The month of May is here and we can expect (and hope) to see, day after day, the familiar image of Annie incubating her 3 eggs, partially visible in the photo. Occasionally Squam will incubate as well, allowing Annie a break to consume some fresh fish. Even the nest building has slowed down although there is constant tweaking of this stick and that clump of grass. If you watch enough, you may see Annie adjust her position, at which time she often reaches down and, with her beak, carefully rotates each egg. And as both Annie and Squam move around the nest now, you will notice that they curl in the talons and toes, almost appearing to walk on the sides of their feet, all in an effort to be sure not to puncture or crack an egg. They are both remarkably cautious around the eggs.
I am still predicting a late May to early June hatching of their eggs. So, between now and then, all we can do is watch and wait.
Around the region, most pairs have settled on eggs, but other pairs are still unsettled, moving between platforms or other nest structures, leaving some nest monitors wondering what is going on. It seems to me there are more unsettled pairs this year than past years, but that is an impression more than a fact. In a growing Osprey population like the one we have in our region, there are younger Osprey joining the ranks of breeding pairs each year, and especially the males can be aggressive about trying to take over other nests/females or moving from one nest site to another before settling down. Usually at some point in May, 99% of pairs will be committed to one nest site or they will have abandoned breeding for the year. We may discover a few late pairs (usually first-timers) in June/July, known as housekeeping pairs, that start a nest but do not lay eggs. One way or the other we will figure it all out, thanks to the many volunteer nest monitors scouring the region for breeding Osprey.