        C
 That they fell right off that swing
  C           Dm             G7       C
   Back under their mother’s wing.
 
  C                               F               C
  There they slept all through the night
   C                              F            C
   ‘Neath the shining moon so bright
    C              Dm          G7       C
    Under mother’s speckled breast
     C            Dm        G7       C
    On their very own sweet nest.  
         
    C             Dm        G7            C
Sleep now ospreys, sleep and dream
    C                 Dm        G7         C
 Sleep and dream, sleep and dream.
   F         Dm       F         Dm      C
Sleep, dream, sleep, dream ,sleep               

​Midi 2022
                                                               
Week 7: June 30 -July 6. Getting Ready to Fly
The chicks are quickly becoming adult and independent. They stand on their legs now and they are self-feeding. They are becoming quite proficient at tearing off pieces of fish, but still want to be fed as well. XA tends to dominate but will usually back off after a while and let WM have a turn. XA has only become belligerent a few times. WM caught on and takes a submissive position while XA is eating, trying to hone in when possible. They participate in yelling at intruders and calling to Richie for a fish. 
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Standing to poop. June 21, 2022. cap by FW
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Taking turns being fed. June 28, 2022 cap by Dinnae ken
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Feeding pecking order. June 30, 2022. cap by midi
Molate takes from Brooks  June 29, 2022
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XA fed first. June 29, 2022. cap by midi
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WM self-feeding. June 28, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken
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WM fighting back. June 30, 2022. cap by B
Brooks takes from Molate.  June 29, 2922
                                        Fish Tug o' War.  July 4, 2022.  video by B


​Both parents are bringing fish, but Richie's fishing skills appear impaired this year. Is it his damaged talon or some other issue? He is bringing fewer fish and often seems tired after fishing. Rosie is taking up the slack. She knows a place to get Plainfin Midshipmen and can fly off the nest, catch one and return in under a minute. Her fishing place seems to be near Brooks Island by the sand spit. The daily fish count has been as high as seven, so the chicks are not starving. And one day, two fish were on the nest at the same time. Rosie has also been to the San Pablo reservoir and brought back trout. See the fish charts on chat for more information. 
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A surplus of fish. JUne 28, 2022. cap by PP.
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Rosie offers the fishtache June 28, 2022. cap by PP
Rosie takes off and fetches a fish from near Brooks Island in record time.    Video by VA
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Rosie's flight path to the fish. June 28, 2022. cap by VA
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Rosie brings a golden trout. June 29, 2022. cap by VA
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XA (Brooks) eating the trout. June 29. cap by VA
There are many quiet times on the nest. The chicks show more awareness of each other. They now sit and watch out over the Bay just like their mother. They sleep. They exercise their wings, stretching and flapping. They're close to lifting into the air. 
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Sibling Love July 2, 2022.cap by C
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Wing stretch by XA. June 29, 2022 cap by guest 420
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Sibling kiss. July 2, 2022. cap by J
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Tracking JUly 2, 2022. gif by Robin
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XA flapping. June 29, 2022 cap by midi
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Helping Mom chase an intruder. July 4, 2022. cap by midi
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WM wingercizing. June 28, 2022. gif by B
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XA wingercizing. JUne 27, 2022. gif by J
With all this flapping, Rosie feels the need to build higher rails. One day she brought in a large stick that caused her no end of trouble. In the end, she found a place for it.
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Rosie brings in a large stick. June 29. at 10:05 am. cap by midi
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Arranging the stick. 10:05 am. cap by midi
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Rosie found a place for the stick. June 29 at 10:07 am. cap by midi
For a video of the stick delivery, see sfbayospreys youtube channel
EGGIE or EGGBRO:  The first egg laid never hatched. Rosie left it on the nest and would even sleep with it under her. The chicks used it as a pillow or an armrest. It abided. Finally it cracked and Rosie picked it up and moved it, and the shell got buried in the nest material. The VA made a moving memorial video to the egg, complete with music and posted it on the GGAS youtube channel. 
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Rosie and the egg. JUne 24, 2022. cap by Leah
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Egg pillow. June 28, 2022. cap by midi
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Goldfish July 7 2022. cap by lurker
New Type of Fish: With Richie impaired and not brining as many fish, Rosie has been going out more. She seems to be opportunistic and, not wanting to be gone long from the nest, fishes nearby. Although she has gone to the San Pablo Reservoir for trout. She has a place to get PlainFin Midshipmen near Brooks Island and now she has been bringing an orange fish believed to be an introduced goldfish. They are bright orange and quite distinctive when she flies in. (Garibaldi are another possibility but they don't usually live this far North, as they prefer warmer waters and kelp, such as in Monterey Bay.) All are speculating as to where she might be catching these fish, as she is gone for only 6 minutes. 
Eating the goldfish that Rosie brought July 6, 2022.   Video by J
Richie fish delivery, using both feet.  July 5, 2022.  video by B?

