CHARLO & HELLGATE, MT~2019 - 2025

catwoman · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:11 pm

Hellgate Cam link:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/hellgate-ospreys/

Charlo Cam link:

https://explore.org/livecams/birds/char ... sprey-nest

Facebook link:

Ferenz · **Posted:** Sat Mar 16, 2019 9:50 am

Hellgate, Montana

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

For Hellgate:

Hello everyone!!!

We went from very wintry here (way down below freezing) not too long ago, and now it is getting well up into the 50's.

Charles Eldermire, the director of the bird camera program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is here for the week. He is helping me upgrade the Hellgate nest camera stuff.

We are hoping to go up to the nest tomorrow (Thursday, 21 March). We plan to replace the camera. The one we put up last year does not focus as close as we need when it is completely zoomed in. So that meant when we zoomed in on hatching eggs or small chicks it was not in focus!! Not good! The camera we are going to swap with it does focus much closer, so we should be in good shape. We are also replacing the IR Illuminator so that we can watch the birds at night.

Happy first day of spring!

Best, Erick Greene

Beth · **Posted:** Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:01 am

Thanks Swinwk!

Ferenz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:04 am

Hellgate, Montana: Full Moon over Missoula

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

Iris arrived home @ Hellgate this morning!! :spring1:

Montana Osprey Cams
Woo hoo!! Iris returns looking hale and hearty! No doubt about it - look at those speckled irises. Also her behavior is that of a very confident, returning bird.

She is an amazing bird - probably about 23 years old at least. She looks in great shape, and all ready to go for another season. Now just hoping that Louis survived the winter.

Best, Erick Greene

Ferenz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:13 am

Hellgate Osprey - 8h8 hours ago :egg19:

Quote:

4/2 Iris touched down at 9:51:50 mdt this morning.
This marks the earliest Iris has returned in several years.
In 2011 Iris returned on 4/1. Never underestimate Iris!

https://twitter.com/HellgateOsprey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9& ... e=youtu.be

Ferenz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 03, 2019 2:01 pm

Hellgate, MT - Iris at 10 AM

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

Ferenz · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:50 pm

Hellgate Osprey

Quote:

4/5 At 10:49:41 a large brown & white feathered bird touched down on the nest.
All signs from this handsome bird seem to indicate that this is our beloved Louis,
however we are waiting for Dr. Greene's confirmation.

https://twitter.com/HellgateOsprey

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

Ferenz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:10 pm

Ferenz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 10, 2019 11:03 am

Louis on guard

Ferenz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 10, 2019 11:20 am

Hellgate, MT - Iris' arrival with fish

Ferenz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 10, 2019 11:21 am

Louis & Iris mating

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

From FB:

Montana Osprey Cams
5 hrs ·
Hello everyone - What an exciting week it has been! Having both Iris and Louis survive the winter and looking so energetic and healthy is pretty amazing. I have just spent several days at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with the Nest Camera folks who help make the Hellgate camera happen. We have been planning for the coming season and the coming years.

I just want to give some of my perspective on Iris and Louis, and what might happen this breeding season. First of all, I want to remind everyone that we are so privileged to be able to get such an intimate view into the lives of these amazing birds. Although sometimes it is easy to forget, but this camera is not a Disney movie that always has a happy ending - these are wild creatures doing their best in the face of challenging and changing conditions.

Here are a few of the reasons that I am so excited about Iris and Louis. First of all, Iris is an amazing female. I estimate that she is at least 24 years old. This nest platform was put up in November of 2007, and Iris took right to it in the spring of 2008. So this marks her 11th year at this nest. Before that, her nest was on the crossbars of "owl pole" where they often take their fish to eat. (A nest so near power lines is really dangerous, which is why the Hellgate platform was put up). Iris nested on the owl pole for at least 10 years. And since Ospreys typically don't start breeding until they are 3 years at a minimum, Iris is at least 24 years old! This makes her one of the oldest known Ospreys in the entire world! So it is very interesting to see how such a seasoned and veteran Osprey mom does year after year.

Louis is a relatively young male, and I am interested to see how his fishing success improves each season. He has always been an enthusiastic bringer-in-of-sticks and moss. But the last few years he had trouble fishing during the very high and muddy spring flood waters. The rivers are just starting to come up, but he is already bringing in good-sized trout and mountain whitefish.

