Honey Harbour - Leaving the nest

I drove up to Honey Harbour, Greg and Aimee's cottage, on an island, on Saturday. As we came in to the dock I could see that there was an Osprey in the nest. Last year a young couple had produced one offspring but Aimee and Greg thought it unlikely that it would survive as it was still hanging around the nest when they closed up in September and the parents had already left.

This year, again, 1 "baby" but he looks strong

and on the second day (while sitting on the dock, reading and watching the grandkids swim and play) I could see him frequently jumping up into the air

flapping his wings and trying to fly.

Periodically one parent or the other would fly in, bearing fish.

The days are "bookended" by coffee on the dock in the morning and watching the sun go down from the dock in the evening. In between time is spent between the cottage, deck and dock.

The Ospreys (in a dead tree across the bay) are a constant source of entertainment

but they are not the only wildlife, there's loons, swans, geese, ducks, water snakes, turtles, herons

and the constant sounds of a variety of frogs in the bull rushes.

Aaaaaah.

On the third day we saw, from the deck, the young Osprey take flight and he landed on the old flag pole next to the dock

I grabbed my camera and crept down the stairs and along the walkway towards him.

He kept a close eye on me the whole time

sometimes weaving his head back and forth as if to get a look at me out of each eye

It wasn't until I looked at these photos on the computer that I realized he only had a good grip on the post with one foot.

He let me get right in front of him down on the walkway to the dock

before he started fussing.

and eventually

flew away to land on a post on the other side of the bay. He flew around and to and from the nest most of the day.

Again ....

aaaah.