​Week 8 July 7-13. First  Fledge
Brooks, the oldest, had been flapping, then hovering and finally fledged on July 11, flying and landing successfully on the railing. (S)he showed the ability to fly back to the nest and now flies to the rail and back with ease. Next will be to take a real flight somewhere. 
Picture
XA flapping. July 6, 2022. cap by C
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Hey, sib, where are you going? Brooks hover. July 9. 2022. cap by lurker.
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Hover by XA. July 8, 2022 gif by Robin
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Brooks' wingspan. July 7, 2022. cap by lurker
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Brooks' wing display. July 6, 2022. cap by lurker
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Brooks Fledge July 11, 2022. cap by lurker
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Brooks fledge July 11, 2022.
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On the railing. July 7, 2022. cap by lurker
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Returning to the nest. July 11, 2022. cap by lurker
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On the rail again. July 12, 2022 cap by lurker
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Question in the sky. July 9, 2022. cap by FW
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Brooks on the side rail, July 12, 2022 cap by lurker
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Whispering secrets. July 9, 2022. cap by lurker
There have been some intruders but they are easily chased off. One, however, actually landed on the nest, looked around, showed submissive gestures, then flew off. The two chicks just watched curiously. This pair does not pancake often. And they join in the chorus to ward off defenders.
Picture
Harmless visitor to the nest. July 11, 2022. cap by midi
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Visitor landing. July 11, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken.
Right now, it is all about fish. Growing youngsters need plenty of nourishment. As the eldest, Brooks has been fed first but Rosie sees to it that Molate gets his share. He has some obstruction, however, and eating is difficult for him. Also, fewer fish are coming this year, due to Richie's lack of ability to bring them in. Rosie has been valiantly supplementing with pfm's and goldfish. Richie mostly brings smelt.
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Long awaited fish, a trout, arrives. July 9, 2022. cap by lurker
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Brooks gets fed first. July 9, 2022 cap by midi
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Molate left out while Brooks is fed. July 9, 2022. Cap by midi
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Later: Two fish. Molate gets his share of the trout while Brooks tackles the smelt . cap by midi
Molate, as the youngest, and suffering from some obstruction to his breathing and swallowing, is lagging behind Brooks in size and flying ability. But he is valiantly hanging in there. He has hovered a few times. He still likes to snuggle under Momma and to be fed, but is beginning to self feed and to sleep standing up.
Picture
Sleeping standing up. July 9, 2022. cap by midi
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Brooks sleeping standing up, Molate snuggled under Rosie. July 12, 2022. cap by midi
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Maybe I could do that too? Molate watching Brooks hover. July 13, 2022. cap by PP
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Molate hover. July 13, 2022. cap by lurker
Molate hopping.  July 13, 2022.  video by VA
Week 9: July 14-20 Sad week: Brooks flying and Molate dying
​Brooks' fledging: After fledging to the rail, Brooks began to explore more. She got stuck in the "basement" for a while but managed to get out. She flew to the boom of the crane. And one day, the day after Molate died,  she just took off and flew towards Brooks Island. She stayed away until July 19 when she returned to the nest, yelling for food. Rosie brought a fish. Richie came by briefly.
Picture
Brooks hovering. July 14, 2022. cap by lurker
Picture
Brooks on the sheave. July 15, 2022. cap by PP.
Brooks continued to dominate on the nest, but Molate valiantly held his own, despite labored breathing and swallowing. Rosie made up for Richie's lack of fishing. She has a knack for finding fish nearby: pfms and goldfish. 
Picture
Three on the rail seen from below. photo by chaya. July 15, 2022.
Picture
Molate says, "Maybe I should try." July 15, 2022. cap by midi
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Entire family on the crane. July 15, 2022. cap by VA
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Rosie, Molate and Brooks on the nest. July 14, 2022. cap by midi
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Molate hover July 15, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken
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Where did everybody go? Molate alone on the nest, July 15, 2022. cap by midi
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Fish stand-off. July 14, 2022, cap by midi
                                                                                   Fish tug of war. July 15, 2022.  video by J.
RIP Molate May 18-July 16, 2022
On July 15, Molate was still fighting his sibling for fish. And Brooks was flying around, exploring, but returning to the nest.  In the early afternoon of July 16, Molate dozed, his chest heaving for air. He took a last gasp and tumbled off the nest onto the platform below. It appears that he died instantly, possibly before falling. 
Picture
July 15, 2022. Brooks on the rail, Molate on the nest. cap by midi
Picture
July 15, 2022 in the early afternoon. Molate gets some of the fish.
Picture
Rosie and the chicks on the nest. July 15, 2022. Around 4:30 in the afternoon. cap by lurker
Picture
The entire family on the nest. July 15, 2022. around 9:30 pm
July 16
​

Rosie brought a large striper to the nest about an hour after Molate fell and fed it to Brooks, baby-style. Then she and Richie stayed through the night and Brooks stayed on the nest. 
Picture
Picture
Richie and Rosie on the rail in the evening of July 16, above Molate's body on the platform below.
Picture
Rosie on the rail evening of July 16
July 17 and 18

