Blog #449 Eat, Sleep, Stretch
The Salt Point Trio for 2023 (L to R) Silly, Lilly, and Dilly waiting for food, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.
The Salt Point chicks are entering their sixth week, and the nest is extremely crowded. When one chick flaps her wings, the other chicks duck; when two are flapping, the others lay flat; and when all three flap their wings, there is absolutely nothing to do except try not to fall out of the nest. It is a hazard at this age as it is easy to accidently push a fledgling off the nest edge when stretching out nearly 6-foot wingspans.
Orpheus continues to deliver fish to Ursula to the chicks. She now encourages them to pick the fish apart by themselves. The larger chick generally gets the first delivery of the day leaving only leftovers for the smaller chicks. If a second delivery comes when the larger chick is still satiated, the smaller chicks get all the fish.
Now that they have their flight feathers, they have an irresistible urge to exercise their wings, flapping wildly and jumping in the air. This exercises and builds their flight muscles and helps develop coordination. As the time of fledging approaches, their flapping becomes so strong that they are able to lift their bodies several inches to several feet above the nest; a well-timed gust of wind may well cause a chick to fledge prematurely, imparting some risk.
By the time they fledge, perhaps this week if not next, the chicks will be as large and as filled out as the adults, although they are easy to distinguished. Adults have lemon-yellow eyes and cocoa-brown feathers whereas fledglings have orange-red eyes and white or buff edging on their cocoa-brown feathers. They also have a striking chestnut wash on the napes of their necks and individualistic light and dark markings on their heads. The chicks spend more time active and awake than last week.
Yesterday, a floater Osprey, also known as an intruder, flew around the nest territory for close to five minutes, disturbing both the adults and offspring. The floater repeatedly circled the nest, crisscrossed the territory, and then shot up a hundred feet and back down to torment Ursula. Lilly joined Ursula in the alarm call, followed by Milly, and finally Silly. The chicks did their best to call out menacingly as they imitated their mother screaming at the intruder to skedaddle. Just as he was about to leave the territory, Orpheus came out of nowhere and chased it northward, over the lake.
The various nests at the south end of the lake are a few weeks behind the Salt Point Ospreys. In their fourth and fifth weeks, their ages and different stages of development are obvious from the feather development. The photograph below shows the chick’s flight feathers are unfurling. The mother and nestmate have to duck to give the chick room.
Silly, still growing her flight feathers, has an irresistible urge to flap their wings, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.
As the season progresses, the mother continues shading her brood from the sun despite their size. Birds have no sweat glands and must resort to panting for heat loss via evaporation from saliva. Ursula and her chicks panted almost constantly whenever the sun was out.
During these last sweltering, muggy days Orpheus seeks shelter in the trees and is rarely at the nest except for food deliveries. Most of the time Ursula sits panting on the perch, in the sun, but does take short “cat naps.” At mealtime, she will call out begging
Milly calls out, begging for fish, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.
for fish, and then comb the sky for her mate. He can hear her distinctive cries miles away and will fish. Minutes later she could suddenly lock her gaze onto the horizon. When she spots Orpheus, Ursula will whine loudly, gazing into the distance, often leaning forward and extending her neck low over the nest. In minutes, Orpheus appears on the horizon, perhaps a mile away, hauling a fish home. Orpheus, like most fathers, typically eats the fish’s head before presenting the rest to his family. After all, the fisherman has to keep up his stamina. As his offspring grow, so does their appetites. In addition to nutrients, chicks get all their water from ingesting fish. Even with Ursula’s help catching fish on these foggy-smoggy days, it is difficult to keep up with the nestling’s hunger.
At six weeks the chicks are full grown and no longer need to be fed. The nestlings take over her role in confiscating many of the arriving fish from Orpheus. This year, Ursula let plants grow in the Salt Point nest creating shade for the young. The chicks rest in its shadow most of the day. Still, the smallest chick Silly, takes cover under Ursula.
After a fish delivery, Orpheus usually spends a few minutes sitting on the nest rim or on the adjoining perch while Ursula keeps order in the nest. Between her own mouthfuls, Ursula begs Orpheus for more fish. During his brief visits he alternates between scanning the skies for avian threats and glaring at the world below the nest.
Flying with a heavy fish in tow must be a taxing even for an adult osprey, and especially in hot weather. Orpheus typically takes a nap on the perch after a meal. However, if another Osprey enters his airspace, Orpheus will vigorously chase the other Osprey away from his territory. Both Ursula and Orpheus guard the nest and their offspring closely, only taking a few necessary breaks. Orpheus’s day is spent fishing—either from the air or from a lakeside perch— with quite a number of breaks to cool off and preen his feathers.
