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Woolwich, Maine

August 4, 2010

JudyB-Eagles.com

After checking in on the Sasanoa osprey (story coming soon), I wandered over to the Taste of Maine Restaurant to check in on the web cam chicks. They had fledged 2-2½ weeks ago (July 17 and 22), and the cam has been offline for a week and a half, so I was wondering how they were doing.

As I drove in a little before 7 pm, it looked as if someone was at home.
osprey chick
(click for a much larger, somewhat cropped picture)

It is indeed one of the chicks (all pics click larger).
osprey chick

A check of the monitor in the lobby shows there's no one hiding in the nest.
osprey chick on monitor

I went in to have a quick dinner (naturally requesting a table with a view of the nest)
view of nest from table
(note the binoculars on the window ledge for those wanting a closer look)

The chick continued to hang out at the nest, peeping from time to time, and generally letting it be known that she also thought it was dinner time.
osprey chick

This picture didn't come out very well - but shows her waving her wings up and down as she peeps - not flapping, but sort of adding emphasis to her demand for food.
osprey chick demands food

About 7:45, she decided to head across the road, to one of the places the adults sometimes perch.
osprey chick flying

I had them box the rest of my salad (I really was about done) - and went out to see if I could see where she was, and if anyone else was there. Can you find her before you click to make it bigger?
osprey chick in trees

She stayed there for a while. I didn't see anyone else - and I'm guessing she didn't either or she would have joined them or done more peeping to encourage them.
osprey chick in tree
(I'm afraid the larger version is a bit blurry - it was getting fairly dark by then.)

It occurred to me that the area with a view of the tree provided a different perspective on the nest and the restaurant.
Taste of Maine Restaurant

Around 8:00 pm, she took a swing out over the marsh
osprey chick flying over marsh

Then headed back to the nest
osprey chick landing

And landed gracefully on the perch.
osprey chick on perch

She sat there looking around
osprey chick on perch

And was still there when I left, ten minutes later.
view of nest with chick on perch and surrounding area

If you'd like to see additional pictures from this nest, and from the osprey and eagle nests "around the corner" on the Sasanoa River, you can use the link for my Local Wildlife Home Page at the top of the page.