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​ Our limited view of the nest left some lingering questions this end of season. Beacon appeared to migrate, as did Rosie, then Valo disappeared. Richie has been perching on various light poles, his preferred perches now. But he often appears with another osprey with him. We can only assume this is either Valo or a fledgling from a previous year.  Unfortunately, with no banding, and without close-up views, we can't be sure who it is. We only know that Richie seems comfortable with the company of this other osprey. I am inclined to think it is Valo, who disappeared for a while, perhaps exploring the area, then decided not to migrate. He was most likely a male. One key would be to look closely enough to see if it is a juvenile. That would mean only Valo or  Beacon. If it is not a juvenile, it could be a returned fledgling from another year. Hopefully, some osprey experts will weigh in on this. Meanwhile, Richie can be seen daily  in his usual haunts, often with a fish. He knows how to take care of himself. 

Richie continued to visit different light poles to eat the fish he caught, sometimes accompanied by an interested crow or gull. In February, he began to bring sticks and and other nesting material. 
the powers that be had moved last year's nest sticks to a new nest platform they had built. It is inside the fence by the parking lot but is quite short, unlike tall ight poles. Richie continues to bring sticks but for some reason, many of them are falling to the ground. 

In February, Richie began bringing sticks and nesting materials to the light pole where they nested last year. That nest was taken away by the authorities and placed in the new short pole with a plastic nest bowl. Richie has landed there only once that we have seen. It appears that he prefers to rebuild anew on the light pole they have used the past two years. Many of his sticks have been falling to the ground for some reason, but a fw have stayed and there is some sign on the pole of a nest forming, on the opposite side from last year. 

This week, our trust photographer Toaster28 was down at the nest and caught this rainbow. Reminiscent of the rainbow that heralded Rosie's return another year, chatters hope that this means she will arrive soon. 

Rosie returned without fanfare on March 1, 2025. Richie had been bringing sticks to the lightpole nest they used last year. Then she appeared. They began fixing up the nest and he brought fish. The humans had to watch this all from afar, so we don't necessarily see all the interactions. Since then, Rosie is usually on the nest and Richie on and off. He has been bringing nest materials. They have successfully fended off a few interlopers, but not as many as when they were on the crane nest. They both tend to spend the night off the nest, on a wire in the area chatters call Little Venice, at the slips where the barges and other boats dock. 

Rosie laid her first egg on March 31. While it is a challenge for shatters  to see well on the lightpole, there is enough shared experience to recognize Rosie's egg laying behavior and the VA can review video later to watch more closely and confirm. Signs of egg laying are scooching around, lying down, then getting up and "nosing" around the nest. There is also data on the usual interval between eggs. 

The second egg was laid on April 3, 2025 at 7:48 pm.

Rosie and Richie have new resting places than in the past. They do not spend time on the boom of the Whirley Crane. Instead they rest, sleep or perch on a cable in the boat slip by the crane, dubbed Pebble Beach by chatters, and on  the Dutra Crane a few boat slips up, or a cable on the ROV. They will also use other light poles. 

Two chicks confirmed.  May 26, 2025. Video by VA. 

Fledge July 8, 2025: Welcome Beacon and Valo.

On July 8,  Beacon fledged successfully, immediately flying around the car lot. As chatters watched him, and saw him return to the nest, it was apparent that Valo was right behind him, and then Valo flew off.  So both chicks fledged on the same day and almost the same time. Chatters have also not seen any sibling rivalry this year. All seems quite peaceful on the  LightPole. Very little harassment from other birds as well. A few fly by's that Rosie has dealt with successfully. 
The GGBA decided that the chicks would keep the names given to them by this year's Golden Osprey
Toaster28. So welcome Beacon and Valo. Valo means light or illumination in Finnish. There is also a Finnish  musician named  Ville Valo.

Video of chick flying.    July 9, 2025. Video by Dianne A. 

Beacon and Valo took to the skies and haven't stopped flying. they are often away from the nest while Rosie is there keeping watch. Richie faithfully brings fish. And perhaps Rosie. Typical teenagers! They will continue to fly around, maybe join some other fledglings from other nests and fly with them, gradually learning to be independent, but knowing that their home nest is always there if needed. Since they're not banded anymore, it's hard to know for sure which osprey we are seeing in the sky. But we do know they have been successful and on their way to a wild and free life. 

Post fledge flying around. July 18, 2025.  video by VA. 

Each chick earned a song in honor of its fledge by midi. Well see if other songwriters come up with their own osprey songs. 

