Farewell Osprey Nest

This weekend my buddy and I discovered that our favorite subject was no more. During the covid shutdown we discovered an Osprey nesting pair with two chicks in Eleven Mile Canyon near Lake George Colorado. We spent many mornings watching the parents feed the chicks, the chicks practicing flight behaviors and finally flying and fishing on their own The narrow canyon allowed us the opportunity to predict where they would be, and I could climb up and shoot level with the nest. Unfortunately the tree that held the nest came down in a snowstorm last week. The nest and two eggs were lost. We anxiously await word on where the pair might rebuild next year. Here are a few shots from that location

IMAGE LINK: https://kevin-jones.smugmug.com/Othe​r/Pikes-Peak/i-NrdTRBN/A

I have a reservoir near me that is known for fishing and the osprey nest at the far end on an old telephone pole that was placed there for the purpose. For 3 years they had the reservoir drained to do repairs, they straightened the falling down pole while it was drained. When I learned the water would be gone for almost 3 years I was sure that was the end of our local nest, they would have to rebuild elsewhere. They did not. They returned to the nest each year, just hunted elsewhere. I myself saw them several times flying up & down a local creek that a nesting pair of eagles currently travel. Now the reservoir has been refilled & things are back to the way they were. Sorry to hear about the nest & eggs but I'm sure they will rebuild close by.

Nice catch of the hummer too.

It was a tough year for big birds in Colorado this year. The bald eagle nest at Barr Lake, a fixture for MANY years, also came down the day after Easter. Rumor is the park may build a man-made "tree" and try to lift the nest (it must weigh several tons).

Sad to hear. One of our nests here came down 2 years ago with very high winds. Authorities did nothing, let nature take care of things. They came back next year & built a new nest in a tree not far from the old. In fact, the same hiking trail that allowed you to view the old nest allows you to view the new nest.

These are the pair, my wife has this on all the time. A rarity, all 3 chicks survived. Many times if 1 is hatched 4 or 5 days after the other(s), they don't survive because they have trouble competing with the stronger siblings for food. These are referred to as H13, H14, & H15.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=kOwT2bkuU4k

The Barr Lake nest was famous and very old. A number of years ago the state built a walkway out into the water and ended with a large viewing gazebo complete with a binocular fixture, just so people could watch that nest!

Pics from day before the tree collapsed.

Lovely shots. That's the kind of background guys like me have to photoshop in.

Wife and I look at those mountains and say "That's why we live here!"

OMG, I just saw the Denver news - the Standley Lake eagle nest collapsed today! The eaglet did not survive.