The eggs have hatched! The first egg went past its due date and is probably not viable. The second egg hatched on May 17 at 16:00 pm. It is quite an active chick already, sitting up asking to be fed. The third egg hatched on May 18 at 16:35 pm.
 Three eggs May 16. cap by J  Richie performs a dance. May 16. cap by dinnae ken |  Egg id by Robin. Egg #2 hatched first and is Chick A.  Rosie and Richie looking a their eggs. May 16. cap by Tweeter. |
Chick A from Egg #2 showed a pip at 15:33 on May 17. It hatched at 4 pm.
 Crack in egg #2. May 17. 15:38. cap by dinnae ken  Rosie removes the shell. ay 17 at 15:59. cap by lurker  Chick A and two eggs. May 17. 20:06. cap by dinnae ken  Daddy, feed me. May 18. at 6:41 am. cap by dinnae ken. |  Hatchling. May 17 at 17:05. cap by lurker  "The Kiss" by Hank Ezra. May 17  Chick A on its back May 18 at 641 am.cap by dinnae ken  hungry chick. May 18 at 643 am. gif by J |
 Chick A. My 18, 2022. 6:39 am. cap by dinnae ken. |  |
Egg #3 had the shell of Egg #2 over it, but it persisted and pushed its way out to hatch on May 18 at 4:35 pm. It is wobblier than its older sibling and not as outgoing, but it is also a day younger.
 eggshell over Egg#3. May 17 2022 cap by lurker |  Crack in Egg #3 May 17, 2022 at 21:23 pm. cap by dinnae ken |
Pip on Egg #3 May 18, 2022. 11:27 am
 Waiting for little sibling May 18, 2022 cap by benjamin |  Egg #3 pip hole May 18, 2022 16:04 pm. cap by C |
Food coma while waiting for little sibling to hatch. May 18, 2022. 16:35 pm. cap by lurker
 Hatch #2. Chick B. May 18, 2022 at 1633pm. cap by Chappy |  Hatch #2. Chick B hatches at 16:45 pm on May 18, 2022 |
First feeding for Chick B. May 18, 2022 at 19:32 pm. cap by lurker
 food coma. May 18, 2022 1939 pm. gif by B |  Two chicks and Egg#1. May 18, 2022 1749 pm. gif by J |
 Where's breakfast? May 19, 2022 7:54 am cap by dinnae ken  Here's the fish! May 19, 2022 8:37 am. cap by midi |  Where's breakfast? The kids are hungry. May 19, 2022. 8:16 am. cap by midi  Morning feeding. May 19, 2022 8:37 am. gif by J |
Post prandial heap May 19, 2022. 9:31 am. cap by dinnae ken
May 20
Daily life with chicks has established itself. Richie has been bringing fish in regularly. Rosie feeds the chicks then they fall into a food coma for a while and she rests. Richie takes over for a while so that she can take a short break. This repeats two or more times a day.
 Waiting for breakfast. 8:30 am. |  Breakfast is served. gif by B |
On Friday, May 20, an unusual event occurred. First, chatters thought that Richie and Rosie were arguing over a fish remnant, then they realized that there was an intruder on the nest trying to steal that piece of fish. this went on for quite a while. Unlike usual intruders, this one was allowed on the nest. A young female perhaps? She had no band.
 Intruder trying to land to get a fish Richie delivered. 9:40 am. from VA |  The intruder on the nest, waiting. 10:33 am. cap by dinnae ken. |
Tug of war between intruder and Rosie. 10:37 am. cap by lurker
Eventually the intruder left, after Rosie gave it the stinkeye.
And it was time for lunch. No fish were delivered after the lunchtime fish.
And it was time for lunch. No fish were delivered after the lunchtime fish.
 Waiting for lunch. 12:24 pm cap by FW The egg is the first one laid and presumed to be unviable. |  Post prandial snooze with Richie on guard. 12:54 pm. cap by midi. |
May 21-23. Quick development. The chicks are learning to eat properly and to track movement with their eye. They are in the bop'em stage and have proto wings. . They still have their egg tooth. Their main job is to eat and to sleep. They are beginning to peek out from under Rosie.
 Waiting for breakfast. May 22, 2022. 7:41 am. cap by Dennae ken  First fish of the day. 5 22 2022 9:55 am. cap by dinnae ken |  Close-up  Plain Finn Midshipman for lunch. May 21 2022 12:18 pm. cap by J |
 Hi Mom. May 23, 2022. at 9:09 am. cap by midi  Rock 'em, sock'em. May 21 2022. gif by B |  Quiet time 5 23 2022. at 9:08 am. cap by midi  |
This behavior was explained by one chatter as the chicks learning to track movement. But there also seems to be a certain sibling rivalry as well, which continues for a while. Whichever it is all a learning experience.
Rosie and her chicks. May 23, 2022. 12:23 pm. cap by midi
 Two chicks. May 23, 2022 643 am. cap by Tweeter  Rosie and one chick. May 23, 2022. 1536 pm. cap by J  Two chicks upright. May 24, 2022. 7:54 am. cap by midi |  Finally supper! May 23, 2022. 1949 pm. gif by J  chick pillow. May 24, 2022 8:57 am. cap by nidi  evening striper May 24, 2022. 19:23 pm. cap by dinnae ken |
 Unviable egg still here, acting as a pillow. May 25, 2022 cap by FW |  Family on the nest. May 24, 2022. cap by MW |
 Incoming nest material. May 25, 2022. 8:57 am. cap by dinnae ken  flopping fish May 25. gif by B |  Rosie flies in with a Plain Fin MIdshipman. 20:06 pm. May 25, 2022. cap by dinnae ken  meme by FW |
There has been some concern about Richie's left rear talon. It was noticed by chatters that he had poor footing then one chatter saw that a rear talon was missing. It could grow back in, but so far it is a stub. It could be just a broken talon that will regrow, much as our fingernails do, or it could be an injury that doesn't allow regrowth, or it could be a fungus. We can only watch to see.
He has been a bit lax in delivering fish this year and has not visited the reservoir. He often comes back from fishing empty-taloned. So it would seem that the missing talon does impair his fishing ability, catching and/or transporting a fish.
He has been a bit lax in delivering fish this year and has not visited the reservoir. He often comes back from fishing empty-taloned. So it would seem that the missing talon does impair his fishing ability, catching and/or transporting a fish.
Richie's talon nub. May 24, 2022. cap by chappy
Handsome Richie, proud father May 24, 2022. cap by C