The first picture of the year comes to us from OWSEM member Barb Jensen. She was out watching the osprey pair from Dawson Rd. building a new nest at Windfall Hill (near the East park entrance) at Kensington Metropark and shot this great picture of the male bringing in a rather large stick. This nest platform was installed 3 years ago and this is its first use. We're guessing the female of this nest got tired of the boat traffic coming by at her old nest at Dawson Rd. and decided new digs were in order.
Barb Jensen photo; used with permission.
OWSEM member Jim Kortge took this picture a few days after Barb was out. It is the Windfall Hill nest during blizzard conditions. It was snowing and the wind was blowing at 30+ MPH directly into the camera lens. Not fun, as the birds were nowhere to be seen, and it was COLD!
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.
With nicer weather on Tuesday, April 13th, Jim Kortge went out again to Kensington to see what the ospreys were doing. A photo of the Windfall Hill nest confirmed that the female is indeed the osprey from the Dawson Rd. nest. In a larger version of this photo, one can plainly see her colored ID bands, placed there three years ago.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.
This is probably C09 and his mate. We won't know for sure until someone reads his green leg band and the colored ID class bands on the female. However, chances are very good that these are the Wildwing Lake pair back for their 6th nesting season. We're hoping they can raise another 3 chicks like they did last summer.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.
The male at the Highland, MI cell tower nest giving the photographer the evil eye. We now know this is C42.
The return of this chick is a major milestone for the osprey reintroduction program. This male osprey (one of three) was born at Kensington at the Wildwing Lake nest in 2003 and would be the first known 2nd generation chick to return and nest. His parents are C09 and mate.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.
This is the Highland, MI cell tower nest female. We've not seen this amount of "necklace feathering" on other female ospreys. With this unique pattern, it should be easy to identify her in coming years.
The first picture of the year comes to us from OWSEM member Barb Jensen. She was out watching the osprey pair from Dawson Rd. building a new nest at Windfall Hill (near the East park entrance) at Kensington Metropark and shot this great picture of the male bringing in a rather large stick. This nest platform was installed 3 years ago and this is its first use. We're guessing the female of this nest got tired of the boat traffic coming by at her old nest at Dawson Rd. and decided new digs were in order.
OWSEM member Jim Kortge took this picture a few days after Barb was out. It is the Windfall Hill nest during blizzard conditions. It was snowing and the wind was blowing at 30+ MPH directly into the camera lens. Not fun, as the birds were nowhere to be seen, and it was COLD!
With nicer weather on Tuesday, April 13th, Jim Kortge went out again to Kensington to see what the ospreys were doing. A photo of the Windfall Hill nest confirmed that the female is indeed the osprey from the Dawson Rd. nest. In a larger version of this photo, one can plainly see her colored ID bands, placed there three years ago.
This is probably C09 and his mate. We won't know for sure until someone reads his green leg band and the colored ID class bands on the female. However, chances are very good that these are the Wildwing Lake pair back for their 6th nesting season. We're hoping they can raise another 3 chicks like they did last summer.
The male at the Highland, MI cell tower nest giving the photographer the evil eye. We now know this is C42.
This is the Highland, MI cell tower nest female. We've not seen this amount of "necklace feathering" on other female ospreys. With this unique pattern, it should be easy to identify her in coming years.