Our Livingston Osprey Story

 

We have enjoyed birding for 56 years and have observed Osprey

 all over North America

For the last 10 years we have been observing the Sacajawea /Miles Park neesting pair

 in Livingston Montana

With each visit we witness fascinating behavior in the lives of this nesting pair.

This week I had the good fortune to visit online with biologist Dr. Marco Restani, who is the lead scientist on the Yellowstone River Osprey nesting project.  He works along side volunteer nest monitors and local utility companies who provide bucket trucks to safely reach the elevated nest platforms

These birds are part of he Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society monitoring initiative.

He shared his banding details and brood success data. You are looking at two of the three chicks that hatched this Spring.  Ospreys usually have one to four young per season where enviromental factors and food sources are stable. 

Osprey continue to bring sticks to the nest throughout the whole summer.

Male Osprey delivers a Sucker to his mate and young.

Next fish is even better, a Rainbow Trout.

A second trout is delivered to the hungry brood.

We have observed Trout, Suckers, White Fish, Bullheads, Carp and even a Sturgeon being brought to the nest.

The male goes to a nearby utility pole and feeds on the head.  When the female chirps he brings the rest over to the nest.

Here the female is tearing up the fish to feed the young.

The first hatched chick grows the quickest because ite takes the first dibs on the food.

Full time job to keep this family fed.

The young are banded prior to fledging.  

The young practice "helicoptoring" over the nest to build their flight muscles up for their first flight.

Notice the Yellowstone River's signiture green bands used to identify these birds from a distance.

The banding project celebrated a major milestone by banding it's 1,000th osprey chick from the 80 nests along the Yellowstone River.

Juveniles start leaving the nest in July before migrating in September.  The females are the first to leaave flying to Central and South America for the winter.  The next to leave will be the juveniles but they don't fly together.  Instinct is amazing in that they know where to go even though they have never done it before.  The young remain for two to three years before migrating back north to establish their own nesting territory.  The males are the last to leave.

Before migration, our trio have been returning every night to roost on the nest plaatform so they collectively food beg the parents for fish in the morning.

We have certainly enjoyed watching this family throughout the years.

For more information, go online as there is plenty of data to find.

❤️ Love & Prayers, 🙏🏽

Ty & Ida Baumann