365Caws is now in its 16th year of publication. If I am unable to post daily, I hope readers who love the natural world and fiberarts will seize those days to read the older material. Remember that this has been my journey as well, so you may find errors in my identifications of plants. I have tried to correct them as I discover them. Likewise, I have refined fiberarts techniques and have adjusted recipes, so search by tags to find the most current information. And thank you for following me!
Friday, July 23, 2021
Test Pilots
Day 283: While paddling around Lake St. Clair yesterday, I heard the familiar call of an Osprey from their annual nesting site on a small island. Looking up to the broken crown of a tall Doug-fir, I could see what I initially took for a parent bird sitting on the rim of the massive nest. Occasionally, it would stretch its wings or turn its head, and after watching for several minutes, I decided to move on. Coming around on the other side of the tree, I turned the 'yak toward the nest again and thought I could see a second bird. The first raised its wings several times, and then the second began flapping and fluttering. At that point, I realized that these were two juveniles experimenting with the mechanics of flight. The second bird seemed to rise from the nest slightly as it beat its wings, and then suddenly, it lifted clear of the nest and caught three or four feet of air before settling back into the bowl. It only happened once in the ten minutes I watched them, and I was fortunate to be able to capture photos of the best action.
Labels:
flight test,
juvenile birds,
kayaking,
Lake St. Clair,
Osprey,
Pandion haliaetus
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