So no matter what happens this breeding season, it is a treat and honor to have front row seats to the Iris and Louis show. Buckle your seat belts and enjoy!

Sincerely, Erick Greene

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

Louis is spending time at another osprey nest!! Tweets from Hellgate:

4/20 1) Many of you have noticed Louis has not been frequenting the nest. Louis has been spending considerable time at another nest. The nest is located at the Baseball Stadium. The former male at that nest did not return from migration.

2) We are very early in the breeding season and things are still in flux. We will trust both Louis and Iris to figure this out. We have an amazing new opportunity to learn from our ospreys. Remember this is nature and we are only observers.

3) Louis and Iris are processing this situation as ospreys. There are many unanswerable questions that must allow for time to unfold.

Edit to add: :buzzybee:

For additional info, I am adding this from FB announcement of female arriving at baseball stadium back in March:

Montana Osprey Cams
March 26 at 9:52 PM ·
Hi everyone,

Osprey season has begun again in western Montana! The female osprey from the baseball nest (the next nest downriver from the Hellgate Osprey nest) arrived back this evening. She is typically the first osprey to arrive back in this area, and her mate usually arrives the next day or so after her.

She looked pretty tired sitting in a tree, but I would be tired too if I just flew several thousand miles to get here!

Buckle your seat belts!
Best, Erick Greene

Ferenz · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2019 9:53 am

HellgateOsprey-Apr 26,2019: Iris laid the first egg at 6:40am.

photo from Louis & egg > https://twitter.com/HellgateOsprey

No chance to see the egg...

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

Osprey thought to have been Iris touching down on April 2nd and 3rd was not. Louis still spending time with the female on the baseball park nest next door. Update from Eric:

Montana Osprey Cams
10 mins ·
Hello everyone,

Sorry I have been AWOL for a while! I am teaching several new classes and labs this semester, and this has been taking up most of my time. We are starting final exam week and so I will have more time.

But there is never a dull moment at the Hellgate Osprey nest! This is turning out to be a very different season, with some new twists in Osprey behavior. First of all, it is apparent that Louis is spending a lot of time at the next nest down the river (at the baseball park nest). Louis Matteau is a wonderful photographer, and he has been spending a lot of time documenting what is going on at both nests. Louis (the osprey, not the
photographer) has been mating with Iris, but not bringing in many fish. Although this behavior, of a male spending time at two nests, has been seen before, we don't know how it will impact Iris.

Iris laid her first egg on 26 April about 6:40 AM. Since Louis is not bringing in too many fish, we are not sure if Iris will be able to keep her energy up or raise chicks. This is disconcerting for us, but we don't know how this will play out with these Ospreys.

Also, several KEEN observers has noted that the first Osprey to show up at the Hellgate nest WAS NOT IRIS! There was a female that showed up on 2 and 3 April, and I had posted that it was Iris. One of our excellent osprey watchers, Allison Lanier, noticed differences in the wing feathers of the first bird and Iris! Iris has a primary feather that is molting back in - this creates a "gap" in her wing. The first bird does not have this. I have posted a couple of the photos that Allison has analyzed. Thanks Allison - it is watchers like you that keep us on our toes!!

So who needs soap operas?? I don't know how this season will turn out for Iris, but she continues to impress me with her strength and character. She is my role model!

Sincerely, Erick Greene

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:41 am **Posts:** 12732

And this is the 2nd FB update from Eric today: (1st one is above)

Montana Osprey Cams
24 mins ·
Hello everyone!!!
It just continues to get curiouser and curiouser! So we know that Louis is mating with the female osprey at the baseball nest about 1 mile down river, and he has been incubating there and bringing in fish.

Today he also brought in a fish to Iris, and spent a little time incubating too! So Louis is trying to do double duty as a father with two females. Although this is known among Ospreys, it is pretty rare. So it seems that Louis might be a Mormon Osprey! So we have front row seats to this wildlife drama. We don't know how it will work out, so we all need to take a deep breath, calm down and hope for the best.

Thinking back about last year, Louis might have been doing this then too! Remember that there were long periods of time we did not see Louis last year. But he did show up with fish and help out with incubating from time to time. And Iris managed to pull off one big healthy chick last year!

So here is hoping! Think pure thoughts!

Cheers, Erick Greene

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CHARLO & HELLGATE, MT~2019 - 2025

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