After only one week, the chicks are coming out from under Rosie to look around. They can lift their heads and track movement. And they have learned to open their beaks to get fish. Their development will be quick now, as they develop their wings, talons, and tails. They will learn to stand and to move around the nest, keeping their parents busy. And they will demand more fish than ever. We hope Richie is up to the task of providing fish this year. He has been doing a valiant job but seems to come empty taloned more than in the past, due probably to his missing talon. Stay tuned for a wild ride on the Whirley Nest!
Week 2 Becoming aware, developing wings and standing.
Developing wings. May 25. cap by midi
 They have wings and goosebumps now. May 25, 2022. cap by midi |  Standing erect and aware. May 25, 2022. cap by midi |
Chick A beginning to wander off. May 26, 2022. cap by midi
 Sibling awareness. May 27, 2022. cap by FW |  awareness of surroundings. Chick A. May 30, 2022. cap by midi |
Bay talons. May 27, 2022. cap by dinnae ken
Two growing chicks require sustenance and Richie has had to up his game lately. He has responded valiantly, although he catches fewer fish than in past years and Rosie has done more fishing. For a few days, she was finding pfm's close by, leaving and returning to the nest in just a few minutes. Fishermen bait, one wonders?
 A Striped Bass feast. May 26, 2022. 19:26 pm. cap by FW  |  Oopsie daisy. Chick B topples over. May 27, 2022. cap by ES.  Full crop. May 27, 2022. cap by J |
The chicks' appearance seems to change daily. First down, the white pimply skin, then the second dark down and now feathers beginning to show. Which makes them itchy.
 May 29, 2022 cap by FW |  Fish to the nest. May 29, 2022. cap by dinnae ken  Time to eat. 9:40 am. May 30, 2022. cap by midi |
Chick B falls upside down then rights itself. Rosie is unperturbed. VA.
After a fish meal, the chicks fall asleep. Often Richie and Rosie both rest on the nest in the mid afternoon. A quiet family time.
 Chicks napping under Rosie after lunch. May 30, 2022. cap by midi |  One chick for each parent for their afternoon siesta. May 30 at 1:32 pm. cap by midi |
Chick A decided it would grab the fish intestine for itself. But the gut got caught in its beak. It valiantly tried to swallow the intestine bit by bit and Rosie helped a bit, finally getting the chick free from the gut. See the entertaining video on the sfbayospreys Youtube channel.
 Chick A eating a fish intestine. Photo from VA video, May 31, 2022 |  Rosie tries to help, resulting in a gut tug-of-war. May 31, 2022 cay by FW. |
Week 3 Exploring, awareness of the world around them
The chicks are sleeping in the open more and are beginning to wander around the nest. Rosie is bringing in sticks to build up the nest rails, so that her wandering chicks will be safe. They are also more aware of their surroundings and beginning to watch for Richie to bring a fish. And getting proficient at poops shots away from others. They have little tussles but on the whole get along quite well, compared to previous chicks.
 Rosie nestorating. June 2, 2022 cap by midi  sibling tussle. June 3, 2022. cap by C  Chick B bullied into submission by Chick A. June 10, 2022. cap by midi |  Rosie nestorating. June 3, 2022. cap by midi  poop shot. May 31, 2022. cap by Tweeter  Looking out at the world June 6, 2022. cap by midi |
The chicks' appearance is changing to a darker down, and their feathers are beginning to come in, making them itchy. Their wings are developing and they are beginning to flap them, as well as to use them to get around on their knees.
 Itchy feathers coming in. June 3, 2022. cap by midi  Black down coming in and feathers. JUne 2, 2022. cap by midi |  Close-up of black down. JUne 2, 2022. cap by PP |
Wing flapping by Chick A. June 5, 2022. video from VA
Despite his damaged talon, Richie has been bringing plenty of fish to the nest, mainly striped bass and jack smelt. He and Rosie have also both brought some Plainfin Midshipmen. And a first-ever Lingcod. The Fish Matrix below the Live Chat has a full report on all fish brought to the nest. The chicks have learned when the fish are coming and also to tell Rosie they are hungry. Richie also babysits while Rosie goes to bathe, eat or just have some alone time.
 Mama, I'm hungry. June 1, 2022. cap by midi  Feeding time. June 7, 2022. cap by midi |  Richie on duty. June 1, 2022. cap by midi  Two stripers! May 31, 2022 cap by PP |
 Watching for Richie to bring a fish. June 6, 2022. cap by midi |  Full crops but still eating. June 7, 2022. cap by midi |
The chicks are becoming quite adept at eating. They sit ready to take bites, reach for fish and even take the long gut and try to swallow it. Rosie seems to be showing them some tricks such as how to eat a fish tail. They have also become adept at shooting their poop off the nest.
