All About Hope, The Union Bay Osprey

Here is a recent post from the Union Bay Watch Blog published by Larry Hubbell, long-time local photographer and birder.

Here also is an in-depth article about Larry and his work.

Hope's Challenge

This is Hope the female Osprey from the new nesting pair on the IMA light pole. The nest is on the south side of N.E. 45th St. directly across from the QFC in U-Village. It felt rather odd to hear the rumbling of buses and delivery trucks, along with honking horns and screeching brakes while I was taking these photos. However, perhaps the close proximity is just a step on our path towards achieving greater harmony with nature.

This is Hope's mate, Stewart, returning to defend the nest. Male ospreys generally have pure white chests, while the females, like Hope, usually have a necklace of dark spots strung across their chest. 

I believe this is Stewart and Hope's first true nesting attempt. Last year, they got a few dead branches to stick up among the lights but it was too little and too late to lay eggs and incubate. This year, even though the actual dimensions of the nest are somewhat hidden it appears to be of adequate size. If we assume Stewart has a wingspan of at least five feet then we can estimate that the nest is probably five or six feet across from east to west.

Given that the older and original Union Bay Osprey pair, Chester and Lacey, have chosen not to lay eggs this year, our only chance for local Osprey hatchlings rests with Stewart and Hope. Among those observing their progress, the tension is high and questions abound. 

Are the two young Osprey adequately skilled to be parents? Will they be able to chase away all the potential predatory birds, which would like to consume their eggs? Can they capture enough fish to feed themselves and their young? Will the local Bald Eagles allow them to keep a sufficient supply of the food they catch? Have their young hatched out already? On my July 4th photo expedition, I was hoping to answer some of these questions.

Earlier in the day, near Monty and Marsha's eagle nest on Montlake Cut, I met a young woman who suggested that Osprey have tufts on the back of their heads. It wasn't until I was taking this photo and saw how the wind pushed Stewart's feathers up that I realized what she was talking about. Suddenly, her comment made total sense. The mind is a funny thing, I have seen those upstanding feathers many times, but that particular view just wasn't in my default mental picture of an Osprey.

This photo shows Stewart leaving to hunt for fish. As he flew south towards Union Bay it was interesting to note how low he flew. He wasn't down near ground level, but he was often below the tops of the Cottonwood trees which lined the sides of his selected flight path. I wondered if this was an attempt to remain out of the sight of Talia and Russ, the Bald Eagles which have historically 'owned' the north side of Union Bay. The old saying, 'Out-of-sight, out-of-mind' may literally apply.

When Stewart returned from his hunting trip, his approach was hidden from me, but it appeared that he left food in the nest for Hope and possibly hatchlings as well.

Afterward, he walked out to his usual roosting spot on the east end of the light pole.

Once he was situated he began grooming himself. 

Moments later, the grooming stopped as Stewart burst off the light pole and began chasing a crow, which had apparently flown too close to the nest. It looked as those Stewart might chase the crow for a considerable distance until reinforcements showed up.

It was almost as if Stewart realized that with a growing crowd of crows his protective effort could be maximized at the nest. He immediately changed course and returned to the light pole.

During this episode, Hope stayed low down on the west side of the nest. You can just barely see the top of her head in this photo. 

For a few minutes, Stewart faced north, in the direction of the disappearing Crows.

Once he was sure the threat was gone, he turned in his usual direction and faced south towards Union Bay and the closest Bald Eagle nest.

With Stewart was back at the nest, Hope began gathering additional sticks.

Curiously, the closest dead trees, with upper branches which she could potentially break, were the same trees where I found the three North Flickers in last week's post.

The nesting instinct must have really kicked-in for Hope as she made numerous trips... 

...back and forth. Sometimes with a stick and sometimes without. Not every attempt was successful, but she never stayed away from the nest for long.

Curiously, similar to how Stewart almost always ended up on the east end of the light pole, Hope always landed to the west. From there, she would walk or hop her way back to the nest.

She did not limit herself to placing just the sticks she brought back, at times she appeared to be rearranging other furniture as well.

The most exciting moment was when she spotted a distant dark bird passing high overhead. I did not notice a white head or tail and really only saw a glimpse of the bird as it disappeared in the distance. Without any size perspective, I assumed it was an American Crow. 

Later, while looking at Hope's photos I noticed how every feather on her body seemed to be spread out and virtually standing at attention. She was really excited. Although I could not hear her call over the sound of the traffic, her mouth was open and I suspect she was vocalizing her displeasure as well.

When I looked closer at my one marginal photo of the disappearing bird I realized that just under the dark tail I could see large yellow feet. The talons of a young Bald Eagle. Hope chased after the bird until it was safely away from her nest.

Then, she immediately returned. As Ronda, another avid Osprey watcher, mentioned, 'If there was nothing in the nest she most likely would not be so intent on defending it.' I suspect that Hope's eggs have hatched and the young are still too small to be seen in such a high nest. Still, many of the questions from the beginning of this post now appear to have answers.

Are the two young Osprey adequately skilled to be parents? They appear to be making every effort with energy and enthusiasm. Quite possibly, yes.

Will they be able to chase away all the potential predatory birds which would like to consume their eggs or young? They are certainly trying and there appear to be a lot fewer eagles in the vicinity of their nest than compared with Chester and Lacey's nesting platform closer to Union Bay. 

Can they capture enough fish to feed themselves and their young? So far the adults both look happy and healthy, but this question will not be fully answered until their young are able to leave the nest and begin to hunt for themselves.

Will the local Bald Eagles allow them to keep a sufficient supply of the food they catch? Same answer as above.

Have their young hatched out already? I do not have proof positive, but it does appear that Hope is no longer sitting down in the middle of the nest like she did for the last month or so. I suspect this indicates that one or more of the young have hatched