Three osprey chicks have hatched in a Boulder County osprey nest this week, with the third osprey chick hatching earlier today, May 29, as observed by the Boulder County Osprey Camera. One more egg is expected to hatch in the next couple of days. The update posted on Wednesday stated that “Dad has been providing plenty of fish, and leftovers have been seen in the nest several times today. He's proving to be a dad worthy of mom!” The latest update says that the first two chicks are eating and thriving.
The mother osprey laid the four eggs on April 16, April 19, April 21, and April 24. The first chick hatched on Tuesday, May 27, after 41 days of incubation. This specific osprey nest is one of several in Boulder County, according to the county.
This particular osprey pair moved to the Boulder County Fairgrounds in 2003, when they began nesting on a light pole. The ospreys returned each year and wildlife biologists relocated the nest to an area east of Cattail Pond in 2009. There is an interactive timeline on Boulder County’s website that shows significant events for this pair of ospreys since they first nested at the fairgrounds in 2003.
The female returned to the nest on March 24 this year, and a new male arrived on March 28. It is unknown where the previous male osprey is or what happened to him. The previous male left the nest on September 15 to migrate to Central or South America and has not been seen since then. When the ospreys migrate south, they split up and go to different locations, but the male and female usually return to the same nesting site in mid-March.
Boulder County staff takes a hands-off approach with a strict, non-intervention policy for all raptors, including osprey. This is to prevent stress which can cause more harm to the wildlife or potentially death. Osprey chicks have a 50-percent chance of surviving their first year.
