Blog # 347 Fledge Day

Olan just fledge and Rosie is not far behind. 

The true spirit of freedom came with the air rushing under his wings, carrying him into  the air. Fledge watch is an exciting, entertaining, and nail-biting time at the Osprey nest  as we wonder each day if today will be the day the young fledge—and today it was.  Olan flew for the first time early this morning. His initial flight was a fast trip up and down  over the nest. After that his takeoffs have been unusual in that he pushes off the nest  laterally at a flat angle and comes close to hitting the nest. This is a watershed moment  in his life—when he learns the true essence of being Osprey. He must have studied the  his parents moves, as his strokes are powerful and his flight direct and without  hesitation.  

Just after noon Rosie left the ground for the first time, rising straight up like a helicopter  and setting down gently in the nest. Tasting the sky for the first time, the young birds  turn the act of flying into a comedy of errors. The nest at Salt Point and those dotting in  the Cayuga basin that looked so cavernous in April, are now overcrowded with wings  spread every which way. Clearly, it is time to take flight. 

Rosie and Olan, 52 and 49 days respectively, fledged within the average fledge period  of 50-55 days in the northeast. Lilibit, at only 47 days, is understandably behind and  while will catch up in her own time. Fledging is usually done in clear weather. But, after 

Orpheus brings fish to nest, waking up his offspring. 

a month of rain and thunderstorms with more predicted this week, the young fledglings  have no recourse but to fly as the rains falls.  

Rosie and Olan added new footwork to their two-step dance —flapping as they hop  from foot to foot, jumping in the air with both feet in the air for brief moments. This is the  precursor to flight, making them days or even minutes from launch. There is great  anticipation.  

Lilibit has not been as conscientious about these exercises. Her time will come when  her siblings fledge making room in the nest. Rosie and Olan “helicopter”—jumping up  and hovering above the nest—before sailing to the other side of the nest. The fledglings  play copy-cat—whatever Rosie does Olan soon repeats and visa versa. Lilibit will join  the game too if she’s not napping. 

Curiously, a gull flew very close to the nest just before noon and scared two of the  chicks. Lilibit saw the large bird coming at the nest first and instantly lay flat in the nest  in her defensive position. As soon as Rosie saw it, she also hit the deck, laying flat and  blending in with the twigs. Only Olan ignored the perceived threat and sat on the nest  rim as usual. This happened a second time later in the day with both Lilibit and Rosie  hitting the deck immediately and Olan remaining on the nest rim. This is one of the first  defenses Ophelia teaches her nestlings when they are young to camouflage themselves  in the nest.  

First flights often end quickly and, ideally, with the fledgling landing back in the nest or  on a nearby perch. If not a tree branch will suffice until the young bird regains its 

balance and cruises to the nest. Flight, no matter how instinctual, requires practice to  develop strength and finesse. All young birds on their first flights look unsteady, but  young Ospreys can take klutziness to a whole new level, especially when they attempt  to land. 

Lilibit and Rosie looking for Olan. 

If a fledge makes an awkward, uncertain landing on a tree branch or on the ground, it  may have trouble finding its way back. If so, the parent may fly to its side, modeling  proper landing and takeoff techniques to guide it back to the nest. Sometimes a  fledgling will crash-land on the platform with an audible thud or miss the nest entirely on  the first pass and struggle to try a second landing.  

Rosie’s soft landings and Olan’s gliding ones are good beginings for the young birds. It  was a thrill and a huge relief to be able to capture their first flight images on the Salt  Point Osprey Nest camera. The solar camera has been recording nest activity all week,  

but would not download the footage due to a lack of energy. The small break of  sunshine this afternoon was thankfully enough to power downloading Rose and Olan’s  maiden voyages.  

Subsequent short flights will follow the maiden voyage, and after a few days of flying,  the fledgling is adept at using the wind and positioning its wings. Landing, an essential 

part of flying, takes longer to master. It takes practice, practice, and more practice for  the young Ospreys to become expert aerialists and hunters like their parents.  

Sunset at the nest with Ophelia. 

During the post-fledging period, many inexperienced young birds get into trouble,  ending up on the ground and seemingly unable to fly. Ospreys have perching feet, not  feet designed for walking as do ground hunting eagles and hawks. Young osprey  fledglings look particularly out of their element on the ground—so much so that people  often mistakenly think they are wounded. As long as the bird is not near any hazards,  it’s best to leave a grounded Osprey alone. The fledgling’s parents will most likely be on  guard and feed it until it is strong enough to get lift and fly. 

Young are fledging all around the lake. A few nest near Montezuma National Wildlife  Refuge have fledged a chick as has the Cargill nest, the Treman Marina nest, and the  Stewart Park near the Youth Bureau. Time to keep your eyes to the sky. 

Eyes to the sky!  

Candace  

Candace E. Cornell  

Friends of Salt Point  

Lansing, NY  

cec222@gmail.com 

What to do if you find an injured animal? 

Call Cornell’s Swanson Center 

at  

607-253-3060. 

The Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Health Center, an annex of the Cornell University  Hospital for Animals, is a veterinary hospital dedicated solely to the treatment of ill or  injured native wild animals. They provide expert medical and surgical care for over  1,000 patients annually, from locally and across the state of New York, with the goal of  releasing them back to the wild. The Wildlife Health Center operates within Cornell  University, a registered nonprofit, and relies largely on public donations.  

EYES ONOSPREYS 

WATCH! 

Salt Point Osprey Nest Cam 2021 

READ! 

On Osprey Time—A Blog on the Ospreys of Salt Point 

VISIT! 

Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail

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