Fledging

Fledging is a hazardous time for young ospreys. From about 5 or 6 weeks old they will start exercising their wings perching on the edge of the nest, furiously flapping their wings and helicoptering above the nest for a few seconds.

The youngsters typically take their first flight when they are about 7 weeks old, leaving the nest for a short while before returning again. The young birds have to master flight and, just as important, learn how to land. They could face trouble if they are not able to return to the nest.

The maiden flights of the three chicks

Blue 8C2

Blue 8C2 is the first osprey to fledge. Early in the morning of Tuesday 11 July she flew off the nest, to the surprise of her siblings, and safely landed on the camera pole. She stayed there a while and then gracefully returned to the nest about ten minutes later.

Blue 8C3

Blue 8C1 

Feeding

The parent birds still continue to deliver fish to the nest and the young are dependent on their parents for their supply of food. However, they're now old enough to feed themselves and are not entirely reliant on the adult birds to feed them.

They occasionally squabble over the fish delivery, although, at Foulshaw, there's always been more than an adequate supply of food for them all, even if the fish is sometimes too big to handle!

The work of Blue 35 is nearly done and she now needs to build up her strength after having spent the last 7 weeks rearing the chicks.

She may not be in the best condition and will spend the next few weeks feeding before embarking on her journey south.

She will normally be the first to set off, leaving the young to be fed by the adult male (White YW) until they are ready to migrate.

Preening

Just like typical teenagers, the young ospreys seem to be constantly preening themselves! However, for them it is a vital activity in waterproofing their feathers and getting rid of their juvenile down.

You can see the birds relentlessly rubbing their bills and heads against their preen glands and then distributing the oil through their feathers.

Fun and games on the nest

These next few weeks are fascinating to watch as the young ospreys take on their individual characters and the family dynamics begin to show.

They'll soon be gone so don't miss out on their adventures. Keep watching the live osprey webcam.

Five on the nest is a bit crowded particularly when mum wants to do some housework!