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Question
We have an Osprey nest on our property (Port Charlotte, FL) with a couple that have been breeding here for about 5 years. This year all was going normally. She laid eggs and he would bring her fish a few times a day and give her a break on the nest. This week, he seemed to vanish and she has been on her own. We saw him yesterday morning on the nest with her, but then he left. It seems he checks on her in the mornings, but then is gone all the rest of the day and does not feed her. Any ideas of why he may be doing this? It seems odd that he would not be here while she is on the nest with eggs,like he has been in the past.
Not knowing your exact situation and what has changed over the years, I can't give you a specific answer. Maybe the fish supply nearby has diminished, maybe there is more disturbance near the nest, maybe there's another osprey pair somewhere, maybe the male has another female (rare, but it happens), maybe the male is getting old, maybe the weather pattern has changed........... or something else.
Think about what has changed in your area over the last five years; that might give you an explanation.
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| Comment | Thank you for your quick response. We were suspecting that a disturbance near the nest as our neighbor cut down a tree on the property line making quite the commotion might have had something to do with it. We will now conduct our tree trimming to when they are gone in the summer. Thanks again. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Roger Lederer
Expertise
Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience
Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.
Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico
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