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. April 21 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.
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Well, this has been an interesting start to the season. After Rosie returned, she and Richie played around, alighting here and there but showing little interest in the old nest, which is now empty of material, or the sheave nest they built last year. They brought sticks here and there but couldn't settle on ons spot. Meanwhile, the crows and the gulls were harassing them and showing interest in the crane. In the end, Rosie started roosting on a light pole and soon she and Richie were bringing sticks there. Now it appears that they have definitely chosen that light pole as their nest area this year. They have upped their delivery of sticks and a real nest is forming. Meanwhile, Rosie is beginning to stay on that nest more and may even be spending the night there instead of on the ship cables where they had been sleeping. There have been a few CK's. Of course, this makes it harder for the viewers to see the ospreys close up. The camera operators are doing a great job trying to get close-ups of the pole and our own Toaster28 has been providing photos and videos from the ground and reporting on the birds' activity. The ospreys choose; the humans can only go with the flow. Meanwhile, there are many more ospreys around the port area now, as well as at Pt. Molate and even Pt. Isabel. The ospreys in these nests are all paired up and nesting in earnest. The nest by the entrance to the car lot has a young, handsome couple nicknamed the Porters. There is a nest off Canal Blvd nicknamed the Wharfers. And of the nests at Pt Molate, three are easy to access: the nest by the entrance to the park, a nest on the right side of the road at a pull out by the tracks, and a nest in the harbor next to the Sailing Goat Restaurant. At Point Isabel, there is a nest on a structure in the water off the trail South of the sail surfer access point. I was able to watch the male fly over to the shallow area, dive, catch a fish and deliver it to his mate. They are nicknamed Brooks and Isabel. . Happy osprey watching! April 17 Rosie and Richie have definitely chosen LightPole 1 (aka7) as their nest platform this year. Sticks have been brought and nesting materials and the nest is beginning to look viable to the human watchers. Fish are being eaten on the pole as well. But they seem to be sleeping on the wires at night still.. There is as yet no sign of Rosie laying eggs. There is still time. The weather changed today, to the warm upper 70's and plenty of sunshine. At the end of February and first days of March, chatters began to notice more ospreys in the area. One female landed on the nest briefly. Richie greeted her from the boom, flirting, but then she flew off. A pair of ospreys was seen flying over the El Cerrito hills, perhaps headed to or from the San Pablo Reservoir, where there had been a recent "dump" of golden trout. And ospreys were seen flying around Pt. Molate and the areas around the nest. Then on the morning of March 2, Rosie arrived. As soon as chatters saw her they knew it was Rosie. And she came to the nest, where Richie greeted her with a CK. There has been some speculation whether she was here earlier and was one of the ospreys seen flying around with their mate. But we'll never know. She and Richie immediately began to spend time together but not on the old nest. Instead, they perch on and around the ROV. Two ospreys have shown interest in the Dutra Crane. We're not sure who. The company was enjoined to lower the boom of the crane and did so. Rosie and Richie are not spending much time on the crane this year. They roost at night on the ROV wires usually, sometimes sitting close to each other, other times apart. They spend much of their days on the light poles. As there are more ospreys in the area now, it is not as easy to identify Rosie and Richie, especially from afar. We have seen them on the crane occasionally and they have brought sticks to the sheave nest but also bring sticks to light poles. They don't seem to have made a decision yet or to be ready to breed and settle down yet. Other birds besides ospreys are abundant this year but not very aggressive so far. The gulls come to perch on the nest or crane. There is no evidence that they are nesting yet. The crows fly around to the nest and the light poles but are not being too aggressive. Rosie and Richie began bringing sticks to the sheave nest mostly but didn't make much progress. They seemed to have trouble deciding where to nest this year. As the sheave nest didn't seem to proceed well, and the original nest had lost its interest for them, they began to hang out on the light poles more. First separately then they began to sit together, especially on Lightpole 1 (aka LP7). They also have taken to spending the nights near each other on the ship's cables. Our faithful chatter T28 observes them from the ground and gets photos and videos for us. The new cams are also proving handy at maneuvering so as to capture them on the lightpoles. We cannot always be sure we are seeing Richie and Rosie but usually we do know, especially when we get a close-up. There are more ospreys in the area now, especially the ones ncknamed the Porters from a nest on a platform near the entrance to the car lot and the Wharfers, up Canal Blvd a bit.
This turn of events has, of course, made it harder to identify both the birds and the fish they bring to a light pole. But the chatters must accept that the birds will do what they do and we must adapt accordingly.