All around the lake, Ospreys share fishing territories with other animals, primarily bald eagles and great blue herons. Orpheus often flies up the lake toward Lansing Station Road to fish. He shares hunting areas with other Ospreys, bald eagles, and great blue herons so the competition can be stiff. It is thought that Ospreys identify promising hunting locations by observing the success of their competitors. It’s likely, then, that Orpheus commutes to specific locations on the lake he knows to be particularly productive hunting site.
It is remarkable that Ursula, and other adult females, can recognize their mates from a mile or so away whereas humans find that impossible. Most passing Ospreys elicit a warning call from Ursula when they pass too close to her nest, but at the approach of
the male—even from great distances—she begins to whine loudly while intently tracking his approach with her gaze. Exactly what types of cues she uses in distinguishing her mate from other Ospreys at that distance is unclear; it could be a combination of his plumage, the particular rhythm of his wing beat, or perhaps just the fact of his flying in a direct line toward the nest.
Watching baby raptors grow up is a wonderful and amazing thing. They begin life as tiny, helpless creatures, and within the span of a few short weeks, they develop into large, powerful predators capable of migrating 4,000 miles between precise locations on the globe, twice a year, for a quarter of a century or more (barring an early death). Whether learned or innate, the great host of adaptations which allow these animals to survive in the wild and perform great migrations, is truly impressive.
Lilly (oldest) and Miles (middle chick) calling for food, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.
As the chicks got larger they spent more time up near the edge of the nest where I could see them. Since the weather has been quite hot of late, much of that time was spent panting in the shade provided by mom. Even at this stage they’re not always visible, however, because even a large bird can lie down in the cup of the nest and be completely invisible to an observer on the ground. But in the cool evenings they were often lounging looking around at their surroundings.
During the doldrums, my dog Charlie provided entertainment both for myself and for the nestlings. After chucking a stick in the lake and Charlie chasing it, I would often see the juveniles watching my canine friend as he rushed out into the lake to retrieve the stick. Exactly what they were thinking as they observed his forays into the water is, of course, a mystery. A young osprey needs to become skilled at spotting fish lurking just below the surface, so perhaps watching animals or other objects floating on the lake might help the young to exercise their visual acuity in a watery environment. What I can say for sure is that they seemed to take a keen interest in anything that happened in the water.
Eyes to the sky!
Candace
Candace E. Cornell
Friends of Salt Point, Lansing, NY
Cayuga Lake Osprey Network
Guest Photographer:
Cynthia Sedlacek, Director of Data Administration and Reporting at Cornell University, is a surprising artistic talent. Cynthia’s affection and admiration for raptors are evident in her exciting photographs primarily of Ospreys nesting around Cayuga Lake and the red-tailed hawks of the Cornell Campus. Her photographs of local Ospreys are incomparable as she captures their essence, their jizz, and their inner bird. From the hard-to-see nestlings to the fast-flying adults, Cindy goes beyond the pale to catch all aspects of Osprey life in the Cayuga Basin. “My camera allows me to capture their beauty in many ways that the human eye can’t see,” she says, “like their spectacular wing positions and detailed feathers.” Cindy and her husband Karel are also avid nest monitors for the Cayuga Lake Osprey Network.
EYES ON OSPREYS
WATCH!
Salt Point Osprey Nest Cam 2022-23
READ!
On Osprey Time: Ospreys of the Finger Lakes
VISIT!
Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail Nests Driving Tour
Complete Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail
HELP PROTECT OSPREYS:
•Stay 300 feet away from nests during the breeding season.
If the Osprey vocalizes, you are too close! BACK OFF IMMEDIATELY.
•Carry binoculars to view wildlife from afar.
•Join the Cayuga Osprey Network: cec222@gmail.com.
•Recycle used fishing lines, twine, and nets, which can kill Osprey.
•Help keep local waters clean, healthy, and safe. Pick up trash and do not litter. Trash stays in the ecosystem a long time before it disintegrates. Plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.
Disintegration Times
Orange or Banana Peel-------Up to 2 years
Leather-------------------------------1 to 5 years
Wool Socks-------------------------1 to 5 years
Plastic Coated Paper------------------5 years
Plastic Bags---------------------10 to 20 years
Plastic Film Container--------20 to 30 years
Nylon Fabric---------------------30 to 40 years
Tin Cans---------------------------------50 years
Aluminum Can---------- ------80 to 100 years
Plastic 6-pack Holder---------------100 years
Glass Bottles------------------1,000,000 years
Source: NYSDEC
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