In the early morning of July 17, Brooks took off, flying proficiently. Rosie brought a fish to the rail, but there was nobody there to receive it. Rosie faithfully kept the fish all night, finally finishing it herself. 
Picture
Brooks on the nest with parents nearby. 5:51 am. July 17. cap by Tweeter
Picture
Rosie on rail with a trout. July 17 at 2:41 pm. cap by midi.
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Brooks flying off at 6:15 am July 17. cap by Tweeter
Picture
Rosie with trout, Richie on the nest. Jluy 17 at 2:48 pm. cap by midi
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Rosie sleeps with her fish, beside Richie, July 17. at 9:55 pm.
July 18 and 19

There was little action on the nest on July 18. Chatters began to say the season was over with a sudden thump. Then on July 19. at 8am, Rosie was sitting on the rail when Brooks came flying in, chased by a gull and landed on the nest. And there she stayed, seeming a bit tired.  Richie flew by once, looked startled and disappeared. 
See video below by VA. 
There has been some disagreement with how the authorities are handling Molate's body and many varied opinions. I have posted below the statement from Wildcare, who takes in injured animals, and GGAS , which is in charge of the nest. It should be noted that there are stringent rules from Fish and Willdlife and laws governing the handling of wild raptors. These must be respected and adhered to. These laws exist to protect the birds as a species.
 From GGAS: 

Dear Osprey friends:
We have watched with growing concern as the younger of the two Osprey offspring, Molate (band WM), shows signs that they might not be thriving. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they will survive to fledge in the next week.
Like many wildlife species, Ospreys live vulnerable lives. Typically 10-20% of nestlings don’t survive to fledge, with the majority of deaths caused by lack of adequate food (Poole, 1984). Their highest risk of death is around 4-5 weeks after hatching, and it is unusual for nestlings older than that not to survive through fledging (Hagan, 1986). But even once they’ve fledged, they face steep challenges. Research suggests that fewer than 50% of young Osprey fledglings survive their first year.
We can’t know whether Molate’s apparent decline is related to a lack of food resources or some other illness or injury. We do know that both chicks appeared healthy when they were banded last month.
It is Golden Gate Audubon’s policy to minimize human intervention in the lives of wild birds. That includes reducing risks to birds from buildings and glass, pesticides and herbicides, and badly sited energy projects. Despite our deep personal connections to Rosie and Richmond and their offspring, they are not pets. We will not impose upon their wildness, nor will we make efforts that may inadver- tently harm otherwise healthy and productive individuals.
That does not mean we will stand by idly. We will maintain vigilant observation of the nest, and should Molate end up somewhere in trouble, outside of the nest, we will make every effort to get them to care at one of our trusted partners, WildCare or Lindsay Wildlife, as only a California Department of Fish & Wildlife permittee is legally allowed to handle wild Ospreys.
We share your concern for Molate, and hope our fears don’t come to pass. Moments like this remind
us how precious and fragile life is – both human life and wildlife. Getting to know individual birds like Molate and Brooks (band XA) makes us more committed than ever to protecting our local birds, every- thing from magnificent raptors like this Osprey family to the towhees and finches in our backyards.
With our thoughts on Molate and their family,
Glenn Phillips Executive Director

​From the Asst. Director of 07-10 11:36
Wild Care
: "Lucy shared your email with me
regarding the osprey chick in Pt. Richmond.
After checking the live feed, it does appear
that one of the chicks is not as strong as the
other and is having some signs of labored
breathing. The bird seems to be alert and
standing normally at times as well.
Unfortunately, as long as WM is in the nest,
we have no ability to intervene. Because of
their ages, the other osprey, who is healthy
and doing well, would likely jump from the
nest and this would cause significant injuries
or death. Sadly, ospreys are a very high
stress species and have very specific feeding
and housing needs that are incredibly
challenging to minic in captivity. For that
reason, it is much better to keep the young
bird in a natural, reduced stress setting, with
parents who know how to care for him/her.
Right now, WM looks weak, but otherwise is
showing many positive signs and has a much
better chance for a healthy life in the nest. If
the osprey does come out of the nest, needs
medical attention, and it is safe to intervene,
WM should be taken to the closest wildlife
hospital, which may be WildCare or Lindsay
For similar reasons, it was decided to leave Molate's body where it is, in order not to disturb the remaining chick Brooks or deter Richmond and Richie from tending to their chick. 
The bottom line is that these are wild animals in an urban environment. Our role is to watch them, enjoy them and learn from them. We are not to disturb them or turn them into pets. They need to live wild and free. The human role is to assure that they may do so, even though they're in an urban environment, by removing any impediments such as trash, undue noise and activity below the nest,  and any other dangers that can be  mitigated within this urban environment. 
So far, this has been done successfully in the Richmond area and the osprey population is increasing. Let's keep it that way!

​-MW

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    Midi

    is a poet and writer of children's stories who has been watching the adventures of the ospreys on the Whirley Crane Nest in Richmond, Ca. for the past seven years. 

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