I spent some time this morning watching the Osprey nest at Bon Tempe Lake, waiting for one of them to return to the nest. I knew there was a mated pair here with eggs, but I wasn't sure how far along they were. Had they hatched? I set my camera up on the tripod and waited to see.

Osprey nests are re-used year after year, sometimes for decades. The snag they're nesting on here is Douglas-fir, a species whose standing dead wood can persist for hundreds of years. Nesting material is SUPER lichen-y - insulation?

The snag also serves as home and granary to a colony of Acorn Woodpeckers. They store acorns in the little holes, and the larger holes are entrances to their roost. Best home security alert system a nesting pair of Ospreys could hope for.

After just 20 minutes of waiting - success! An Osprey arrived! I'd moved my gear out of the way to let another hiker pass and missed the moment of arrival. This was the first photo I took. Parent who was egg-sitting is on the left; recently-arrived parent is on the right.

And then I have a long string of photos of Osprey butts. I can't see into the nest at all from this vantage point, but from their behavior here, I'm reasonably sure they're feeding/tending hungry babies.

While the Osprey pair tended to (what I presume was) their babies, they circled around each other in the nest and switched spots. I was busy with my camera and wouldn't have noticed this if the aforementioned passing hiker hadn't mentioned it - thanks dude!

Then the previously-nest-sitting Osprey got that look in their eyes. The look that fish would tremble to look upon, if they could and were interested in doing so.

Launch! Other Osprey parent settled back down with (what I presume are) the hatchlings to await the fierce hunter's triumphant return. I left them in peace at this point, but I did take some pics on my way back to the trailhead. More to come later tonight.

So! There were some really lovely California Turret Spider burrows right alongside the trail where I was watching the Ospreys, and I'm always curious about how they incorporate the local plant detritus into their murder-holes. This one did some avant-garde stuff with dead grasses

Some video to give you an idea of the location & scale of the California Turret Spider burrow. – bei Bon Tempe Lake

Another California Turret Spider burrow, located about 15 inches away from the previous. Note the silken lining of the interior, and the way the mosses have grown up around the base. A female spider of this species may live more than 17 years.

This is the previous California Turret Spider burrow, with a pencil for scale.

Last photo from today: Checker Lillies (Fritillaria affinis.) I've found them in #RoysRedwoods too. Coast Live Oak & Douglas-fir habitat, steep slopes in both places.