Osprey Nests in North America

[joey]

...Speculation is that it was an eagle attack. I am not so sure. I understand there are wounds under one of the wings and the photos shown in the article show a lot of facial wounds to both sides of the face and throat. Yet the talons and feet do not show blood or anything that would lead me to believe Ozzie had locked talons with another bird. I am hoping Dr. Greene, from the university of Montana can examine the body and make an educated guess.

I agree, Chimega

[Kukelke]

August 25

Latest update from O.W.L. rehab centre on little Nel from the Nelson nest:

Graduation day for the young Osprey from Nelson. The young bird and the foster 'mom' were moved out to the Pool Cage that will shortly be home to more live trout to practice with! Both birds are enjoying the new digs and 'Nel' is pumping her wings in preparation for a first flight!

Stop by this week for the last full week of daily public tours, September 1st we will be back to only guided tours on Saturdays and Sunday between 10am-3pm

Please share the good news!
Our twitter followers saw this first! @OWLRehab







https://www.facebook.com/pages/OWL-Orph ... 2845544617

Little Nel looks surprisingly well, especially the development of the feathers are better than I expected. Things definately look better for this survivor now.

[Kukelke]

August 26

Brilliant news about little Nel from the Nelson nest: Nel has fledged!

An exciting morning at O.W.L!
For all of our Nelson Osprey fans, Nel has taken flight! This morning our staff members went to check on Nel in her pool cage. This little video is the scene we were privileged to witness. We are thrilled!

Please share
www.owlcanada.org

VIDEO LINK: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=755045781198319

Screenshot from the video:

[Bea]

This looks like a good flight

[Janne+Ais]

Were does all the water in my eyes come from?

[lianaliesma]

I knew that with Nel all will be good...

[macdoum]

News from the Dunrovin nest: Is Harriet badly injured ?

http://www.daysatdunrovin.com/2014/08/3 ... -delivery/

News & video.

[Kukelke]

I just watched the video a couple of times, and it looks like there are 2 round wounds at the upper part of Harriet's left leg, one of which is bleeding. These wounds could very well be caused by the talons of another raptor, but it doesn't look like any vital organs have been damaged. Flesh wounds with other words which should heal without too much trouble.

The blog mentions that a large bird was seen in the sky above and that they think that bird could have been a golden eagle. If this large bird indeed attacked Harriet, chances are pretty low that it actually was a golden eagle (eventhough there are a very few documented cases that golden eagles prey upon ospreys: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle#cite_note-210)
More likely would be that this big bird was a bald eagle after all, a juvenile bald eagle that is. Juvenile bald eagles do look like golden eagles when seen from a distance, as was the case here. Another thing which might point towards a juvenile bald eagle is that a very large portion of the diet of bald eagles is fish, and that bald eagles are known to be kleptoparasites; that is, that they steal prey from other birds and animals. There are many documented cases where a bald eagle attacks and harasses an osprey who just caught a fish, in order to make the osprey drop the fish mid air, so the bald eagle can pick it up, like here for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvWUv1N45XE
If this indeed was a case of kleptoparasitism by a (juvenile) bald eagle, then it could be that Harriet clung more to the fish she just caught than she would have done normally, possibly because she instinctively knows that her chicks rely on her for their food, now that Ozzie is dead.

Lets hope the wounds heal quickly without complications and that the chicks start their migration soon, so Harriet can heal up and rest before she migrates herself.

[javabird]

Harriet looks fine when she delivers fish last evening and this morning.

[macdoum]

Thanks to Kulkelke & Javabird for the followup. Yes Harriet looks good in the pics.

[Kukelke]

Dunrovin nest update:

Harriet Delivers a BIG Trout and Proves That All is Well

We got a great view of Harriet’s legs when she brought a BIG trout to Sol this afternoon. There is clearly no need to worry about either Sol or Harriet. Both are in fine fetter!



http://www.daysatdunrovin.com/2014/09/0 ... l-is-well/

[Kukelke]

Today's update on little Nel from the Nelson nest:

Guess who got Banded yesterday! We banded 35 birds yesterday in preparation for their release, including the young Osprey, a second year Red Tailed Hawk with transitioning eye color, a young Goshawk that is being released today in Castlegar, The last batch of young eagles and a Harrier!

Stay tuned hopefully for some release photos.

*Just to mention their is no release date set for the osprey as of yet!



https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 2845544617

[lianaliesma]

[Kukelke]

Exciting news about little Nel from the Nelson nest

According a local newspaper in Nelson the plan is to release little Nel later this week or early next week:

Osprey reunion in the works

Bird care specialists at O.W.L. Rehabilitation Society in Delta are preparing to release Nel, the orphaned osprey that was rescued from a webcam-equipped nest near Nelson earlier this year.

“We are working on release for possibly later this week or early next week,” bird care specialist Mindy Dyck told the Star this morning. “We have to set it up with Pacific Coastal Airlines. We’re hoping to fly staff with her.”

Dyck said Nel’s progress has been heartening since she was moved to a 180-foot enclosure, complete with a trout-stocked pool on August 24, and she’s shaping up to be a healthy and aggressive bird.

“She’s a full-on defensive osprey. She does not like it when you come near her. Her foster mom has taught her how to be a defensive osprey, so there’s no problem of her being imprinted. She’s a firecracker.”

Nel has now taught herself to hunt, said Dyck.

