More interesting osprey behavior. On several past occasions, during
intensive multi-year, dawn-dusk observations of breeding osprey in the PNW,
incubating females have been observed leaving the nest in late morning
(after eating first meal or two and accepting male offer to incubate eggs)
to join several other breeding females from adjacent nests at communal bath
often located in shallow corner of lake, river or bay. For 30 minutes or
longer on quiet day with no disruptions, they would stand near one another
and bathe without much wading around or audible vocalizations. Each bird
would then depart the group within a few minutes of one another and return
to their respective nests or perch near their nest and preen. Often, the
attending male incubating the eggs seemed to be dosing off in the comfort of
the nest cup and needed quite a bit of prodding from his spouse before
carefully rising off the eggs and resuming his daily chores. Of course, the
guys would then have their usual get together each afternoon, circling high
overhead "thumping their chests" to refute the gossip that had been spread
that morning or to proclaim their hunting prowess and accomplishments of
another forthcoming brood.



Jim Kaiser

Seattle, WA

jim_kaiser at comcast.net