The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics has 42 types or “disciplines” of sports and there are a total of 329 medal events. This includes 157 men’s events, 152 women’s events and 20 mixed-gender events. Twenty-eight of the 32 sports are considered “fully gender equal”.
Wow! That’s impressive, but here is a game the International Olympic Committee failed to include in those disciplines.
That would be the game of “Pick-up Sticks” … you remember that game you played as a kid, right? I liked it because not only could I play this game of skill with friends, but, as an only child, it was a game I could play by myself.
On a recent trip to Lake Erie Metropark, while doing a routine Osprey “chick check” I found the Mister and Missus out and about, cruising overhead, providing me plenty of photos for a post, but no sign of their offspring.
However, after a while I noticed one of these awesome Ospreys was doing a yeoman’s job in bringing back the twigs, some that were like small branches. The other Osprey, however, was content to do an occasional fly by, then did considerable chirping as time after time its mate returned to the nest with twigs in its talons.
I know from researching the Osprey pair at the fire station last year, that there are identifying characteristics to tell the male from the female and, that females, like most raptors, are bigger than the males. So the identification process is flawless, that is, if these fish-eating birds of prey are perched side by side. However, in dutifully doing my research to write this post, I also learned that it is the male that does the heavy lifting in bringing home the most twigs to fashion the nest, not only scouting for them on the ground, but literally ripping them off trees as he flies by. Then, if they meet with his mate’s approval, she arranges them in the nest. I assume her chirping was the equivalent of an “Atta Boy!”
And, by the way, no, the Missus is not a slacker; she has other duties like incubating the eggs. The male Osprey keeps the eggs warm when she flies out for a bite to eat.
So let’s give it up for the male Osprey, with its stick-gathering prowess to match any athlete’s prowess out there in the human world.
Here are my photos from an hour spent with these AWESOME OSPREYS.
I hope you had as much fun reading about and seeing the photos about the Ospreys as I had watching them.
Terri does not have a Challenge this week. Next week will be a color challenge, gold, like the gold medal this Osprey deserves!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wow! That’s a HUGE stick! So they’re still working on the nest, this late into summer? We have an osprey that is fishing the pond across the street from us. I have seen it numerous times fly over our house with a fish. Yesterday I saw it fly over the house with a muskrat!!! A BIG muskrat! I’m always out walking the dog and I never have my phone. Yesterday I had quite a long look at it as it flew, would have been an awesome photo. Still, I thought about that poor animal a lot yesterday. I don’t know where the Osprey nest is, but I’m sure this was a messy lunch.
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Dawn, I was amazed how huge that stick was and the Osprey could barely carry it. He looked down when it dropped as if scoping out whether he could retrieve it, but it was stuck in the fence. Interestingly, this was about three weeks ago and I saw no chicks, so I figured they were still working on the nest for the eggs/offspring, so I thought I’d wait a few weeks before going back there. However, I follow a local photographer on FB who was at the same nest last week and said the offspring have fledged. So I figure they were hunkered down in the nest when I was there. I drove by the nest a week ago Saturday, stayed in car to see if they flew back to the nest – they were gone! How did I miss them? Last year the fire station Osprey family didn’t fledge until September. That’s amazing about the muskrat – wow! I’ve only seen them carrying fish. What a sight, gruesome as it was. I once heard/saw a Peregrine Falcon pursuing a medium-sized bird. I looked up as the shrieking was horrible – then it stopped. The shrieking sound stayed with me for a long time and I imagined the Falcon nabbing the bird in mid-air.
I hate missing a shot as I didn’t carry the camera. A doe was wandering along the edge of Council Point Park the other day right after I left. Someone posted the photo in the Residents Forum.
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They are fascinating! I would see them down at the shore.
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Probably down there fishing; I watched them fishing a few times … they swoop down in an instant to grab up a fish in those huge talons!
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They are amazing fisherbirds.
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Yes, they are. There was a video circulating on social media a few years ago of an Osprey that caught a huge fish that weighed it down so much he struggled to keep from losing in his grip.
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This is the video if you haven’t seen it.
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Miss Linda…………………………..yes that was a great picture story of the Ospreys………………………………I enjoyed the close up pictures of the ospreys coming and going around their nest
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Thank you Ann Marie. I was lucky to be right beneath them, even closer than for the Osprey at the fire station which I think are higher up in their makeshift nest. It is amazing to watch them and their nest tending.
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😃❤️You are famously fabulous with a camera and your words! Lots of enjoyable fun reading your story!!
And that sling shot photo was perfect. I gasp when he dropped it, but Yorkie came over to cheer me up.
Sorry that you didn’t get to see the fledglings. But that will be okay. Keeps our appetite for more to come in the future! 😉
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Thank you TD! I had some fun with this post. When I watched the two Ospreys I decided I would do a post just about them. This of course was because I figured I’d have plenty of pictures of the “kids” down the road, but it takes a while for them to hatch/fledge, almost two months, so I don’t know why I didn’t see them in the nest, unless they popped their heads up after I left? I may have more Osprey pics that were before this one – not sure. I’ve taken a lot of walks and I may have used them before. I have my photos uploaded by walk and I have not updated my grid of walks taken lately. I was amazed at the size of that stick and it struggled with it and I thought the Red-winged Blackbird would cause him to drop it. Yes, something to look forward to, plus the fire station Osprey didn’t have chicks, (that I could see anyway). Last year the fire station offspring were there until September.
