Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 16:48:55 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Les Roslund Subject: Confusion in Talbot County MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit OSPREYERS (if you still want to keep that name after this story) - My Osprey are having quite a time out here this season. Last year they struggled and failed, and we blamed it on a young male who let himself be horribly hen-pecked by the female, and they never ever got their nesting act together. This year we are hoping for greater success - and we may be on the way - and then maybe not. Osprey arrival seemed on time, and in the past week they have been regularly using the platform together, and even some practice mating, but rather clumsily so far from what we have seen. And only a few new sticks and a little mud have been brought to the nest. But there is so much distraction around that one can hardly blame them. As was the case last year, there is another pair of Osprey from downstream who come up to challenge whenever our pair have caught a fish. No really big problem with that so far, but still it happens. Perhaps more of a problem, regularly, a Bald Eagle will come by and arrogantly perch on a tree fairly near the nest site, resisting the attacks of the Osprey, and staying or leaving at fully the Eagle's own discretion. There is an Eagle nest not terribly far away. A few days ago, another interloper showed up - my wife observed a female Mallard up on the platform at least twice, rearranging the furniture and bedding to her full delight, always at a time when the Osprey were not around. What on earth was she doing up there? Read on --. And when the Osprey would return, Mrs O would again re-do the details of her nest site. Well, a few minutes ago, in the event that triggered this note, my wife called me to the window for a view of the Crow that was on the platform, pecking vigorously at an egg - but before I got there, an Osprey had come, driven the Crow away, and was perched in bewilderment beside this big egg, now displayed near the side of the nest. Sure looks like a duck egg! The Mallard must have been desperately 'with egg' a few days ago, and dumped it - in the interim, the Osprey have both been on the platform, but not figured out what to do about it, and the Crow almost helped them out - until driven away. Wonder what will happen next. Might this be Mallsprey or even Osduck? By the way last evening, in the beauty of a calm and spring-like time, we were treated to the closely-spaced presence of - a pair of Osprey on the platform - another pair in the air circling above the Creek - two pair of Wood Ducks on the Creek - a pair of Ring-necked Ducks slightly downstream - and then a charming visit of a River Otter along the shoreline, much to the distress of the Ring-necks. Oh, and there was the evening visit of the Bald Eagle in the same time span. Isn't Spring wonderful! Les Roslund/Talbot MOS Hotline Lroslund@bluecrab.org Talbot County Easton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================