Dark Shadows

Good morning from the cold and windy Eastern Shore of Maryland! The calendar says we are almost a month into Spring, but Mother Nature seems to be a little confused today. A freeze warning was in effect last night, we had wind gusts well into the 40 mph range and my daffodils are wondering if they went to sleep in Maryland and woke up somewhere near the Arctic Circle.

I know I am not the only one who had a sleepless night worrying about Audrey and her newly laid egg. We watched her well into the night as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. This Spring has produced some of the coldest, windiest weather we have experienced while our ospreys have been in residence. Early yesterday morning, before Audrey presented us with the first of (your guess here) eggs, COM and I were hoping that egg laying would wait a couple of days to allow the temperatures to warm up. Not five minutes later, our hopes for a delayed egg debut were dashed as the first egg was laid at 7:15 a.m. After tossing and turning all night, this morning we were really relieved to see Tom on the electric box tearing apart his next unfortunate fish victim, and Audrey all snuggled up in the nest keeping her egg warm. Remember, you can click on each photo to enlarge it for your viewing pleasure.

Tom on a cold, windy morning hanging out on his favorite electrical box. The fish was gone by the time this photo was taken.

While Tom was hanging out and digesting his morning meal, Audrey was being a good mom and keeping her egg warm.

Audrey is keeping her 24 hour old egg warm against heavy wind and 33 degree temperature

If something about the ospreycam view looks different to you this morning, there is a good reason for it. We have been having problems with the new pole spinning in the wind due to all of the windage on the camera (complete with expertly engineered K Mart trash can cover-COM at his finest). The old pole had been in place for a very long time, and was silted into the soft bottom of the bay. The new pole, although jetted in five feet, is still not holding in place like the old one. With the heavy winds from the south yesterday, the pole spun almost 360 degrees. The wind has now shifted and is coming from the northwest, which has caused the pole to start spinning back. A stiff northwest wind coupled with a low tide also causes the water behind our house to be blown out. The water becomes very shallow along our water front, and sometimes the mud bottom will be exposed for a good way out into the water. When this phenomenon started happening earlier this morning, a (dark) shadow cast by the camera and camera mount could be seen on the mud bottom through the very shallow water, hence the name of today’s blog. A little bit of the shore line was also visible. The camera view has been changing due to the pole spinning, so the sun is hitting the camera from different directions and at different times than usual. Another problem caused by the spinning pole is that the wires running out to the pole from our dock are now wrapped around the pole a couple of times. COM will go out there to tidy up, unwind the wires and readjust the wandering pole. But due to the cold and wind, he doesn’t want to chase Audrey off the nest just yet. His waders are at the ready, either for water or mud, as soon as the cold and wind depart. Right now, the pole is rotated about ninety degrees to the north of where it usually sits. Please enjoy the new view until COM decides it is safe to brave the elements and put things back to normal.

View of the pole, now standing in mud instead of water. You can see Tom flying off after having his way with Audrey yet again.

Mudflats behind our house caused by strong northwest winds. This allowed a (dark) shadow of the camera to be cast on the mud this morning that was visible on the ospreycam. Tom is flying off after having his way with Audrey.

I want to share a couple of interesting photographs from a few days ago. Tom had been out fishing, and ended up in the drink for longer than usual. When he was able to get out of his predicament, he flew to one of the trees along the water to the north of us. Tom was really, really wet and bedraggled, so he decided to stay in the tree for awhile and dry out.

Tom drying off after spending more time in the water than he had planned

One day last week, Tom was trying to enjoy a fish on the dock just to the south of us. He was joined by two unwelcome visitors, a hungry crow and a hopeful turkey buzzard.

Tom, a hungry crow and a hopeful turkey buzzard on the dock just south of us.

As I close for today, there is a battle going on between Tom and a marauding osprey. For the past several days, we have seen an influx of osprey in the area. From reading Dr. Spitzer’s last post to us, I feel these are the young osprey just now returning from their winter digs and looking for a permanent summer home. Tom and Audrey get quite agitated with the antics of the newly arrived ospreys, and we have witnessed and heard some very heated exchanges, both verbal and physical. So far, Tom and Audrey have defeated all of their challengers with great purpose and gusto!

