August 22

After learning yesterday that the chick had not been seen on the nest since sometime on Wednesday, August 20 - and knowing that she took her first flight on the 14th, and fledglings usually spend a lot of time at the nest for a week or two, as they work on their flying skills - I was a bit worried, so I headed down for a quick visit when I got out of work. Unfortunately, there was no good news to greet me - the folks at the restaurant hadn't seen anyone on the nest, and I couldn't see anyone flying overhead or perched in the trees.

I wandered back and forth in the parking lot, looking across the road to the trees where the adults sometimes perch, but even though I was there a bit earlier than on the 21st so it was a bit lighter, I didn't see anyone. Eventually I did see two osprey flying - first in circles, sort of mirroring each other, and then the smaller one seemed to be going after the larger - flying very close, and almost touching (or perhaps touching - I had binoculars, but they were a ways away). There were a few calls - which is how I noticed them initially - but no screaming at an intruder, and I didn't get the sense that this was a serious fight, although a couple of times the one on the bottom rolled so his or her claws were facing the other osprey. It happened fairly fast, and they went out of sight behind the trees. It seemed unlikely behavior for someone who had only been flying for a week, and I went home quite discouraged.

August 23

Charlie and I arrived at the Taste of Maine at about 11:30, with thoughts of searching the area on the other side of the road which has some fairly heavy underbrush in places - and saw an osprey on the nest! ☺ And a closer look showed us it was the fledgling - and she had a fish! ☺ ☺

No clue what was going on the last three days - but very, very happy to see things getting back to normal!

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