Beacon and Valo not only fledged without a hitch, they have been flying proficiently ever since. They seem to fly and perch with a parent or maybe their sibling. They continue to be fed at the nest and can be heard calling for a fish when Richie is nearby with one. He takes his time eating the head then finally heads their way for them to have their turn. Rosie helps too, often keeping watch on the nest, but is also getting some time to herself.

Beacon and Valo continue to fly around quite expertly, although one can see they are fledglings as they have not learned to use the air currents as expertly as their parents do. They return to the nest to call for fish and a parent soon supplies them. They have taken to sitting on the cables that lie across one of the boat slips. Chatters call it  Pebble Beach as that is the name of the barge that moors there.
Valo and Beacon appear to hang out together quite often , even away from the nest. 

Meanwhile, Rosie spends more time on the crane again, enjoying her solitude. And Richie flies around, fishing.Midi thinks she saw him fishing by the sand spit, with a juvenile. He would dive, then the juvenile
wou d dive then they would take off again.This happened several times. She didn't see if a fish was eventually caught. It was too far away to get a good picture. 

At one point, Valo, who we assume is a male, left quietly without fanfare. Beacon, the presumed female stayed around, loudly calling for fish. All three roosted at night on one cable or another near the ship. Richie faithfully brought fish. Rosie also fished. 

On the crane. August 20, 2025.

Fish Delivery   September 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM.  Video by VA. 

After Valo left,  Beacon, presumably a female, hung around coming to the nest when she was hungry. She was duly provisioned with fish by her two parents. One day, she appeared to have brought a fish herself, calling loudly to proclaim her achievement. She disappeared soon thereafter, to start her migration. Her work done, Rosie disappeared as well, without fanfare. We did not see any farewell fish or gesture as we have in the past, possible because of our limited view. 
​Richie was let all alone, to resume his usual Winter bachelor life. 

For more information, see the fact sheets on the sfbayospreys.org website. 

After Rosie left, Richie took to perching more on cables, on the ROV or down lower on cables by the docks for ferries and barges behind the ROV. This is where he would spend the night. Sometimes he would be seen with a fish. A low key, restful time for him, with no responsibilities except to himself. He was not spotted on the sand spit as often as in previous years. 

Without a close-up camera, viewers could not see when the two chicks left. One seemed to stay a bit longer and was seen perched with Richie for a while. We assume they both migrated but without banding we will never know for sure. At any rate their fledges were successful and they presumably are following the usual osprey pattern and will stay two years down south.

There appear to be more ospreys overwintering this year. It is also possible that some fledglings have not yet migrated. We assume Rosie has migrated. Richie is seen regularly on the light poles eating fish. But we see other ospreys too. Perhaps Tully, who should be migrating, or the males from the Porter and Wharf nests, or... There are just more ospreys now in the Port area and at Point Molate. The osprey  population is healthy.
Below is a video our busy VA recorded for us from the cam, a compilation of sightings of ospreys on the light poles. 

The chatters who call themselves the WWOC held their annual osprey party on September 28 at Point Molate Park. It was a lower key event with fewer attendees than in the past and no music, but a good time was had by all. There was lots of good home-cooked food, a chance to talk with everyone and prizes awarded. The Richie Treasure Table was on view and the intrepid craigor and calgal blew their conch shells to send Rosie on her way.  And the weather was perfect. A good ending to a nerve-wracking but educational season that ended well for the ospreys. Richie functioned well with one lost talon and faithfully brought fish to the high nest, as did Rosie, Rosie laid eggs and incubated them, mostly out of our sight, then we saw two bobbleheads that grew into teenagers and fledged successfully. The fledging was new to us as they had to fly a distance and learn to get height to go back to the nest.  But learn they did. The chicks were named but not banded and it was harder to identify them once they were off the nest and flying around. Also, there were more ospreys from other nests this year. The population is growing! 

Now we have reached the end of the 2024 Osprey season. It was a bit anticlimactic as we couldn't know exactly when and where the chicks have been and when Rosie left. But the official statement is that Rosie was last seen on September 20. Pax was last seen August 23 and Tully was seen September 14. They may both be around the area, flying with other fledglings. Rosie will have migrated. Ospreys are being sighted on light poles and elsewhere. Richie has been at his usual nighttime roost most nights. We cannot really identify the two fledglings now so we don't know if they're still here or have left. Unfortunately, they were not banded this year. No news on Shasta and that nest. It would be interesting to know how that couple fared this year. 

In late August, Tully and Pax were flying but still asking for fish Richie and Rosie provided, flying to the nest but not staying on it. Tully was especially demanding, calling for fish when she saw a parent on a nearby light pole eating their share. Pax flew off and disappeared earlier. Presumably he had learned to catch his own fish. It is usual for the females to stay on the nest longer. 
Richie and Rosie took to spending the nights together on the ROV cables. 

