Poets in the Garden
  • Poets in the Garden
  • About
  • Contact
  • Fly with the Ospreys
  • Pensive Oasis Press
    • New Page

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 ​

Egg Laying

3/15/2019

0 Comments

 
Egg laying is a peaceful time. After a successful CK(cloacal kiss, i.e. copulation) Rosie lays an egg about 25 hours later. There is little fanfare. This year, longtime watchers learned to recognize the signs and were ready when Rosie laid her eggs.. After one egg, there must be another successful CK then another egg is laid. Rosie laid 3 eggs in 2017,  2018 and 2019. Three eggs is common. The eggs are laid about three days apart. The female may sit less on the first egg, in order to slow its growth, so that all three eggs hatch closer together. A chick hatched much later than its siblings does not fare as well. 

​
For videos of egg laying, see:Videos
Most videos are on GGAS YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gn6yIRa_cBKExVmHdg3jQ
Some older videos are on Tony\'s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ajbrake48/videos
Some videos from 2017 are on the Archives page: www.sfbayospreys.org/archives
2017
Egg 1 laid: https://youtu.be/skHiNDkxy-g
Egg 2 laid: http://sfbayospreys.org/170404-second-egg-laying-slo-mo-kcrt/
Egg 3, storm just before power outage: https://youtu.be/R8L7T229K94

 Egg 1 laid: https://youtu.be/nm7_-UioZK8
 Egg 2 laid: https://youtu.be/SVaLGUisDwU
 Egg 3 laid: power was out
2019
​
Rosie laid three eggs in 2019, on March 31, April 3 and April 6. These dates were very close to the 2018 dates, despite her earlier arrival to the nest. Once she lays her eggs, she spends most of the time on the nest. Richie's role is to bring her fish. Both ospreys continue to bring nest material, especially soft grasses for the nest bowl. 
Picture
Egg number 1, laid March 31
Picture
Egg number 2 just laid April 3, 2019 cap by Kat
PictureRosie and three eggs April 15, 2019 cap by J.

 Egg 1 laid: youtu.be/DH1CHIIV2QM
 Egg 2 laid: youtu.be/K68Mlltxmos
 Egg 3 laid:https://youtu.be/nKzw7RNEoSE
However, in 2019, Richie requested and received more incubation time. He seems to love scooching onto the nest to keep the eggs warm.The scooching is to position the brood patch (a bare patch on the chest).  Perhaps he likes the warmth too. This led to some humorous episodes, with Rosie nudging Richie off the eggs or Richie bringing a fish to Rosie then hurriedly grabbing his place on the eggs while she flew off to eat the fish. Rosie, in turn, began to catch more of her own fish. 
The teal gifts disappeared gradually, but a grinning monkey took their place. Rosie allowed the monkey to stay, although she pushed it to the edge of the nest, where it lay waving to the passing boats before being obscured by a large tuft of grass. 
Picture
Rosie, rope and Monkey April 4, 2019 cap by Midi
Picture
Incoming fish. Cap by C April 15, 2019
Picture
Fish presentation to Rosie. cap by C April 11, 2019 Richie usually presents the fish then flies off with it to eat the head, to return about 5 minutes later with the fish for Rosie.
Picture
Fish hand-off to Rosie. She grabs it and flies to the strut to eat it usually. Cap by C April 11, 2019
Richie catches a fish then flies around with it, to deter intruder gulls, crows and other ospreys. Then he flies to the nest to show it to Rosie before flying off again to eat the head. He returns to bring her the fish, which she grabs and she flies off. First she guts the fish, then she eats it. During this time, Richie gets his incubation time, which he seems to love.
Picture
Gutting the fish. Cap by SaMo, April 15, 2019
Picture
Rosie waits for her turn. April 18, 2019 10:46:18 am cap by Midi
Picture
Richie is not budging. Rosie insists on her turn, nudging and finally poking Richie (gently) with her foot. April 18, 2019 10:46:29 am cap by Midi
Rosie appears to be doing more of her own fishing lately. She has been seen with a fish only a few times, but she is often wet and does not beg for fish. So Richie is nesting more and Rosie is fishing more. An interesting twist. 
PictureThe couple on the nest April 18, 2019 cap by Midi

Not often, but sometimes, both ospreys are on the nest. Richie is always on guard, whether on the nest or nearby. The moment an intruder flies by, he chirps a warning and flies to the crane or the nest, ready to defend his new family. Richie is proving himself to be a good father this year. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    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 six years. 

    Archives

    November 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018

    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

    Archive

    November 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from Björn S..., Governmentality