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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. 
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Season 2021: Part 3C Learning to Fly

6/11/2021

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First fledge: Sage fledged June 25, flying to the rail.  
Second fledge: Poppy, the first born, fledged on July 1, flying and landing well on the crane, greeting his brother, who seemed to be coaching him. 
Third Fledge: Lupine, the third born, fledged the morning of July 2, to the railing. 
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for photos and video of the three fledges. 
The chicks' feathers have come in, their wings have grown large, the chicks have almost reached their adult weight, and they have become more independent. The next few weeks will be all about wings, as they exercise their wings then learn to hover and finally fledge. This is an exciting but nail-biting time for the human observers. See the calendar below for the approximate dates. It is assumed that since this set of chicks hatched earlier than in years past, they will also fledge a bit earlier. 
​For more detailed pictures by video, see the sfbayospreys Youtube page.
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feathers coming in June 9 gif by Robin
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Wingercizing June 7 cap by C
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Chick Dancers June 10 cap by lurker
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Wing stretch June 12 cap by lurker
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Lupine dance June 11 cap by lurker
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June 16 crowded nest cap by midi
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Wingercizing at night cap from video by VA June 8 (see full video at Youtube channel sfbayospreys
The chicks spend their time preening, eating and practicing flapping their wings. They sleep some too or lie quietly watching. Richie goes out to catch fish and Rosie has been sitting on the crane boom more. Is it because there is no room on the nest or is she demonstrating how to get to the boom? Only she knows. 
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VZ flapping at feeding time June 16 cap by midi
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late night flapping June 16 cap by midi
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ZP eating guts, other two wingercizing June 16 cap by midi
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Preening June 16 cap by midi
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Rosie demonstrating a perfect landing? June 15 cap by C
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All 3 flapping June 17 cap by VA
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ZP practicing June 16 cap by C
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asleep at night June 16 11 pm cap by midi
The chicks do not sleep all night. They awaken, look around, take a poop, maybe even exercise, then fall back asleep.
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Classic nest shot June 18 cap by midi
June 19: The chicks are all beginning to hover. This year, they are closer in development and are hovering at the same time. Who will be the first to fledge?
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ZP, the oldest and the first to hover. June 19 cap by C
Wing stretching.  June 19.   Video by VA. 
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ZP hovering June 20 gif by J
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VZ eating a long fish gut. June 21 cap by midi
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Three in a Row June 20 cap by midi
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Lined up for id's June 21 cap by lurker
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Sage (WR) sunset hover while siblings watch June 24 cap by Crow
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Id of the 3 chicks June 24 by Robin
 (ZP)Poppy hovering taking the nest with him  June 25   video by VA
(WR) Sage hovering  June 25   video by VA
Sage fledges to the rail, June 25, 2021

Sage (WR) fledged to the railing around the nest on June 25. There was some discussion whether this was a true fledge or accidental. But he proved his mettle afterward by flying back to the nest and subsequently flying up on the crane. Each day he has flown, quickly becoming adept and flying out of cam sight. The other two watch with interest. Rosie seems to fly to the crane to encourage Sage and the others to fly to meet her. 
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Sage (WR) on the rail at first fledge June 25 cap by lurker
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Sage (WR) flies high, with siblings watching. June 25 cap by Lurker
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Back on the nest June 25 cap by lurker
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Sage goes even higher. June 25 cap by lurker
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First fledge. Sage on the railing. June 25 cap by PP
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Sage on boom June 26 cap by lurker
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Sage on crane June 26 cap by lurker
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Two sleeping upright like adults. June 25 cap by C
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Flapping at night June 25 cap by midi
The other two watch their sibling. Poppy (ZP) has tried flapping but can't seem to get airborne. Lupine (VZ)  is still a baby, lying down to sleep and wanting to be fed. He is also the youngest. 
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Watching big brother. June 25. cap by PP.
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(ZP) Poppy hovering. June 26 cap by midi
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Lupine (VZ) being fed June 26 cap by midi
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Poppy hovering June 26 cap by J
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Lupine hovering June 28 cap by lurker
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(WR) Sage taking off to fly. June 30 cap by midi
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8 minute hover by Poppy (ZP). From video Flight School by VA. June 26
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Lupine hovering in the mist June 30 cap by Tama
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(WR) Sage expertly flying over the Bay June 30 cap by midi
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Double hover Sage teaching Poppy? June 30 cap by C
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Lupine and Poppy watching the boats go by June 30 cap by midi
After fledging, Sage quickly learned to take off and land and frequently flies to the crane and even circles over the Bay. Lupine and Poppy watched and on June 30 began to hover more. Both had long , successful hovers. But Poppy had trouble landing, using his claws to poor effect and not folding her wings. 
sThe morning of  July 1, one chatter's birthday, Poppy finally fledged. Apparently she had learned overnight how to land. She landed on the boom of the crane, a bit awkwardly but holding on well. Her brother was up there to cheer her on and to greet her. The parents were absent. Perhaps they decided that it was time for the offspring to learn on their own. 
Picture
Poppy's fledge from VA video July 1
The fledgling are not accomplished fishers yet and they will continue to return to the nest to sleep and to get fed. Like good human parents, Rosie and Richie will be glad to comply with both their teenagers' need for independence and their need for their basic needs still to be met. 
Picture
Tug of War over fish June 30 cap by midi
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food fight July 1 cap by PP
Lupine fledged on July 2 in the morning. 

She flew to the railing where she sat a while trying to figure out how to return to the nest. Richie flew in and perched on the rail to encourage her, then demonstrated how to fly (this is human interpretation). When Lupine heard a fish on the nest,s he managed to get herself back, where Rosie fed her all by herself. 
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Lupine on the railing after fledging July 2 cap by midi
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Richie flies in to help Lupine cap by midi
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Lupine trying to fly back to the nest cap by midi
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Richie demonstrates flying technique cap by lurker
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Lupine back on the nest being fed by Rosie cap by midi
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    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. 

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    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

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