Fish delivery to Tully. September 1, 2024. at 6:21 pm. 

Dropped fish delivery. Video by VA. 

Flying around the car lot, Tully chasing Pax. August 19 at 7:11 pm. Video by VA. 

August 20: Both Pax and Tully are flying well now, albeit not as proficiently as their parents (making it easier to identify them), but both return to the nest to be fed. They can be seen flying around the parking lot and up on the hill by the tanks. Tully has taken to  chasing Pax off the nest. Both Rosie and Richie have taken to sleeping off the nest, on cables of the ROV or nearby. They are fishing, perching with their fish on a wire, and/or bringing it to the nest. Richie often brings his fish to the old raven's nest on the light pole by the buildings to eat at leisure while his kids yell for their share. The gulls are nesting in their usual spot on the ship and will chase off any osprey that gets too near. Pax has been seen flying with a fish but it doesn't appear that he is fishing for himself yet. 

Tully's flying was hesitant and low but she has been improving every day. Now she and Pax are fighting over the fish brought to the nest. She pushes him off the nest and he can be seen flying around. But he comes back to get his share. Richie has been busy delivering fish to both chicks and they're both getting their share in the end. Both are flying more proficiently now as well. Pax has even been seen flying around with a fish from the nest.  Both Richie and Rosie seem to spend the nights elsewhere, Richie on the ROV cables and Rosie in a private spot near the Dutra Crane. 

August 6: Pax is flying quite proficiently but returns to the nest and stays there mostly. This is where the fish is delivered. Richie and Rosie are still faithfully providing fish but letting the teenagers feed themselves more and more. Tully is hovering but seems to have some trouble piloting and landing. While she is outside the previous window for fledging, this nest site may prove more challenging since they have to actually leave the physical area. On the crane they basically "branched" by a short flight to the boom of the crane. One osprey even walked down the crane back to the nest. This year, the fledglings must take off, fly a distance then return or fly and land on another light pole. And the landing area is smaller than the Whirley nest Tully has done the short hop to the lightpole cover and should soon fledge for real. Unfortunately, the chicks are not banded this year, so it will be hard to keep track of them. Pax does have the same dot under his wing that Richie has. 

Note that the apparent shaking of the nest is not the nest itself but the camera recording that is shaking. the light poles are quite sturdy and do not shake. 

July 30:
Pax finally came back to the nest, having figured out how to fly in circles to gain altitude. He  has become a proficient flier. He stays on the nest and gets fed but periodically takes off for a flight and stays on another light pole for a while. Meanwhile, Tully seems happy to stay on the nest, although she (the chatters call Tully she) is practicing wingercizing some. 
The Youtube videos created by our hardworking Video Assistant capture the actions of the birds the best. 

July 25: Meanwhile, Tully, who has done some wing flapping, seems quite content to stay on the tall lightpole receiving fish from her parents. Both Richie and Rosie have been faithfully bringing fish to both chicks.Rosie brought a big clump of Bay material to the nest and delivered a stick to Pax, One can only conjecture as to the reason for the stick. Instinctual behavior? A piece of home  for him Or???

Fledge:Pax, who is presumably the eldest chick, fledged on July 22 at 6am.  He appears to have done so "accidentally" but is doing fine. He was seen flying then disappeared and wasn't found for a day. On the 24th, he was seen by a chatter down by the channel next to the ROV. Later he moved to the little shed by Canal Street. He did some flying then he settled there where Rosie came to feed him. He flew a bit then settled there again. He appears to be doing well, having flown, having eaten, and fairly safe from predators. He will practice flying and learn to circle in order to rise up to the level of the nest and maybe settle in again. Tully is still on the nest. Both Rosie and Richie are doing a great job of looking after both chicks and finding Pax to feed him. 
Chatters were able to watch much of the action on the roof of the building and the little pole (security camera/light?) by the building. 

Official video of Pax' fledge by the Video Assistant

The chicks are easier to see now. There are definitely two, one larger than the other. They have their feathered wings now and are wingercizing. Fledge date should be around July 20. 

Hover. July 21, 2024. 

Wingercizing.   Video by VA.  July 14, 2024

movie from Youtube taken by Dianne A. July 10, 2024. 

July 9, 2024

The chicks have developed feathers and are now exercising their wings. This makes them easier to see. Their heads stick up too and we can see Rosie feeding them. There are definitely two chicks. There has been some bopping but not a lot that we can see. They are stretching their wings and are definitely teenagers, getting ready to fly. They should be fledging within two weeks. It will be interesting to see where they land when fledging. My guess is a nearby light pole as that is what they know and what is closest to them. We are used to seeing them "branch" first, that is just land on a spot near the nest, i.e. the boom of the crane. But that can't happen this year and isn't necessary. Many ospreys fledge from high posts to others some distance away. 
The chicks were named by this year's Golden Osprey. Their names are, appropriately, Lumière (Lumi) and Ultraviolet (Ultra or UV). There seems to be no chance that they will be banded, given their location. 

