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July 25th - Lowell, MI Osprey Nest Visit
Lowell, MI osprey nest on RR bridge
The Lowell, MI osprey nest is located southeast of town on an old railroad bridge spanning the Grand River.  Shown in this photo are the female (flying) and her remaining single chick.

This nest was active last summer according to locals, and probably produced one or two chicks.
Lowell, MI female sans bands
We watched and photographed the nest for two hours, hoping to see bands on either of the adults. None were seen.

This is the female is coming in for a landing with legs down, and is clearly not banded. The male was only seen briefly, and did not appear to have bands either.
Lowell, MI chick trying its wings
One of the highlights of our visit was seeing the chick trying its wings. It flew above the nest several times, reaching heights of 3 to 4 feet, but always with feet and head down, ready for an emergency landing.

This chick has probably fledged by now.
Lowell, MI chick waiting for food
This is the last shot we got of the chick, alone in the nest, waiting for mom or dad to bring it some food. During the time we were there observing, the chick was not fed.

Copyrighted images on this page provided by Jim Kortge.
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