That’s all for now. Until next time, we remain

Crazy Osprey Man, Mrs. Crazy Osprey Man and Osprey Girl

Don’t forget! Tomorrow is the much anticipated Welcome Back Osprey Party at the Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge in Annapolis, Maryland. Dr. Spitzer will be entertaining members of the Osprey Club with some osprey fun facts at 3:00 p.m., followed by a reception open to everyone from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Details may be found at the Chesapeake Conservancy’s website, http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org or their Facebook page. The reception is open to all whether you RSVP or not, but if you know you will be joining us, please RSVP so The Metropolitan is able to accurately plan for our delicious free nibbles.

If you are enjoying the osprey camera and blog, please consider a donation to the Chesapeake Conservancy so they are able to continue supporting programs such as this one. Go to http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org today. Thanks very much!

Welcome Back Party Reminder

Just a quick reminder to everyone that the Welcome Back Osprey Event is in just two days! It is an open and free event, and we hope to see you there.

Here are the details:
When: April 17, from 4pm to 6pm
Where: Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge on West Street in Annapolis, Maryland
Why: To help the Chesapeake Conservancy and the Crazy Osprey Family welcome back Osprey Cam stars Tom and Audrey as they return to the Chesapeake Bay to rebuild their nest and raise the next generation.

RSVP: If possible, please RSVP here so we can get an approximate head count.

Also, Osprey T-Shirts with Cathy Joulwan’s winning design will be unveiled and available to purchase at the event – all proceeds will go to support ongoing work in land and habitat conservation.

 

If you’re not already a member of the Osprey Club, join today. You’ll not only receive exclusive club benefits, you’ll also be invited to an exclusive lecture by Dr. Paul Spitzer, a conservation biologist and ornithological expert, prior to the event. A true behind-the-scenes look into the life of these amazing migratory birds.

We’re looking forward to meeting some of the osprey’s loyal fans!

The Iceman Cometh (With Apologies to Eugene O’Neill)

Good morning from the fantastic Eastern Shore of Maryland! Everything here has been status quo for the last few days. The nest is looking fantabulous and is ready, ready, ready for some action. Little robber sparrows have been stealing stuff from the nest, but don’t tell Tom and Audrey. As we all wait with breathless anticipation for the laying of the first egg, I thought I would continue with our winter saga. Hence, the title of today’s blog-The Iceman Cometh (and taketh down the old pole)!

When we last left COM and Phil from the Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, the new pole was installed and the new platform was going up. As you recall, the temperature was in the teens the day the pole and platform went up. The next project was to get the camera up and running. COM fabricated a dandy new high tech camera cover, which you will see in some of our photos. Remember, you can click on each photo to enlarge it.

On another very frigid day, the camera installation team was assembled and ready to go. First, COM had to carry the camera down to the dock

COM on his way to the dock with the camera and new high tech protective camera gear

The helpers were down on the dock ready to assist

Helpers await at the end of the dock trying to stay warm

Last minute preparation was going on at the end of the dock

Last minute preparation underway

Once everything was ready to go, two brave souls waded through the 33 degree water to take the camera out to the new pole

Wading out to the pole-Brrr!

Getting the camera to the top of the pole was a slow but steady process

Up the pole with the camera

Almost there

Finally, all the way to the top.

It’s up!

Don’t drop it now, COM!

It was nice to have a new pole, but with it came a problem. The pole wasn’t silted in yet, and windage on the camera caused the pole to spin around almost 180 degrees. It is lucky for all of our viewers that COM got his moniker for a reason. Off he went in the frigid cold, wind and water to put the pole back where it belonged for better viewing and easier access to the platform for the ospreys.

Pole has rotated around almost 180 degrees. COM braves the elements to fix it.

Slow and steady, COM spun the pole back to its original position. Then the pole had to be tightened into place.

Back where it belongs

Now comes the long, cold wade back to shore and our warm house. COM can almost taste that hot chocolate now!