Chick B gets the gut. June 10, 2022. cap by midi
Adept poop shot. June 7, 2022. cpa by Dinnae ken
The chicks are growing rapidly. Rosie was spreading her wings to keep them covered at night, but now they squirm out from under her, wanting to peek out.
 Rosie trying to cover the chicks at night. June 5, 2022. cap by midi The first egg, which never hatched, is still on the nest. Sometimes, Rosie carefully rolls it and sits on it.  |  Peeking out at night. June 9, 2022. cap by midi There are occasional intruders but Rosie and Richie ably defend the nest. One visitor seemed to excite them but it turned out another osprey was flying around as well. The egret was not a threat and was let be.  Egret visitor. June 6, 2022. cap by craigor, enhanced by FW |
Weeks 4 and 5 Developing adult features and behavior
In week 4, the chicks are developing wings and beginning to use them to stretch and to flap. They are learning to walk, using their oversized feet. They have tail buds. And they have learned to track and now take interest in the world beyond the nest, sitting and watching out over the Bay. They take more initiative when feeding and are learning to eat guts and skin, as well as the nice white fish flesh.They have also become quite proficient at sending their poop over the edge, although Rosie has received several hits. This pair has been quite calm and there have been few squabbles. They have also become too big to fit under Rosie and sleep out in the open more. They do still cuddle against each other.
 Tailbuds. June 10, 2022. cap by FW  Chick talons. June 12, 2022. cap by midi  wing stretch. June 14, 2022. cap by Tweeter |  Sleeping in the open. June 11, 2022. cap by midi  wingercize. June 12, 2022. cap by C  poop shot. June 14, 2022. gif by craigor |
Rosie regards the egg. June 13, 2022. cap by FW The first egg, never hatched, remains on the nest. Sometimes it is ignored, other times the chicks rest against it, and sometimes Rosie tends to it, fluffing up the nest material around it, even sitting on it.
One interesting incident was when Rosie flew in a dead bird. After much discussion, it was decided that the bird was a gull. The chicks had little interest in eating it and Rosie eventually flew it back out.
 Rosie brings in a bird. June 12, 2022 cap by Dinnae ken |  Momma, what is this Do we have to eat it? |
The chicks have been banded and have official names! They were banded early Saturday, June 18, off camera. The bands are the eldest XA and the youngest WM. Their names, chosen by the powers that be from names suggested on Facebook and chat, are Brooks and Molate. Brooks for the island and Molate for the point and other locations with that name in the area.
The name Moleta was applied in Mexican times to the island known as Red Rock, probably because its conical shape resembles the conical stone (called moleta in Spanish) used by painters to grind colors. Beechy in 1826 misspelled it “molate,” and this version was adopted in 1851 by the Coast Survey when it used the island as a secondary triangulation station. Point Molate was named by the survey in 1854.
More Information on Pt. Molate's history and the name can be found at:
More Information on Pt. Molate's history and the name can be found at:
Brooks Island is an East Bay Regional Park, accessible only by park tours. The name Brooks goes back to the 1850's but the origin has never been found.
The chicks continue to develop adult features and behavior. Their feathers are coming in and they're losing that baby look. They have talons and walk upright. Their wings are large. they stretch them and soon will be flapping and learning to fly. Their eyes have turned golden and they use them to track moving objects over the Bay. They are showing more awareness of their parents, each other, and intruders, as well as boats and people. But at night, they are still babies, sometimes struggling to fit under their mother to stay warm.
 NIght time huddle. June 16, 2022. cap by midi  What do you see, Sis? June 17, 2022. cap by midi |  Looking out over the Bay. June 14, 2022. cap by midi  Rosie staying alert to protect her chicks. June 14, 2022. cap by midi |
Mama Rosie teaching her chicks and making sure they don't go off the edge. They're watching the ship go by. Dad is on the crane, resting,watching for fish. June 21, 2022. cap by midi
 New tails developing. June 20, 2022. cap by midi |  Feathers coming in. June 17, 2022. p by midi |
Chick eye. June 17, 2022. cap by Dinnae ken
 The osprey family, including Eggie, who just stays the same. June 16, 2022 cap by Dianne A. |  Home alone. June 18, 2022. cap by midi |
While the two chicks grow rapidly, the first egg lies on the nest unchanged, never growing. But it is still there. As it is natural and doing no harm, the powers that be left it when they cleared the nest of such hazards as the two ropes that were there on banding day.
Rosie feels comfortable leaving the chicks alone on the nest now, but she stays nearby, ready to step in when necessary. Richie, too, though he may not be seen by the cam, is usually nearby and shows up quickly when an intruder approaches.
Rosie feels comfortable leaving the chicks alone on the nest now, but she stays nearby, ready to step in when necessary. Richie, too, though he may not be seen by the cam, is usually nearby and shows up quickly when an intruder approaches.
