Victor, the Moorings Park Osprey, catches his first fish 🎏

[Donkees]

Jul 17, 2023

Vic is a young osprey born March 3, 2023. Vic's first flight was May 19, 2023. Vic's home nest is at Moorings Park in Naples, Florida. This video is a slideshow of screenshots captured July 15, 2023, from the live stream on Moorings Park Osprey's Youtube channel.

This is the first (and only) known instance when Vic caught a fish. Until this day, Vic's father (Harry) would bring one or more fish per day to the nest for Vic. This was a major event in Vic's life, because the next day Vic would leave the nest and not return. Vic is now a self-sufficient young bird of prey, apparently capable of capturing food when needed.

For those of us who have followed Vic since he / she was very young (we aren't sure of Vic's gender), it's with a mixture of pride and sadness that we say goodbye and wish Vic godspeed on the next phase of life. A beautiful, fearless bird. We all hope that Vic and Vic's eventual offspring will live long and well.


Victor the Moorings Park Osprey Finally Departs Nest

Jul 16, 2023

This video is a slideshow of screenshots captured July 16, 2023, from the live stream on Moorings Park Osprey's Youtube channel. As far as we know, this is when Vic (no one's sure of Vic's gender, so we'll call her/him Vic) left the nest, maybe forever. Only time will tell.

Thank you so much to the folks at Moorings Park for the countless hours of enjoyment many of us had, watching Vic and Vic's sister, Abby, hatch, grow, learn to fly, and go out on their own, all the while being cared for by their parents Harry and Sally.

[Drum]

1. I have been following this osprey family nest since early March...

I’ve so enjoyed the evolution of the chicks/pips and the devotion of the parents. I check every day. The growing-up and the departure of the young ones has been bittersweet!
Thanks for this update!

Donkees, are you a regular poster there under a different name?

[Donkees]

2. No, I've just been watching almost daily and was touched by the beautiful send-off by the viewers

who chat there and care so much. I'm happy for Victor

[Drum]

3. Me too...

…we’ve all been urging Vic to start flying and get engaged in his adolescent solitude, and now they’ve gone and done so. Ahhh Nature!

[Donkees]

4. I didn't think he could continue on that nest in the broiling heat ...

I have read that it is not so unusual for an Osprey fledgling to be a 'late bloomer' and he seems very healthy.

At least now he is free to seek shade and shelter from storms, and probably continues to see his family in the direction he flew. I'm not sure how far Florida Osprey travel around this time of year, but hope they all stay safe through the worst weather ahead.