Bird chicks that is.

I've returned several times in the last week or so hoping to see some sign of chicks in the Osprey nest at Natick Street on the Nashua River. I had heard that others had seen one or two, but I had yet to see any encouraging signs.

Last night I stopped as usual on my way to do my weekly grocery shopping. The route takes me right by so how could I not stop?

Anyway, I thought I saw some feeding behavior by the female, and some movement through the gaps in the nest that might have been a chick. But the photos were pretty inconclusive. I was also shooting handheld with my 100mm-400mm zoom, so the images weren't as sharp or as magnified as they could be.

Hopeful that indeed there were chicks, just too small to be easily seen, I returned tonight with my big lens (500mm + 1.4 teleconverter for a total focal length of 700mm) and my tripod. Initially it still seemed like I was out of luck. I asw no sign of food at the nest and things seemed pretty quiet. But I kept watching, knowing that timing in nature photography (as in most things) is everything.

I would have never seen it if I wasn't looking through the camera, capturing images anytime I thought I saw movement that wasn't caused by one of the adults. In this first image the female is on the left and the male on the right. And no chick anywhere.

Adult Osprey only

In the next image, taken less than 1 minute later, the adults haven't moved much. But if you look through the gaps in the nest, just below the male (the bird on the right) you'll see an object where none was before. In the upper gap, you can see the tell-tale red-orange eye of an Osprey chick! (To get a much larger view, click on the image and you'll see the full-size photo up on my website.)

Adult Ospreys with chick peering through gaps in the nest.Confirmation at last! So now there are 2 Osprey nests with chicks on the Nashua River, with 1 confirmed sighting (by me at least) at each nest. And maybe more. Time will tell.

I also noticed during my last few visits that the adults were still bringing sticks to the nest. I interpreted this as an indication that they were still trying to get the nest right and that there weren't any chicks. I now believe that they are contiuing to improve the nest, either out of necessity as the chick(s) grow larger, or possibly to try to keep them away from the prying eyes of the many visitors this nest gets each week.

Also of note is a family of Mallards with rather mature chicks (no image) and this adorable family of 8 Wood Ducks. I think this poor mom (right-most bird) has 7 boys...what a handful!

 Mother Wood Duck and 7 baby boys!

It looks like it will be an interesting summer on the Nashua River after all!