Most recently, they seem to have chosen Lightpole 1 (aka 7) as a place to roost. They have begun bringing sticks to build a nest but the humans have their doubts. We shall see. At least the cam operators have learned to zoom in on the light poles. We're getting close to osprey season. Two ospreys have been seen on the Porter nest bowl near the entrance to the auto building. Richie has been seen eating fish various places. He hangs out on light poles to eat his fish and at night perches on a wire at the ROV ship. He has two favorite spots. There are, as usual, visits by other animals: crows, ravens, little birds and raccoons. But they don't stay long. Recently, two ospreys were seen on the Richmond Yacht Club nest. The weather has helped erode the Whirley nest and the higher sheave nest. Hopefully, Richie and Rosie will choose the lower nest this year, which is flatter and better suited to building than last year. Rosie should be back within a month. She usually returns the last week of February to the first week of March. Recently, the GGBA set up a new camera on the upper part of the crane. Its resolution is much better than the old one and so is its range. Viewers have been enjoying the enhanced view. And the cam operator has been exploring the entire area, looking for ospreys farther afield. Thanks to all who contributed to make the camera possible.
The recent weather has done much to rid both the Whirley nest and last year's Sheave nest of sticks and other nest material, leaving them ready to be rebuilt. All are waiting to see what nest Richie and Rosie choose, or if they will decide to nest on a light pole this year. Nobody knows.
The WWOC held its annual Empty Nest Party on a beautiful Saturday in October at the perfect location of Point Molate Park. Fun was had by all. There was plenty of opportunity to catch up with each other, but also great food, entertainment, and activities.Lots of music, a fun skit, folded paper fish, custom made jigsaw puzzles, and a memorial nest for Clipper. Just watch the video, expertly created by craigor, to see all the fun. Meanwhile, of course Rosie has left on her migration and the nest they build this year has been falling apart. Richie continues to frequent the area. He spends most nights on the ROV wires where we can just make him out in the dark. We don't know where he spends his days. The other nests are empty as well, but there are as many as 20 ospreys, presumably males, who overwinter in Richmond and San Pablo Bay areas. If you do see ospreys during the day, please let us know. An osprey did fly by the party, but it did not appear to be Richie this year. Below are a few last pictures of Richie. Occasionally there are other visitors to the nest. There has been a report of a raccoon. There have been gulls and crows and finches. And the kingfishers below. And with no ospreys to watch, we take delight in the ever changing Bay waters and sky. Sparkles that we call harbor fairies, light effects from the cam called zoids, etc. And the ever fascinating boats, especially the large car ships that the tugs so artfully pivot. Wishing Rosie a safe flight and a relaxing stay in the South. And thank you to Richie for roosting on the wires at night. Please continue to visit and ay you stay well and well-fed throughout the Winter. November: We continue to see Richie on the ROV wires most nights. We also see an osprey or ospreys on the light poles. We assume one is Richie. Often that osprey is eating a fish. Our "boots on the ground" have seen an osprey bringing sticks to the next nest and pole put up earlier this Fall, near the Porter's nest. Perhaps one stayed behind?There is also a handsome osprey, possibly young and possibly female, hanging around. It has speckles on its chest and juvenile looking eyes. Two ospreys have even been seen hanging out together briefly. So it appears that at least one osprey besides Richie decided to stay around the ROV area this year. Meanwhile, chatters watch the Bay, the sparkles and light artifacts they call zoids, and the boat activity. There is always something to see from the cam. Also great views of the sky, the weather, and San Francisco, now lit up for the holidays.
Raccoon on the nest. Nov. 5, 2023. video by VA. Boat hull being transported. Raven on the nest, calling.. Oct. 25, 2023. video by VA The on the nest chapter has ended early this year, as one chick never hatched and the other died a few days after hatching. While sad for the human watchers, Richie and Rosie know that life must go on. Rosie spends some time on the nest still and Richie a bit. But they are eating off the nest mostly. The Matrix Master summarizes: Sunday Rosie brought a fish and Richmond took it. Monday Richmond brought a fish and Rosie took it. Yesterday Richmond brought a fish and nobody took it, then apparently caught another fish and never brought it. We don't see everything that happens off the nest, although our cam ops catch them on the light poles eating and our faithful Toaster28 gets video of them on the lightpoles and occasionally flying with a fish. Richie and Rosie flying together? photo by Toaster 28. June 15, 2023. 11:11 am and 10:51 am. June 16-19. Rosie and Richie are spending much time off the nest. However, they do connect with each other daily and sometimes bring a fish to the nest or just sit there. Other times, they perch nearby. There have been a lot of stray ospreys flying about. Other nests have chicks right now, so those ospreys would be staying close to their nest. It is unclear who these others are. But Richie had an entanglement with one female who just wouldn't leave the nest. it gave us a the opportunity to watch up close how he deals with a stranger. The crows have been less persistent. Perhaps they had been waiting for that unviable egg or perhaps they have moved on in their season as well. Richmond chases an intruder. June 15, 2023 at 4:23 pm. cap by watcher June 29: Rosie and Richie continue to stay around the nest and to interact, but they don't spend a lot of time on the nest itself. Each catches fish and generally eats the fish on a nearby lightpole, but occasionally on the nest and they sometimes share their fish. Richie has attempted a few, not very successful CK's, probably mostly as a bonding activity. And they defend their nest from other birds. There are quite a few stray ospreys flying around these days. An interesting nest to watch if you are local and can visit the area is the Richmond Yacht Club nest. There are three fledglings on the nest and the mother. The father left but there is a new male there. The nest can be seen from the end of Sandpiper Spit lane. There is also an active nest near the entrance to the new car lot, on an electric pole. The male is quite handsome and the pair is active. Chatters call this the Porter nest. In general, the nests this year have not been as successful as in past years, probably due to the unseasonable weather earlier in the season. This is part of osprey life. Given that ospreys live 20 years, the population will increase if only a few years result in three successful offspring at a given nest. Chatter Toaster28 is our faithful reporter from the ground these days, taking photos of action that the cam doesn't catch.
