By 40 days of age, the Osprey chicks are fully feathered, and closely resemble their parents. At this stage, the chicks spend much time flapping their wings and developing their flight muscles. By early August the young Ospreys have made their first flights, although they often return to the nest. The first task facing the young Ospreys is to learn the difficult skill of fishing. Those that don't learn quickly perish.
Fishing is learned by watching adults dive for fish, and by many trial and error dives.
With the onset of fall, Ospreys make their way south to their wintering grounds. The young birds tend to remain south for two years honing their fishing skills. The three-year old birds tend to return close to the areas where they were hatched, and a suitable nesting site is chosen and a mate sought. Breeding starts between the ages of three and five years. We have not always been fortunate enough to have Ospreys so common along our coast.