Blog # 473 Flights and Frights of Fledglings

 

O’Leary in flight, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

They’ve taken to the sky, euphorically banking turns and touching the lake surface with their talons. The Salt Point fledglings O’Connor, O’Leary, and O’Shea took their maiden flights beginning on July 8th and are now perfecting their aerial skills. These free-flying young birds needed no coaxing from their parents to leave the nest but always return to the nest for mealtime. Finally able to touch the sky, the fledglings chase each other around the nest area, dipping into the lake and flying high. They are a marvel to watch.

The fledgling plumage continues to grow on their wings and tail with the flight feathers still much shorter than an adult’s. They will retain their amber eyes and buff wing tips as their adult feathers continue to grow. As the young develop more flying skills, look for them in the cottonwoods along Salmon Creek.

Steady landings are a constant challenge for young fliers as they struggle to coordinate their wings and tails. Landing on their nests is accomplished much as airplanes land on runways. The birds reduce their speed (thrust) as they approach the landing spot by gliding with its wings out. Drag is induced by holding their rudder-like tails down and flapping their wings in reverse. If they slow enough, they’ll be over the landing spot and able to grab the nest material with their talons.

Salt Point fledgling flying over Cayuga Lake, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

A Salt Point fledgling exploring the cottonwoods, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

O’Leary trying to land on the nest camera housing, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

The tail is down and wings back-peddling to break and land on the nest, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

Learning to land on branches that hold their weight, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

(landing gear) for a full stop. Many fledglings on their maiden landing often misjudge the width of the nest, requiring they circle the nest site and try again.

Before a fledgling can land on a tree limb or branch, it must judge the size of the perch required to hold its weight. Young fledglings invariably misjudge this and struggle for balance on thin branches before giving up. Through trial and error, they learn what perches can hold them and allow them to observe their surroundings. Favorite perches at Salt Point are lakeside so that the fledgling can watch for fish in Salmon Creek or lake.

The young bird’s next challenge is learning to eat fish while sitting on a tree limb. Balancing both itself and the fish takes practice, and several fish are often dropped in the process. Still learning about its ultra-sharp talons, the bird may get them stuck in the tree bark or in the fish bones, another conundrum that often results in a lost meal. A few years ago, a fledgling at Salt Point had its talon stuck on a fish backbone and had to fly around with the fish all day until its siblings helped him eat it.

O’Shea flying over the lake as a storm approaches, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

This is the season where fish fall from the sky, literally, and its always a surprise. Adult Ospreys carrying fish over the lake are often chased by our local bald eagles, the Kleptomaniacs of Cayuga Lake. Perfectly capable of catching their own prey, eagles prefer to let male Ospreys do the work and then ambush them. The eagle, weighing 3–6 times that of the Osprey almost always wins the contest, and the Osprey lets go of his catch. If you find fish on the ground with a few recognizable holes on either side of their body, it was most likely dropped by an Osprey. Young Osprey also drop fish while in flight or while trying to eat. Fish are also flung out of the nest accidently by the youngsters fighting over it.

Watch out below!
Eyes to the sky!

Candace

Candace E. Cornell

Salt Point Natural Area

Cayuga Lake Osprey Network

cec222@gmail.com

Errata: The first photo of Blog #472 was of a fledge, not an adult.

Guest photographer:

Ithaca’s Cindy Sedlacek brilliantly depicts the Ospreys of Cayuga Lake with the intimacy of a true bird lover. Enamored by the animal’s gorgeous wings and graceful flight, her work is a tribute to the power and grace of these stunning raptors.

Sleeping fledgling perching with a fish, a skill the young must learn, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

EYES ON OSPREYS

WATCH!

Salt Point Osprey Cam 2024 LIVE!

Salt Point Osprey Nest Cam 2019-23

READ!

On Osprey Time: a blog about all things Osprey

VISIT!

Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail Nests Driving Tour

Complete Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail

HELP PROTECT OSPREYS:

• Stay 100-300 feet away from Osprey nests during the breeding season.

If the Osprey vocalizes or flies off the nest you are too close! 

BACK OFF IMMEDIATELY.

• Carry binoculars to view wildlife from afar.

• Dispose of used fishing lines, twine, nets, and plastics which

can kill Ospreys and other animals of the lakeshore.

• Become a nest monitor for the Cayuga Osprey Network: cec222@gmail.com.

• Find an injured animal? Call the 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.