Wading back to shore-the air and water were frigid

Now, you may be looking at all of these photos and be thinking “Well, it certainly looks cold, and there is some snow on the ground, but I don’t see any ice that would have caused all of this extra work for COM and friends”. Just to show you that we aren’t trying to garner a little sympathy for all of our hard work, here is proof positive that “The Iceman Cameth”

Our winter visitors and some of the ice damage to one of COM’s perches

Here are some of our winter visitors. Check out the bent perch

Here is the old pole. It is hard to see the slant due to the angle of the photo

The old pole-it is slanted away from the camera

COM feeds his swans every morning when they are with us, usually November through March. They aren’t supposed to be walking on ice, but swimming in the water

The swans were wary, but the allure of some corn keep some of them on the ice

Once the ice started to break up, a feeding frenzy ensued

Feed frenzy through the broken ice

So let’s shut down winter, ice and cold and get down to the business of waiting for our new osprey family. Until next time, we remain

Crazy Osprey Man, Mrs. Crazy Osprey Man and Osprey Girl

Don’t forget to join us at the Welcome Back Osprey Event on Thursday, April 17 in Annapolis, Maryland. Details may be found at http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org

If you are enjoying the osprey camera and blog, please consider a donation to the Chesapeake Conservancy so they are able to continue supporting programs such as this one. Go to http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org today. Thanks very much!

Sister, Can You Spare A Fish?

Good evening from the lovely Eastern Shore of Maryland! As many of you had noticed, the camera was being contrary for a couple of days, but all seems well now. Fortunately for COM, the problem turned out to be internal, so he didn’t have to go up the pole in the bad weather. It was fun to watch our ospreys in action today, so I thought I would share a little of the happenings that you couldn’t see. Some of you were wondering where Audrey was most of the day. Well, here is a clue:

Lunch is served!

Just so you know that the fish was fresh:

Is The Fish Fresh?

Ugh, I always find it a little disconcerting to watch one of our osprey friends ripping into the head of a still live, flapping fish. Survival of the fittest, I suppose! Audrey spent most of the day on the electrical box at the end of our dock. Her lunch attracted the attention of many a bird beggar, crows and sea gulls to be exact. At one point I looked out, and there were two crows and five gulls sitting on the boat lift, dock and in the water. They were just waiting for Audrey to drop a tender morsel, and she obliged them on a number of occasions. One of the gulls kept making me laugh. It was swimming in the water just under Audrey, and looking up at her very quizzically as if to say, “Hey, look down, I’m here! Sister, can you spare a fish?” I chuckled for a good long time at this comical gull and the patience it showed waiting for Audrey’s spoils. The crows were quite obnoxious and kept dive bombing the feasting Audrey. She seemed quite nonplussed by all of the commotion around her, and kept munching away at a steady pace.

Some of the marauding gulls-Audrey could care less

This is the gull that had me chuckling. A crow friend is also waiting for a handout

This is a good perspective of Audrey on the electrical box and my gull friend. One of COM’s marked sticks is visible in the back yard waiting for pick-up

While all of the eating and plotting to eat was going on, Tom was quite the busy little man. You could probably see him on the camera bringing back sticks and arranging them just so. He picked up several of COM’s sticks out of the back yard, but none of the two marked ones that are out. On one stick hunting pass, Tom grabbed a branch off of a tree in our next door neighbor’s yard to the north, which was one of his favorite stick lockers last year. I also saw him snag a floating hunk of grass out of the water and bring it back to the nest, which is really starting to take shape. Audrey was not helping out much in the nest building category today, but that is okay. It won’t be long until she won’t see much time out of the nest, so I guess we will give her a nest building pass for today.

Audrey sat on the electrical box for a good portion of the afternoon. She ate at a good constant pace for a long time, then just sat and enjoyed the afternoon, all the while clutching her partially eaten fish. Later on, I saw her and Tom fly over to our next door neighbor’s dock just to the south of us. Audrey sat on a piling, still hanging on tightly to her fish. Tom plopped down on the dock next to her, trying to figure out how to get his share of the fish. I went out to take some photos, and as I inched closer, they both decided they had enough of me and took off.

Audrey with her remaining chunk of fish as Tom waits for his turn. They are one dock to the south of us

Audrey heads back to the nest

So I hope this helps the worriers out there to know that Tom and Audrey were safe and sound today, doing what ospreys do-fishing, eating, collecting sticks, building nests and making baby ospreys.

Until next time, we remain

Crazy Osprey Man, Mrs. Crazy Osprey Man and Osprey Girl

If you are enjoying the osprey camera and blog, please consider a donation to the Chesapeake Conservancy so they are able to continue supporting programs such as this one. Go to http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org today. Thanks very much!

Don’t forget about the Welcome Back Osprey event on Thursday, April 17 in Annapolis, Maryland. Members of the Osprey Club will be treated to a lecture by Dr. Paul Spitzer at 3:00 p.m., which will be followed by festivities open to the public from 4-6 p.m. Details may be found at http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org.