Osprey nest #3 at Satakunnan sääkset has finally had a hatch - two of them, in fact! There has been discussion and debate for a while now among viewers about whether any of Nuppu and Ahti's eggs would hatch, as they had a long period of exposure to cold during the incubation (due to something scaring Nuppu away from the nest, I believe), and now that they did start hatching, it's a double event. In four days we could be seeing a baby every eight hours until they are coming every four minutes.
[warning for some headless fishes as is standard for osprey nests]
Our young mother Nuppu with her firstborn, N1. What is this squirmy, tiny thing coming out of the smooth rocks she pooped a month ago and instinct has told her to sit on??
Ahti arrives to see his new chick. This is his second nesting season, and Nuppu's first. For telling who's who, Nuppu is banded, Ahti is not.
Yep, that's a baby, alright.
A bit drier baby.
Yes, I think I can see the resemblance.
Nuppu does her best to try and feed the hatchling, but N1 is still too wobbly to keep its head up for long enough to grab the snack. The second egg is starting to have a pretty big crack on the shell. Nuppu tried offering food again later after both chicks had had time to rest after their hatching, and did a great job feeding both, especially for a first-time parent.
...two baby! Hello to little N2, too!
Nuppu with her little ones sleeping side by side (N2 left, N1 right). And with down feathers stuck to her beak.
Neck exercises by N2.
Safely tucked under mom.
The three chicks at nest #1 are already pretty huge in comparison. Sprawled all over the nest yesterday evening with mom Alma watching over them.
I guess that's also a way of tucking in your babies.
Breakfast this morning. The two older chicks are getting harder to tell apart, but I think that's A1 on the left.
Lunch for A2 and A3 while A1 sleeps.
Alma decorating, the chicks not appreciating that she dragged the branch over them to put it on the other side of the nest. A1 left, A2 right, A3 front.
They're a bit harder to fit under mom than Nuppu's clutch is.
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