July 8- Rosie and Richie continue to stay near the nest, visiting to just sit or to eat a fish. Occasionally, Richie brings Rosie a fish but not often. There are now floaters around, ospreys without their own nests, and they visit the Whirley lower nest regularly. Rosie and Richie usually chase them off. The crows and ravens also come but are not a menace now with no chicks. And the gulls land on the lower nest periodically. One can imagine that it is a carefree existence for Richie and Rosie right now, concerned only with maintaining ownership of the Whirley nest and crane and feeding their own bellies. For those who are interested, there appear to be 3 fledglings at the Richmond Yacht Club nest. The adult male disappeared but either reappeared or another adult male moved in. There is an active nest at the entrance to the Port car lot on an electric pole, nicknamed the Porter nest. And there are active nests on the Point Molate road and out in the Bay there. The osprey population in the East Bay is definitely increasing! July 17: Rosie had been missing for several days and we were wondering where she was. Meanwhile, another female osprey, presumably a young one, has been visiting the nest. She has not been welcomed by Richie. Today, Rosie flew in with a large striper and landed on the nest. Richie joined her. She has been around the nest area since, carrying her big striper with her wherever she goes. Richie has been patient and doesn't even beg for a morsel. From Regina Spector: Two Birds on a Wire. Sung by the DelPrado Brothers: Craig Griffeath, Jeff Griffeath and Co. Video from VA of the action today with the visitor and Rosie returning with a large striper. July 18 July 26: Richie and Rosie make occasional visits to the sheave nest. One or the other and sometimes both of them. Sometimes, a fish is brought as well. Other times, they are on the light poles or in the vicinity. This site is to record the Whirley nest only. But in case readers are interested: The ospreys in general had a poor season, probably due to the unseasonal weather. However, the Porter nest off Canal Blvd. successfully hatched and fledged several chicks. That male is a very handsome one, with dark marks on the underside of its wings. And very active. He can be seen often flying in the area of his nest. Point Molate and Pt. San Pablo, on the other side of the freeway, have quite a few nests. The nest at Pt. San Pablo Harbor appears to have three fledglings.. At least one other nest has been successful. There have been no reports of any osprey on the nest off the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. At Pt.Molate, a number of ospreys were seen flying over the Bay. August 6: Rosie and Richie continue to spend time around the Whirley Crane, visiting the sheave nest periodically and spending nights on the ROV wires. They are bringing some fish to eat at the nest. There have been some intruders but not too many and not very aggressive. Maybe some young floaters exploring the area, now that they've fledged. Rosie and Richie continue to stay in the nest area. Richie spends the nights on the ROV wires and Rosie is presumably off camera. There are occasional floaters who visit the nest. Then Rosie and/or Richie fly in to defend the nest. The floaters appear to be young ospreys checking out the real estate. August 24: Rosie and Richie have not been around much in the day and they are eating off camera. But we do see feaking thst indicates they have just eaten.They have been spending most nights together on the ROV wires. August 31: It's the end of August and Rosie is still here. This is the time of year when she usually migrates. we shall see. For now, she and Richie are sitting together on the wires most nights and she pays an occasional visit to the rail. It appears that Rosie has begun her migration. She spent nights recently with Richie on the ROV wires and she spent some time on the nest railing. Ans she has not been seen for a positive identification since September 4. Farewell Rosie. We wish you a safe flight. May the wind lift your wings and speed you to your Southern home. We hope Richie will visit us again this year at the Empty Nest Party on September 30.
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Midiis 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. Archives
April 2024
The Archive will not let me keep posts except by date. So before 2020, the dates are not accurate. The subjects of posts before then are listed here:
June 2019 WWOC Glossary May 2019 Life of an Osprey in Nuce March 2019- chapter by chapter for years 2017-1019 February 2019- Rivet's Diary January 2019- The Nest October 2018- The Boats Sept. 2018- The Fish July 2018 In Memoriam andThe Red Oak Victory ship |