Ospreys are rebuilding

Last night was a big night for storms in our area! Unfortunately, the Ospreys lost the top portion of their nest. I'm not sure if it just sunk down or if it blew away, but it was definitely damaged. Today, they were working on the rebuild! Poor guys, they've had such a hard time this year! I'm not sure if they had laid eggs yet, but I think it's good that they are working on it, instead of just abandoning it!

This is the nest today

Speaking of abandoning! I ran into Tom and Colleen Becker, local birders from Southern Indiana, on Sunday when I went to the Clark Cabin site to check on the Eagle nest. They had just spent about 2 hours with their scope set on the nest. They reported that even though they saw an Eagle, there were no signs of activity on the nest. I'm pretty disappointed about this, as I'm sure many will be. Tom said that sometimes it may take a pair of Eagles a few try's to finally get it right. We'll just have to wait until next year! Hopefully, they will hang around the area, so we can still enjoy their beauty!

This is the nest a few days ago when a 3rd Osprey was trying to hone in

Osprey

While I was at Shippingport, I saw several other interesting birds! So, I thought I would share! I saw a different looking type of hawk. I don't think I have seen this kind before. I have posted it to flickr, and asked for help with the ID. I will let you know as soon as I find out.

Hawk

Double Crested Cormorants spend quite a bit of time at Falls of the Ohio! Many days you can see them sitting on the weir in a line. When the water is down, they spend time on the rocks and fossil beds. Sometimes at Shippingport, I will see them swimming around in the bay near the locks, or doing a flyby!

Double Crested Cormorant

I also got to witness a Red Shouldered Hawk flying over me carrying a snake! It was pretty cool! She flew straight over to Sand Island, (the island across from Shippingport, closer to the locks) and through the trees. I'm assuming she had a nest over there. It wasn't very long until I started hearing the squawks of Red Shoulders!

Red Shouldered Hawk

A very big treat for me, was getting to see Caspian Terns! They were flying around and fishing in the bay. At first I thought they were gulls, but as I was photographing them, I realized they weren't Gulls at all! I can't say I have seen these kind of Terns anywhere other than the ocean!

Caspian Terns

You will probably hear a lot about Shippingport from me this summer. I started going there to watch the Ospreys last summer, but I have discovered it is a great place to see a wide variety of birds! Ryan met me over there last Sunday, and the place was dead! You know, like when you just hear crickets chirping! I'm sure he thinks I'm making this stuff up! LOL

Posted in: Caspian Tern,Double Crested Cormorant,Osprey,Red-shouldered Hawk,Shippingport Island