On June 20th, the chicks at the two Kensington Metropark nests were banded.

The first nest to be visited was this one located in the Windfall Hill Bay area of the park, just past the east toll booth. This osprey pair previously nested on a platform like this one near Dawson Rd., but moved to this platform upon returning this spring.

Two of the three chicks in this nest can be seen with their mother. This is the 4th season this pair has produced three chicks, an amazing feat!

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

A photo of the banding crew putting the ladder in place prior to fetching the chicks from the nest. The are from the DNR and the Detroit Zoo and have been banding the osprey chicks at Kensington for the past several years.

This year, each chick was banded with a silver US Fish and Wildlife band on the left leg and a pair of purple class bands on the right leg.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

While a bit hard to see in this photo, this chick is getting the US Fish and Wildlife band applied. This band has a metal tab that requires closing with a pair of pliers. It helps to have two people - one holding the chick and the other closing the band.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

An unexpected visitor, as the boat was leaving the Windfall Hill Bay nest, was this male osprey who arrived on scene and hovered above us calling and putting on a show. At the time, we thought maybe it was C09, from the Wildwing Lake nest, but after looking at the photos, is was determined this male is unbanded.

Now we are wondering where he came from!

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

The next stop for the banding crew was C09 and mates nest on Wildwing Lake. We had assumed there were also three chicks here, as that was the number we had seen weeks earlier during a check of this nest.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

We soon learned that this chick being retrieved from the nest was to be the only remaining live chick. The other two had inexplicably perished.

This chick was very large for its age, very healthy, and probably a female. DNA test results will confirm its sex, but those are not yet available.

The body of the dead chick from this nest was taken to the Detroit Zoo for analysis. Hopefully, they can determine the cause of death.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

Five days later, on June 25th, the banding activity moved to the cell tower behind Acme Building Materials, south of Brighton.

In this photo, the tower climbers have reached to top and are getting the rope in place that will allow the chicks to be ferryed to the ground in a canvas bag.

Notice the very large wing of mother osprey over the head of the climber in the red hardhat. She did not like them there and dove at them several times.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

Here is what the climbers saw upon reaching the top catwalk of the tower. These chicks are approximately 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old and hunkered down like they are supposed to be when danger is present.

There were three chicks in this nest last summer also.

Steven Cirelli/Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

One-by-one the chicks were brought to the ground in a canvas bucket via the rope. A towel is placed over the chick so it can't escape.

Jim kortge photo; used with permission

Each chick received a US Fish and Wildlife band on the left leg, as shown here. The two purple class bands that can be seen in the foreground will be placed on the right leg.

Additional activity includes checking the chick for parasites and fungi, a general health check. and a blood draw for DNA analysis to determine sex.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.

With the climbers off of the tower and the crowd underneath departing, mother osprey returned to the nest and her antenna perch above her chicks. It took about 45 minutes from start to finish to band the three chicks in this nest.

From here, we journeyed to the Lake Nepessing Rd. cell tower nest and repeated the process for the three chicks there.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission.