Awesomeness Willy! Just what we like to see...

Today the tiny hatchlings are eager for food and thrusting their long necks and heads upward to be fed. I can see that I was mistaken about them being completely altricial. Once they dry off completely, a covering of soft down is apparent, complete with the Osprey trademark mask. Yes, each hatchling wears a tiny black mask! Little heads turn and follow the parent too, so they must be able to see a little.

I think Oxana and Harriet are related. They both tend to be rather vocal. I was surprised, given Mom's mouth, that the babies are very quiet. A lot to learn.... Those little black masks were a surprise, but I don't know why.

Third egg hatched today. I got to see some zooming and the babies were stretching their necks up wanting food. Both parents were on the nest ignoring the pleas for food.

Family lunchtime! Both Ozzie & Harriet were busy feeding their brood of three today.

This morning, Ozzie brought in a fish that looked to be two feet long. Oz and Harriet both had to hold it down to keep it from escaping. Its tail was still flopping as Harriet de-headed it.

I tuned in for the early feeding. Both parents were on the nest for part of it. The smallest of the three fell over backwards when the parent on the right left. Was laying on his/her back behind the others and struggled to get self righted. When the parent came back the little one got in position to be fed. Unfortunately, it was looking to the wrong parent. After a bit, it figured out the problem and did finally get fed.

Saw this posted at Dunrovin yesterday.

Most birds grow in a way that is described as a "sigmoidal growth curve" or "S-shaped growth curve." This graph shows schematically how these Osprey chicks grow - pretty slowly when they are small, then at an accelerating rate, and then slowing down as they approach adult size. Females chicks get bigger than male chicks. The Dunrovin chicks are entering this super fast growth phase, and it almost seems like we can see the difference between morning and evening! Like watching bamboo shoots growing. As the chicks approach adult size, their growth will start to slow down.

How about the mass of the adults?? Raising chicks is hard work and energetically stressful, and female moms usually lose about 10% of their body mass from the start to the end of the breeding season. Males lose less body mass, but still lose a fair bit. So Iris and Harriet will end up about 200 grams lighter than she was in early May.

cheers,
Allison/Osprey Project