Osprey & Phalarope

It has been about three weeks since I last checked on the Osprey, so I headed out there this morning. My last couple of visits I observed mating behaviour and today I wanted to see if they were on eggs yet.

Osprey
Osprey

On arriving the female was on the nest and appeared to be incubating eggs. She always starts calling when the male is near or approaching. This is handy because,

Osprey
Osprey

… it gives you a heads up to prepare for shots like this of him arriving with a fish for her.

Osprey
Osprey

She then takes the fish and flies off to a nearby tree to eat it and he will sit on the eggs. Now the countdown to when the chicks will hatch has begun. After this I headed out to Reifel. In part to help out on the trails and there was a Ruff sighted their yesterday afternoon. The Ruff being a fairly rare shorebird to see in these parts. On making my out to the outer ponds there was no sign of the Ruff, but there were a couple of other interesting shorebirds mixed in with the Dowitchers. A Stilt Sandpiper too far off for photos,

Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope

… and a Wilson’s Phalarope which did come in a little closer to the trail.

Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope

With Phalaropes it is the female that has the colourful plumage and dominant behaviour. This one being a female Wilson’s Phalarope.