10 October 2022
I am playing catch up with what has happened on the three other nests in Australia late this evening. After watching the step-dad care for the four eyases at 367 Collins Street (feed and shade), I turned my attention to Port Lincoln. What a surprise! Dad brought four fish in already and it is only early afternoon!
The first fish arrived at 07:23:40. It was a really nice size fish. The feeding ended at 07:44. All three Bobs had crops.
The second fish arrived at 08:16:13. No one was expecting another fish so soon. This time it was a whole fish that was very much alive. Big Bob got the first bites. By the time the fish was finished – and it is almost like the three of them vacuum up that fish – at 08:34:23, the crops of the three Bobs were bursting.
No one was really hungry when the third fish arrives at 10:31:26. The chicks were fed until the last flake was eaten at 10:49.
Just look at that crop on Little Bob!
The fourth fish arrives at 12:48:22. I cannot imagine that anyone had room for any more fish but, the one good thing about all of these deliveries is that Mum got to eat! I would like to have said that there was no beaking but Little Bob made the mistake of looking Big Bob directly in the eyes and he got a couple of beaks from Big for doing that. If there is discord, never look the other osplet in the eye. Never.
If Dad does not deliver another fish today, the osplets are quite full and have had plenty to eat. I have been reading about Hen Harriers and in the books, it states categorically that a Hen Harrier can live on two voles a day. That is good enough. Wow. I did not know that. Voles are small mouse like creatures that live in burrows.
So we can all relax. Port Lincoln is good. Sweet.
Thank you for joining me for this update on our osplets. Continue to send good wishes for good fishing for Dad. I will try and catch up with Orange and Sydney before midnight. Tomorrow, Tuesday, I have an appointment and my report will not be coming in until early evening. I just wanted you to know.
Update on Collins Street: Mum has returned to the ledge with a partial pigeon at 14:30:33. Incredible. What is this female doing???
Thank you to Port Lincoln Ospreys for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.
Thanks, as always, Mary Ann for your updates. I’m pleased to read that the female has returned at Collins Street. I’ve not observed peregrine falcons previously, it’s really interesting to read about & see glimpses into their lives.
Oh, you are so very welcome, Dorcha. When I first started observing raptors, I found that it was a real learning experience to watch the different species and their behaviour. We are getting a real lesson in anything and everything that could happen at Collins Street this year! I am happy Mum returned. I wish whatever is keeping her occupied at noon would go away. LOL.
PS you’ve got me watching the livestream now at Collins Street 😁
Dear Dorcha, It is truly a mystery to me what is going on during those long absences but, it has been seen elsewhere (still very rare on the streaming cams but it happens). When the eyases are old enough to run up and down the grating of the ledge, they can get in the shade at the other end. In fact, there is another scrape box there that is shaded and protected from the rain. I do wonder why – with increasing temperatures in Melbourne – that they simply do not remove this scrape. Fingers crossed for today!
I really enjoyed watching the feeds at Orange today. Little Rubus had by far its best food day so far, getting lots of bites at the feedings (with the exception of one feeding, where its crop was a bit too heavy to lift, it seemed) and begging loudly for food. Diamond seemed to take much more notice of Rubus today, encouraging it, making the effort to find its beak and then showing great patience in getting the food into it. Rubus is still being sat on or leant on by Indigo a lot, making it hard to sit up and feed, but at least it is generally learning to face the right way! Perhaps Diamond needed time to adjust to the demands of two, particularly with such a huge size discrepancy, but I think she is warming to the task. Xavier, as always, is doing his job brilliantly and would love to be allowed to do more.
At Melbourne, both parents are trying hard. The mystery of mum’s midday whereabouts remains, and I do worry greatly about the lack of shelter at that end of the ledge, but the eyases are all being very well fed. We have to hope dad works out the ultimate mumbrella technique (propping himself up on outstretched wings, with tail fanned out) so he is better able to shade all four during the heat of the day (about 10am to 1pm if it is a sunny day).
Thank you so much for all the updates – it is hard to keep up with all the excitement on the Australian nests over the past few days. Let’s hope the PLO nest settles down and that the osplets have crops too large to bonk over! And our thoughts and prayers go out to SE29 in rehab and to SE30, now without her sibling to help battle the currawongs and learn to hunt. We don’t want her to become this year’s SE28.
Oh, thank you so much for your long comments, Alison. And for that observation about Rufus at that one feeding when it could not get up. I hope that this wee cutie pie has a stronger and longer neck today! And that whatever is keeping Mum away during the height of the heat on the scrape at Collins Street goes away!
Thank you Alison, I too enjoyed reading your commentary 😊
Alison is a fantastic observer. So grateful for her input! Glad you enjoyed it, too, Dorcha.
I re-read this blog today and looked again at all those photos of Little Bob, as always between the two older siblings, beak wide open, getting several wonderful feedings and with such a huge crop! It made me cry and cry all over again. I wish I understood just what it is about losing this particular wee one that has broken my heart.
Yes. Me, too. I have a box of tissues by the computer. I wish the fish had come when Little needed them. He was a true character and much loved.