And just like that, we have another marriage on the Bayou! It is funny how quickly things can change and, to my way of thinking, for the better. Just a few weeks ago, there was a bitter brawl in the skies over one beautiful lady. Two young male ospreys were at odds over the love of the young female. Their territorial ways were getting the best of them as they tried to impress the female. She was having no part of them. Then, just when it appeared that she may be eyeing one as a possible suitor, in pops a third male. Things got real intense for days.
Today, however, the new suitor won his ladylove. Although the other two were still trying to compete while he was performing the "Fish Dance", she ultimately accepted his gift. That, in the osprey world, meant she accepted his proposal and was ready to nest. He had performed the most spectacular soaring and plummeting moves, caught the largest fish and outdid his rivals. The happy couple will now nest and raise their brood.
Living on the Bayou gives me the opportunity to witness many things. The "Fish Dance of the Ospreys" is just one. There are so many wonders out there, folks. You just need to step outdoors and investigate. Once you really began to "see" things instead of walking around in a daze of everyday humdrum, the amazing sights will lure you to return day after day. Life is good.
It seems as if a couple of interlopers has invaded the osprey territory. For the past week or so, there has been a lot of dramatic aerial shows above the Little Bayou House. The "home" pair have already been together for three years. Now, two young males have moved in to try and woo the female. The older male that has been here for a number of years is in the battle of his life! Being more adept because of age, he would be able to dismiss a single interloper but having two to deal with at the same time is something else again. The dominant male never gets a rest. When he and his ladylove awake in the morning, they immediately head to the water to fish. She sits in the dead pine calling to him while he tries to find the finest fish available to bring to her. This is part of their courtship each year. While he is out over the water, the other two younger males are doing display flights in front of the female. So far, she has not been amused and has even gone so far as to help her mate evict the two.
A couple of days ago, I was erecting yet another fence for grapevines when I heard the screaming overhead. Looking up, there were five ospreys just above the pine tops. The resident couple, a younger female and the two interlopers. One of the young males was relentless in trying to woo the resident female. This did not set well and both older birds attacked. Needless to say, the interloper was sent on his way to find another home. This left one problem for the osprey pair to attend. After a brief rest, the pair flew at the other interloper but he took refuge just down the shoreline and refused to leave. His attention had now turned to the new female.
This morning, the aerial attacks were in full force again. The piercing screams continued throughout the day and I noticed that the "deported" male was back again. The older pair seemed to be sure that they were not going to be split as they were adding to their nest but the "new couple" was still a bit iffy. The battles were between the two young males over the young female. Hopefully, the birds will work out their problems and get this nesting stuff underway. It appears that we may have yet another nesting pair in the area and a couple of broods of little ospreys in a few months!
The springtime Fish Dancing has begun! A few days back, I wrote about an osprey that took noticed of the old dog and me as we relaxed on the pier. This was a solitary bird that was simply soaring above us while it fished. Today's ospreys were doing something far different. The male was doing the "Fish Dance" to impress his ladylove. The female perched in a tall pine tree on the edge of the marsh while her suitor did his best dance. He would soar to great heights only to stop, hover, drop, hover and so on until he was just above her. Then, he would flap his wings vigorously to gain altitude once again. Most of the time, his legs were dangling beneath him unlike when he is actively hunting.
After several times of this undulating aerial dance, the male osprey's attention turned to hunting a mullet. The female osprey sat on her tree branch screaming encouragement to her beau. Once he had snagged a nice fish, he immediately flew to the pine tree, danced a bit more then presented his ladylove with the gift. She accepted! The marriage is official!
Now that these two are a happy couple, they will begin to build a suitable nest and start their family. The male will take over the fishing completely while the female lays and incubates the eggs. He will bring her fish so she only has to make short flights to get water and bathe. After the eggs hatch, she will still spend most of her time on or next to the nest while the male provides. Rarely are the chicks left unattended especially with the nesting bald eagles in the area. The eagles are not beyond raiding an osprey nest and stealing the young.
I find it interesting to watch the critters of the Bayou. After a bit, you begin to understand their actions and appreciate the individuals involved. Just a few years back, we had one pair of ospreys nesting on the Bayou but, thankfully, we now have about a dozen pairs in the general area. They are amazingly beautiful birds with quite the elaborate lifestyles!
