The attack came yesterday at dusk. With both Osprey parents away from their nest of three chicks, the Bald Eagle sweeps in from over the water. One of the Osprey parents suddenly enters the frame in tow and ready to defend the nest, but it can鈥檛 match the speed and power of the eagle, which manages to snag one of the chicks with its huge talons before taking off.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing video really,鈥 says Steve Kress, vice president for bird conservation at the 探花精选 and director of the 探花精选 Camp on Hog Island, where the nest is located. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the best videos I鈥檝e ever seen of eagle predation.鈥
But Kress also acknowledges that the clip is bittersweet. For loyal viewers who have followed the nest on since the Osprey chicks hatched this spring, the news has been a hard reminder of the reality of nature鈥攁gain. Last year, the pair of Ospreys, named Rachel and Steve, suffered much earlier on and lost all of their brood. With this year鈥檚 chicks鈥擡ric, Little B, and Spirit, who was taken鈥攂eing much larger and ready to fledge any day, it seemed as if they were safe from another eagle raid. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize they鈥檇 take chicks that big, but now we know they do,鈥 Kress says.
As Kress notes, however, while the video shows just how powerful and fast a raptor attack can be, it鈥檚 also a good example of how natural instincts can take over. When Little B, positioned at the front right of the nest, sees the eagle, he鈥檚 able to immediately recognize it as a threat and takes off for his first-ever flight鈥攕ooner than nature had intended. Meanwhile, Eric, located in the rear of the nest, hunkers down to blend in and become a smaller target. Such is the instinct to survive.
The predation of an Osprey nest by an eagle might come as a surprise to many, but eagles are the ultimate opportunists. 鈥淭hey take what鈥檚 around and what鈥檚 available,鈥 Kress says. And though the activity from the 探花精选 Camp located nearby usually keeps them away, in the end, 鈥渢here鈥檚 nothing you can really do.鈥
The past two year's attacks could also point to a larger trend for coastal birds as Bald Eagle populations continue to rebound. According to Kress, eagles are increasingly attacking other birds鈥 nests and fledglings, especially those of Cormorants. Even their mere presence on an island or around a nesting site is enough to upset the current delicate balance.
As for Rachel and Steve, this most recent nesting drama at least ends with a silver lining. Not only did Eric survive, but according to an update this morning, 探花精选 Camp staffers found Little B on the mainland alive and well鈥攚ith his parents perched nearby.