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Lots of times I wish I had my camera with me. But on the other hand sometimes it’s fine to just see something.
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Yes, because you sometimes miss out while you’re fiddling with the camera (even though I shoot on automatic).
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What a good read!
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Thank you Anne! Something a little different for today!
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If the three little pigs were involved,I would expect a nest made out of bricks!
Some eagles nests weigh many tons. When they come down (and they always do) they make a big thump!
Great shots Linda!
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Yes – and imagine those three little pigs carrying those bricks – about as great a feat as this Osprey with the huge stick. I wished I could hand it off to him. I thought about loosening it from the fence to help him out, but he was soon off in pursuit of more sticks. This nest is huge and amazes me how they hold it all together with its twiggy parts. Thank you Wayne – I’m glad you liked the shots!
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Very nice & interested you sharing & written the games Osprey “! You recommend the stick games for Olympic games. Wonderful photography.
That there are identifying characteristics to tell the male from the female and, that females, like most raptors, are bigger than the males. So the identification process is flawless, that is, if these fish-eating birds of prey are perched side by side.
He was an over-achiever and dropped that big ol’ stick next to me. I wanted to help him.
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Thank you Raj – I am glad you liked the photos.
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What a lucky experience to watch these beautiful birds “pick up sticks” and make their nest. You were at the right place at the right time Linda!
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Yes, I felt very fortunate to see this Diane. It was amazing to watch the interplay as the male brought sticks and she kind of “patted them into place”. I read they use moss to hold the twigs/nest together unlike Robins and Swallows who pack it with mud. I was in the right place at the right time!
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That’s a very beautiful osprey portrait, Linda! You did get some amazing pictures, well worth the time spent capturing them. How cool to see them working on their nest and soon there will be some chicks! I love the look on her face in the “If looks could kill” shot. Seeing the underside of the male’s wings while he was transporting that slingshot stick was breathtaking. Fantastic post, my friend!
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Thank you Barbara – I am glad you liked the photos and I did feel I was rewarded with these nice photos from staying there watching them for an hour. The male brought back several other sticks to the nest to pass muster before attempting to carry that huge stick. I didn’t really notice the female Osprey’s face until I saw the images on the screen and then noticed the raised foot, like she was exasperated with him. 🙂 I think Ospreys are striking birds, including their underside of their large wingspan.
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Osprey are intriguing. Being able to pick up sticks is a skill I don’t usually associate with birds, more of a squirrel thing!
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Yes they are intriguing Ally, especially when they are fishing because they swoop and aim right for the water. I see them at Lake Erie Metropark fishing sometimes. I never saw the Ospreys collecting sticks until I started following this pair. They are always adding to the nest and on this day, I wondered what the urgency was, if a hatch was imminent, or the chicks were getting bigger and the nest needed reinforcement because he was going back and forth toting sticks continuously – I just included three times.
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Ospreys are so cool, we didn’t get out this year to photograph them as we were elsewhere but I do like them. The sticks are a big size for them to carry and place. And they have huge nests so that’s a lot of work for them.
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I was amazed Susan. The female flew out a few times, then stayed put and he was tirelessly bringing back sticks to put into the nest. It was fascinating to watch. I only included three of his efforts. They are big nests and with all the high winds we have been having this Summer, they must reinforce it well, as it has stayed intact.
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You do a great job of captioning your photos and telling a story.
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Thank you Eilene. When I watched this stick-gathering process, (and there were many more sticks retrieved than I featured in this post), I decided it warranted a fun post all its own.
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I really like how you connected this to the Olympics
And enjoyed the little
Tidbits about the summer games!
Also- your photos are stunning and I truly did enjoy observing these birds in this great-flowing post
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Thank you Yvette. It was entertaining to watch this stick-retrieval process and the female inspecting each stick to pass muster. It made me smile and I knew it would make a fun post.
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🙂🙂
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Interesting and a great series of photos, Linda. I don’t think I ever played pick-up sticks.
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Thanks Ruth – glad you enjoyed the post and photos. It is fun to play. You get a canister and inside are plastic sticks which are pointed on both ends like a knitting needle. You hold them in your hands like you would spaghetti noodles and let them fall and you try to pick up sticks without disturbing the other sticks in the bunch. I could play the game by myself since I didn’t have siblings … great self-entertainment. 🙂
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You get good shots of birds! The constant travel with sticks made a cozy perch.
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Thank you Esther! It was fun watching the two of them, especially the male as he brought back multiple sticks – I just wrote about three of them. I couldn’t believe he toted back that really big stick that he dropped! The nest is so big – it’s amazing to see.
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Gorgeous photos as always.
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Thank you Linda, glad you liked them!
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I love how you go that extra mile to research and learn about things that you come across on your travels. The Ospreys sound so beautiful to watch .
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Thank you Zena. I thought it would add something to the post as I was going to focus on how powerful the male was to carry (or try to carry) that large stick for the nest. I watched these Ospreys interacting with each other. They are amazing to see. I went last Friday to a different nest and got some photos of Juvenille Osprey – they were fun to watch as well.
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Ooh, I bet I know what they say before feeding – Let os-prey!
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Well, I am glad you have caught up on my posts JP because I have missed your quips!!
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