Osprey questions - let’s get started.

1. What two primary materials are used to construct an osprey nest? 
2. Of the two primary nest materials which is present in a much larger amount and why? What is the purpose of the second material?
3. Why do diurnal raptors or birds of prey such as ospreys place a small amount of greenery in their nest cup? Do you see greenery in the nest? Answer: No one knows for sure, have any theories? Note: Henbit mint is now growing in the nest. This nest has not been replaced each year so ignore the live plants when answering this question.
4. How many eggs will be laid in the osprey nest? 
5. Will all the osprey eggs be laid the same day? Record the date that each osprey egg is laid if on different dates until the entire clutch is present. 
6. What day will the first egg hatch? Second egg if present and so on until all eggs have hatched.
7. What do ospreys eat? See if you can accurately identify and list all food items brought to the nest.
8. Can you distinguish the female from the male by the size differences? The female also wears a brown necklace unlike the male.
9. Who delivers most of the food to the nest, the female or the male?
10. Who stays at the nest most of the time and does most of the incubation? After hatching who guards the chicks most of the time, the male or the female? Can you think of a possible good reason?
11. Can you identify the color of the adults’ eyes? As soon as you can, compare this eye color to the color of the chicks’ eyes. Are the eyes of adults and young ospreys the same color or different? What color eyes do young ospreys have? 
12. When the chicks are young see if you note any camouflage in the feather color. What part of the nest does this pattern best match? 
13. Can you see a difference in the size of the chicks if more than one chick is present? If there is a size difference, what purpose(s) could this serve?
14. Note the size of the chicks, how much are the chicks growing each week based on their approximate size from week to week?
15. Why do the chicks need to grow up relatively fast?
16. The osprey chicks or juveniles will be as large or larger than their parents when they are ready to fly. What is the easiest way to distinguish the adults from the large youngsters when the distance is too far to see eye color? 
17. Why do ospreys always live near water? 
18. What would happen to the osprey population if poisons such as harmful pesticides somehow found their way into our lakes and rivers? Has this ever happened to ospreys before?
19. What do many people and ospreys have in common-both do often? Do people and ospreys ever eat the same food? Can you name the food?
20. If an osprey finds healthy non-contaminated food and the osprey families can successfully nest and increase their population, is this a good indication that our environment is safer for people?