http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/

1st hatch June 17 about 0740.

Hi all, This is my first post on Raptor Central, so please excuse me and let me know if I do anything wrong. This is the third year I've watched Hellgate osprey nest in Montana. The parents are nicknamed Iris and Stanley. Today (or perhaps yesterday) Stanley finally arrived at the nest. A brief history is that in 2012, Iris arrived first as usual, and then her previous mate arrived but disappeared the next day. Iris called on the nest for 2 or 3 weeks, and then Stanley arrived. I started watching the nest fairly late in the season when all three chicks had hatched. Stanley is easy to identify because his right wing has a defect - one or two feathers grow in at a funny angle. Last year Stanley was late to arrive and Iris had already mated with another (Midas) and laid two eggs. Apparently Midas has a mate and nest close by, but was giving Iris and her nest some attention, but not his undivided. When he arrived, Stanley kicked out those two eggs as well as the one she laid just after that. She subsequently laid two eggs fertilized by his sperm. This year Iris was again seen mating with Midas, but she has not laid any eggs yet. Right now, April 27, 13:30 on the time stamp, she is calling from the nest and Stanley is eating a large fish on his favorite perch close by. The cam operator is showing us Stan on the perch. Perhaps he will take the fish to her after eating the head.

Thank you Hiker. I'll do my best.

Here are the cam links I find useful for watching this nest.

This is the cam link on the University of Montana website, which also shows their facebook posts and has a link to the Dunrovin osprey cam. http://cas.umt.edu/geosciences/osprey/nestCams/hellgate.php

This is the cam on livestream, which is useful for clicking on < > to get a larger picture, or for popping out the image. http://www.livestream.com/hellgateosprey

This is the cam link in the All About Birds site. http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/

Here's a link to the important dates in 2012, 2013, and so far this year. http://www.imagicat.com/hellgate2014.html

Here's my first attempt to embed a youtube video. This is of Stan's arrival yesterday morning. In case it doesn't work, here's the link. http://youtu.be/6dvyDLAsrbM Or mods, you can just delete this post and I'll try again (LOL).

Thank you so much Patti, with your instructions I could edit my original post and fixed it.

I have been thinking about Iris and her nonstop vocalizations. Two years ago, the year her mate disappeared and then Stanley showed up, she was very vocal pretty much all the time. I thought last year seemed very different. While she and Midas had their fling, she never said much at all. And after Stanley made his entrance, it seemed like a different story from the year before. At the time, I speculated that in 2012 while she was mateless, she got in the habit of calling, and so continued doing it the whole season.

Now this year she’s at it again, although I don’t think it’s as loud as that first year. It also seems maybe a little higher pitched this year as well. So what could be the reason? I happen to think people’s comments about the vocalizations of the female to the male as being a negative thing are totally wrong. I think it has to do with bonding, and the male may like to hear it, so to speak. Perhaps by expending the energy in keeping up the constant chatter she’s showing him how strong and energetic she is, and therefore what a great mate she is, able to bear lots of eggs and raise healthy youngsters. (lol) Well, it’s just a guess.

Have you noticed how well fed they look? Stanley looks almost fat, and his crop is usually bulging. In 2012, Stan arrived thin and sleek, and by the time he left he seemed even thinner. I was worried about him, I admit. I got pretty attached to him by the end of that season.

We are now on pip watch.

Egg Clock: http://www.imagicat.com/hellgatecountup.html

Hellgate 6-11.png - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
First chick hatched today.