June 27, 2024

While it is hard to see the action in the nest due to the height of the ligh pole and the jiggling motion from the camera, chatters have been able to watch Richie and sometimes Rosie deliver fish and feed them chicks. WE can see two bobbleheads poking up now. it is harder to catch good still caps, so our faithful VA has been providing regular video summaries. We also have BOTG (people who go down in person) who shoot pictures or short videos from the ground. 
There are also reports from other nests. I do not post those here but the most significant one for the Whirley nest is the Coyote Point nest on the other side of the Bay, because it is our Lassen who is on that nest. So Rosie and Richie have at least one nest with grandchicks this year. Locals who are interested in other nests might want to visit Point Molate as well. There are many nests there with successful hatchlings who should be fledging and flying around soon. It's a very active osprey spot now, with nests all along Stenmark Drive all the way to Point San Pablo and the Sailing Goat restaurant where there is a nest on a platform in the little dock/Bay there. 

June 13, 2024

There seem to be two chicks on the nest. Their little heads can now be seen. They have engaged in a bit of bopping. The video of that can be seen on the Facebook page. Richie faithfully delivers fish and the two take turns sitting over the chicks. All is progressing normally. 

​Plain Fin Midshipman brought by Richie. video by calgal. June 4, 2024

June 4, 2024

This is all uncharted territory for watchers this year. We can only see from afar and infer what is happening on the nest. Based on past observations, it was determined that at least one egg has hatched. There is hope that there might be a second chick. Rosie's head bobbing indicates she is feeding a chick. Also, Richie is faithfully delivering fish and the pattern is as usual, that he delivers then returns to get the fish back. Rosie takes short breaks, during which Richie stays on the nest. 
There is some harassment of the nest by other birds but less than before. The crows and gulls and other ospreys chase Richie when he has caught a fish, but he knows how to maneuver around them. When he delivers a fish to the nest, there is some harassment by a crow or a gull fly by, but nothing serious. And of course the raccoons can't climb the light pole (as far as we know!). Given our limited sight, the videos are showing the osprey behavior the best. These are on the osprey nest website as well as on Facebook. I cannot link the Facebook videos here but will post some of the Youtube ones. 

Rosie, of course, spends her nights on the nest, another sign that she has chicks. Richie spends his nights on his favorite cable of the ROV ship.

The osprey pair still defends the crane as their territory..  

June 13: There seem to be two chicks on the nest. Their heads can now be seen and Rosie can be seen feeding them. One was seen tussling with the other one. A video of that can be seen on Facebook. 
Richie regularly delivers fish to the nest, often stopping by the crane first. He has brought a Plain Finn Midshipman twice. In the past, it has been Rosie who has brought them. They can be caught near the crane. 

PFM called by calgal. June 4, 2024.  

Rosie and Richie have definitely chosen the Light Pole as their nest. Richie brings in sticks while Rosie mainly sits on the nest. A few fish have been delivered, probably more than we can see. Life is peaceful on the new LIght Pole nest. On April 18, Rosie laid her first egg. We have no direct evidence but experienced watchers saw her make all the telltale moves, the laying stance then the incubating scooch. She continues to show moves such as nestorating (airing the nest) and scooching into position over the egg. Richie spends time with her. It will be hard to tell when Richie takes over incubating to give her a rest. Our faithful VA is working hard at recording all the key minutes. 

Richie delivers a clump. April 16, 2024. video by Toaster28

On April 21, there was a skirmish at the old nest site. Richie appeared to be defending the nest from two other ospreys, possibly a young male and female. Some fancy footwork was seen. It seemed to end in a stand-off. 

May 11: While we cannot see the nest close up, Rosie's behavior has indicated that she has laid at least one egg and probably two. There could possibly be three. She is definitely showing incubation behavior, with her position and staying on the nest. Richie brings fish regularly and takes over incubation so that she can eat. This is all appropriate osprey behavior that they have shown before. The only difference is that the humans don't have a direct view. There have been some skirmishes, both when Richie has a fish and others want it and with Richie still defending the Whirley Crane as his territory even though there is no nest there. 

Rosie spends almost all her time on the nest, except for a poop relief or to eat her fish. Richie spends some time on the crane. It seems to be a good place to watch for fish. At night he sleeps on the ship cable they used before nesting. This may be more comfortable for him with his damaged talon.