Checking in on the PLO

Sometimes it is good to remember and compare. The little Osplets at Port Lincoln have grown so quickly that is seemingly unfathomable that they were like this only a week ago!

There is Little Bob in front the same way that he has been all along. Yesterday Big and Middle Bob waited patiently for their turns while he ate.

Yesterday a very large fish came on the nest at 12:44:16. mom was still feeding and eating at 13:38:39.

This is the beginning of the feeding. You can see the fish. Notice the two older Bobs – Big and Middle – waiting for Little to eat. Then they can have their turns. Little ate a lot and went to sleep. Food coma!

Mom continues to feed Little Bob.

Look at how close in size Big and Middle Bob are to one another!

Little Bob is out for the count and now Mom is feeding one of the older siblings. They waited nicely. No pecking. Just patience. Wow.

You can see how much is left of that big fish – the tail and a bit. Little Bob has woken up and Mum is feeding him again! They will eat the entire fish.

That will give you an idea as to how much has changed regarding their consumption. A week ago that fish would have lasted all day. Now it is only one meal. The osplets are able to eat lots more at a sitting.

Awww. Mum is checking with Little Bob to see if he wants some more bites before she eats. And, yes, of course he does. Why am I surprised? This little one is an endless pit.

They have all passed out and now Mom can eat the last of the fish and the tail. She needs food, too!

At 16:02 they are still asleep or just waking and continue to have large crops.

The cam operator pulls the image out and you can see that the Mom must have had a small piece of that earlier fish hidden. She is topping off the little ones. Remember. They will double their size in four days!!!!!!! Wow.

The golden glow of the sun setting is kissing the Port Lincoln Nest. Everyone is full and happy. It has been a civilized day. All of the chicks are now into their extreme growth period with their reptilian plumage (or lack of).

Did you know that a group of Ospreys is called a ‘duet’? I didn’t. Hawks Aloft published that fact today. They said it is because Ospreys are solitary. They only pair up for breeding season. They also said that it was because the pitch of the male and female is different so when they are calling, it sounds like a duet. Interesting.

I do think that David Gessner and others Osprey watchers in Cuba would disagree with the statement that they only pair up for breeding seasons. The reason I say that is when I first read it, I went ‘wait’. Large flocks of Ospreys have gathered together to fly over the Sierra Maestra Mountains in Cuba. Gessner wrote about this in his book, Soaring with Fidel. So do Ospreys gather together when it helps the group? only in pairs for breeding? and are solitary when it comes to fishing? They certainly don’t seem to help one another like the American White Pelicans who, together, get the fish to swim to a certain shallow spot so they can all feed. It is all curious.

Yesterday Tiger Mozone and I questioned why certain Ospreys are violent. The comment was related to the Port Lincoln Ospreys. Is it in the DNA? is it a result of toxins in the water that have concentrated in the fish and then in the Ospreys? Dr Greene at the University of Montana has studied heavy metals. Is anyone studying the toxins in Australian waters? I have not had time to look into this but will as well as the suggestion of the DNA connection.

It is now 04:49 in Port Lincoln. Mom is trying to sleep. Let us all wish them a great fish day. I will bring updates later tonight.

Thanks for stopping by. These little ones are growing fast and behaving themselves. Thank goodness. Take care everyone.

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took these screen shots.