Osprey Check - Day 4

I set out with S from the put-in where the Neck and East Rivers meet.  We head up the Neck, which will bring us close to several Osprey nests.  Although it is again a warm day, a thin layer of high clouds makes it more comfortable than yesterday.

There is more flying today than there was yesterday, but not much more.  It still seems that the young are short of confidence.  The adult Osprey are staying close to the juveniles.  In fact, they do stay closer at this time then when the young are completely incapable of flight such that both adults are within a 100 yards or so.

The only nest that is unoccupied is the nest just below the Bailey Creek/Neck River fork.  This nest has an advantage of having a dead snag tree just 15 yards away.  Leaving this nest may not be as daunting as it is for the Osprey that nested high on the power pole over the railroad tracks.   When we pass the nest area, one of the juveniles gets up and takes a few circles before setting down in a tree.

We head up into the Sneak, which brings out one extremely determined Willet that scolds and follows us for about 15 minutes.  I miss a turn and take us through the Long Cut, which dumps us higher up in Bailey Creek.  We drop back down and again take the Sneak through to the East River.

After a ten minute break in the shade under the railroad bridge, we continue down the East taking the long dead end West Cut across the spartina to the forest, which is again busy with several Osprey, seen and unseen.

The young Osprey are still getting used to their wings.  They are flying only occasionally and not for any length of time...a minute or so is about it before resting.  The adults are standing close watch on the juveniles and appear at times to be encouraging them to fly by demonstration and then perching short distances away from the nest.