Susan Daughtrey's photo shows two babies in the Ski Alley re-purposed osprey nest at Stump Pass State Park.
"The two little hellions are obviously getting their share of the groceries," said William Dunson, Nature Walk columnist for the Gasparilla Gazette. "In previous years they have feasted on royal terns."
Dunson said the ospreys re-nesting nearby have been unsuccessful in rearing young, perhaps because coons or great horned are killing them.
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Susan Daughtrey’s photo shows two babies in the Ski Alley re-purposed osprey nest at Stump Pass State Park.
"An osprey nest high in a Norfolk Island over our house has seen epic struggles this year between great horned owls and resident ospreys," Dunson said. "It is interesting that the ospreys have now won out and the owls have left. I attribute a lot of the success of this pair of ospreys to the great nest site provided by this tall tree. But these particular birds are fierce and have even driven off an eagle."