“It’s going well. She’s killing her own fish. She’s ready to go, and we want to get her with her migration. I spoke to the biologist this morning, and she saw the Mom around the nest last week. We’re hoping to catch up to that,” she said.

After arriving in Castlegar, Nel will be transported to the area around her original nest. There will be a minimal number of humans present, to ensure Nel is comfortable.

If they’re able to release Nel in the vicinity of the mother, Dyck said it is “likely” the two will recognize each other and reunite. She said the entire staff is working together to achieve that outcome.

“It’s close,” she said.

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/274350921.html

Personally I doubt if it indeed is likely that little Nel and Nellie will recognise each other and reunite. After all it's more than 2 months ago when they last saw each other, and besides that, Nellie isn't in breeding mode anymore for sure. My guess is that little Nel would be chased off by Nellie as any other intruder, but you never know...

I hope the staff of OWL stays close for a while, at least a few days, to monitor Nel and to make sure that Nel indeed catches her own fish and is able to take care of herself.

Nel has come a loooong way since she was rescued -against the odds I might add- and this would be the final step towards a normal life in the wild, so talons crossed for little Nel once more!

[Chimega]

I think they way they intend to release Nel is wrong. She has never flown free before and will surely be attacked as an intruder by her mother if Nellie is still there. Nel has never flown anywhere outside a flight cage and is to start migration with no experience or building of her muscles in the wings and back to support her for long flights such as migration and she's never had another osprey other than her mother for a few weeks and the other female at O.W.L. who wasn't very friendly. Since osprey chicks face many dangers during their first year and so many do not make it, I am really afraid for this one. I do not think she is ready to be set free.

[Kukelke]

I think they way they intend to release Nel is wrong. She has never flown free before and will surely be attacked as an intruder by her mother if Nellie is still there. Nel has never flown anywhere outside a flight cage and is to start migration with no experience or building of her muscles in the wings and back to support her for long flights such as migration and she's never had another osprey other than her mother for a few weeks and the other female at O.W.L. who wasn't very friendly. Since osprey chicks face many dangers during their first year and so many do not make it, I am really afraid for this one. I do not think she is ready to be set free.

The problem is that Nel must be released, and must make her first migration. Although I couldn't find any documentation on ospreys in particular, it is a known fact among ornithologists that some migrating raptors, like different falcon species, do lose their ability, or sense if you like, to migrate when that is not done in their first year.
Therefore it is alpha and omega to release Nel as soon as possible, so she actually has some time still to strengthen her wing muscles and perfectionise her flying skills etc, before the migration window closes and she really has to go.

Having said that, for her own sake it wouldn't be really necessary to release her near the nest where she hatched, she could easily be released at the OWL rehab centre, but perhaps it was part of the rescue deal issued by the authorities that Nel should be returned home upon release.

[Kukelke]

September 12


Tomorrow will be the Big Day for little Nel - release in the wild:

Tomorrow is the big day!

It is with great pleasure we announce that "Nel" the baby Osprey, rescued from Nelson B.C, will be released back to the wild tomorrow afternoon at approximately 2:00 pm at Kokanee Glacier Park, just outside of Nelson. She is ready to go, and with the help, research, and clarity from a Biologist who studied Osprey in Nelson, we feel it is time. Nel is healthy, strong, flying and hunting beautifully. There are 18 known Osprey fledglings in the area of release. These fledglings are all practicing their flying and hunting skills, with an abundance of Kokanee fish in the waters surrounding. So, this particular area is the best, and safest option for Nel. She will be able to join in, adapt, and carry on with the migration. Nel will be accompanied by 2 members of O.W.L, and again, Pacific Coastal Airlines are providing Nels last flight from Delta. This has been an amazing experience for all involved. We are truly grateful for Nels Foster Mom! She really is the hero in this whole story. She provided Nel with experiences we could not have.
From the rescue, courtesy of Nelson Hydro, to Pacific Coastal Airlines, and to all who donated, and supported us through this journey, Thank you! We did it!

Please share
http://www.owlcanada.org



https://www.facebook.com/31158284554461 ... =1&theater

[Janne+Ais]

Thanks Kukelke!
Will it be tomorrow or today? (time lag)

[Kukelke]

Good question. The message was posted on OWL facebook 4 hours ago, and the time difference with the forum time zone is 10 hours. So it's late in the evening (september 11) in British Columbia where the OWL rehab centre is.
Therefore my guess is that Nel will be released today, september 12 (in B.C.), which would be around midnight (0:00) forum time.

[Kukelke]

There's no update on OWL's facebook yet, but...

Nel the osprey flies free

Nel flies free!

Bird care specialists from O.W.L Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society accompanied Nel, the orphaned osprey who has been rehabilitating in Delta since July, to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park to release her back into the wild on Friday afternoon.

Approximately 25 of Nel's fans, including representatives from Nelson Hydro, were on scene to witness Nel's return to the Kootenays. Hidden under a blanket, perched in a small green kennel, she started to batter around the cage in the moments before her release.

Once the blanket was raised, Nel only hesitated for about 20 seconds before surging into the sky and soaring away. She was joined shortly after by another fledgling osprey, who trailed her movements and circled overhead.

Nel eventually settled in a nearby tree, curiously watching the humans below her.

"She's saying goodbye," said bird care specialist Mindy Dyck.

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/274955721.html