More suspenseful times at nest #3 of Satakunta Ospreys. Fledgling Myy spent her second night post-owl attack at the nest. No disturbances, but she didn't seem very at ease sleeping on her belly like a nestling anymore.
Myy gets up and guards at the edge of the nest.
Eventually she dozes off and tucks her head under a wing. Usually birds sleep with their beak tucked into their back feathers, but Myy seemed to prefer having her beak in her armpit. Maybe it's a skill she needs to learn like any other. This is already a step in the right direction towards learning to roost in a tree for the night.
Early morning preen.
Then an unexpected encounter in the afternoon. Myy was alone in the nest, though Ahti could be heard alerting in the distance, and suddenly an unknown osprey landed at the edge of the nest. The intruder is unbanded as far as I can tell, and seems to be an adult female.
Myy stayed flat, calling, either at the intruder to go away or at her parents to come help.
Gathering her courage and getting up now.
Myy sees Ahti land in the watch tree on the right.
Ahti takes flight, and Myy begins approaching the intruder, screaming.
Ahti has a fish, and when he lands Myy redirects her attention to claiming it.
Myy mantles and begins eating. The stranger, too, seems very interested in the fish. Ahti doesn't look like he approves.
Shoo!
After the intruder flies away, Ahti goes in after her to make sure she leaves the territory. Female intruders are usually left to the female of the resident pair to chase off, since with females being larger a male is at a disadvantage if things come to a fight. I think Ahti really wanted her away from Myy, whom she could have hurt if she tried to take the fish and Myy was reluctant to hand it over, so he didn't wait for Nuppu.
Myy spots Nuppu flying back to the nest while she's eating. She doesn't look like she's feelling very hospitable after the experience she just had and with a fish to defend.
That Nuppu lands almost on top of her probably doesn't help.
Myy screams and flaps her wings at Nuppu, and so mom flies away. She later lands on the camera to guard Myy, and in the meantime Ahti comes back and lands in the other watch tree farther away from the nest.
Tough kid. And she'll need to be, so this has been an excellent lesson for her.
The fish has been eaten, so now mom is allowed in her room again.
1 comment:
That, was kinda awkward..
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