I know it's very poor consolation, but as we bid farewell to EJ and wish her well through teary eyes, there is development in a little Osprey saga on the other side of the world. I've been keeping watch for a couple of weeks on the nest in Queensland, Australia, which was moved before this breeding season. There didn't ever seem to be much happening on that nest while the mother brooded her two eggs, and the camera seemed to be on a loop each day (because it's never night on the camera). However, this morning, 41 days after she laid her first egg, there was what appeared to be a broken eggshell pushed to the side of the nest.
An hour later (6.30 am Austraian Eastern time) Mother Osprey was standing, looking down at one egg and one brand new baaby osprey chick!!!!! The broken eggshell has now been cast from the nest and the whole scene is bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun.
Anyway, here is the link. www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm
Smiles, Jan.
Very sad news was posted yesterday on the Queensland Osprey Site. The nest is now empty. the camera is still trained on the empty nest, hopeful that perhaps the pair will try for another brood this season. Because these ospreys do not migrate, their breeding season isn't so time-sensitive, so there is hope.
The information on the website indicates only that the hatchling and egg have failed. I've been monitoring this nest closely, and I really believe there is more than that to the story. I am still convinced that I saw at one time two hatched chicks in the nest. Later it was obvious that there was one hatchling and one egg, which I believe could have been a replacement egg for a failed chick. The mother never stopped brooding this egg. The hatchling was growing well, with plenty of fish and attention from two devoted parents. Then yesterday morning, I thought the camera was looping again, because I saw the nest with only one egg and two parents, no chick. Yeterday afternoon, the egg had also disappeared.
The parents were too attentive to have been the cause of this disaster. I suspect that the chick was snatched by another raptor during a brief absence of the mother from the nest. Whether the egg was also raided, or removed by the parents, I just don't know.
Wattle15 said: Very sad news was posted yesterday on the Queensland Osprey Site. The nest is now empty. the camera is still trained on the empty nest, hopeful that perhaps the pair will try for another brood this season. Because these ospreys do not migrate, their breeding season isn't so time-sensitive, so there is hope. The information on the website indicates only that the hatchling and egg have failed. I've been monitoring this nest closely, and I really believe there is more than that to the story. I am still convinced that I saw at one time two hatched chicks in the nest. Later it was obvious that there was one hatchling and one egg, which I believe could have been a replacement egg for a failed chick. The mother never stopped brooding this egg. The hatchling was growing well, with plenty of fish and attention from two devoted parents. Then yesterday morning, I thought the camera was looping again, because I saw the nest with only one egg and two parents, no chick. Yeterday afternoon, the egg had also disappeared. The parents were too attentive to have been the cause of this disaster. I suspect that the chick was snatched by another raptor during a brief absence of the mother from the nest. Whether the egg was also raided, or removed by the parents, I just don't know.
Hi Wattle,
How distressing for you. I know how I feel about the LG nest and chicks. What raptors do you have that would have snatched a chick? - thank goodness we don't appear to have any here.
Libby :o)
Sorry to read of your sad tale: I know you thought things were not right, when they did not show much live action. Hope that as you say, the pair are good parents, they can now start again & be successful this time.
Libby:
Young nestlings and unhatched eggs would be vulnerable to any meat-eating bird of a size capable of lifting the chick out of the nest and flying away with it, either in the beak or in talons. Just off the top of my head that would include eagles, hawks, kites, currawongs, and even our beloved kookaburras, to name just a few. then you have to consider rivals for the nest, either other ospreys or other birds which may find the nest very attractive real estate. In this case they would just evict nestling and egg from the nest.
Council may not know exactly what happened either, since the camera is only actually 'live' during working hours, looping for the rest of the time. A lot can happen unseen during the one minute intervals between camera shots, too.
The GOOD news is that the nest is still being visited by ospreys. Whether they are the original residents or not is unknown, but it does show promise of a possible clutch still being raised here this season.
Thanks Wattle for explaining what may have happened in QLD. We have been so spoilt by the the continual webcam (well, almost), the LG team keeping us informed about off-camera events and the LG bloggers watching & reporting day and night.