The Dynamics of an Osprey Family at Shelter Island, San Diego
I went to Shelter Island in San Diego on the afternoon of June 14, 2022 to observe the family of ospreys. When Mama Osprey was done feeding the fish that Papa had caught, she looked at her chicks and seemed to consult with them. Suddenly, she opened her beak wide and cheeped as loudly as she could. At first, I thought she was scolding them for something--one of the chicks didn't let its sibling have much of the fish--but the Mama kept cheeping and chirping so loudly her body shook. Is she nagging her husband, I thought, giggling to myself. Papa Osprey sat on a small post supporting the nest; he seemed to ignore his wife's frantic chirping. Suddenly, he let out an enormous zig-zagging stream of white poop that went; I must say I was very glad I wasn't under the nest. He sat there for a few minutes more, ignoring his wife's pleas. Finally, he took off onto the breeze, soaring away. As soon as he went for the hunt, Mama Osprey quieted down. Then the chicks started peeping. That's an afternoon in the life of an Osprey family.
