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Observations & Images
23 May 2007
Approximate age of nestling(s) in days: 56
Today was almost a repeat of 21 May with regards to the food situation. Everyone got their turn at eating a lot either on their own or with a little help from their mother.
The aggressive nestling still, occasionally, goes after the little nestling to maintain its priority to the food supply. This shows the tail end of a mix-up between the two.
The female flies off toward the Indian River Lagoon.
Again, like 21 May, a great number of fish are brought to the nest by both the female, shown here, and by the male.
The female brings in another fish which she has already partially eaten off of in peace from the nestlings' attentions upon a nearby perch.
The male flies in with a fish he has already decapitated.
The abundance of fish is providing the fuel to energize the nestlings for the next great stage of their development---attaining the ability to fly. Today the aggressive nestling shows that it is gaining on the large nestling's pace of growth.
The aggressive nestling took several impressive hovering flights over the nest today. The altitude and the duration of flight all seemed easy to the bird.
The female, at left, and the large nestling, right, watch the effort.
The aggressive nestling comes in for a landing.
The large female nestling also made several hovering flights throughout the day of greatly increased duration than seen on 21 May.
The nestling also appeared to be dealing with the physical exertion of the flights much easier as well for on 21 May she looked quite exhausted after each effort.
The large nestling gears up for another hover flight.
She rises into the air.
Her airborne display caused the heart to race a bit for it looked like for a moment that she would break free of the nest.
But she was not ready to take that big step yet for she retreated back to make a safe landing in the nest.
The family, minus the male who is off fishing, lines up for another group portrait.
 
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OspreyWatch by Bob Montanaro
www.lunarcabin.com - - - - www.ospreywatch.org