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All along the New England coast,
6
00:00:15,463 --> 00:00:19,122
ospreys are icons of summer.
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00:00:19,157 --> 00:00:20,986
They are specialists...
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00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:26,785
known as the finest fisherman
among all birds of prey.
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00:00:26,819 --> 00:00:29,684
They signal the change
from long, dark winters
10
00:00:29,719 --> 00:00:34,241
to long, sunny days.
11
00:00:34,275 --> 00:00:38,176
But ospreys are not here on vacation.
12
00:00:38,210 --> 00:00:40,971
They've come to take up
their greatest challenge...
13
00:00:41,006 --> 00:00:45,079
to compete with each other
in tight places...
14
00:00:45,114 --> 00:00:47,357
to fend off thieves...
15
00:00:47,392 --> 00:00:50,740
and predators...
16
00:00:50,774 --> 00:00:54,468
and to raise tiny, helpless chicks...
17
00:00:54,502 --> 00:00:57,367
into daring aerial acrobats.
18
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,095
For an osprey,
19
00:01:01,130 --> 00:01:05,134
summer is no day at the beach.
20
00:01:05,168 --> 00:01:09,172
It's an annual call to battle...
21
00:01:09,207 --> 00:01:16,386
and the toughest test
of everything they are.
22
00:01:47,210 --> 00:01:48,798
What inspires a bird
23
00:01:48,832 --> 00:01:51,594
to leave his home in the tropics,
24
00:01:51,628 --> 00:01:54,976
where the weather is warm
and the fishing is easy?
25
00:01:57,565 --> 00:02:00,741
Much of the answer remains a mystery,
26
00:02:00,775 --> 00:02:04,124
but it comes from a need deep within him.
27
00:02:08,576 --> 00:02:11,234
The hero of our story is an osprey...
28
00:02:11,269 --> 00:02:13,271
a bird of prey...
29
00:02:13,305 --> 00:02:15,514
and he's on his way north...
30
00:02:15,549 --> 00:02:17,792
answering that inner call.
31
00:02:25,214 --> 00:02:28,355
From somewhere along the coast
of South America,
32
00:02:28,389 --> 00:02:31,772
he's set his course
for one specific shoreline,
33
00:02:31,806 --> 00:02:35,051
some 4,000 miles away.
34
00:02:38,227 --> 00:02:40,125
Our osprey, it turns out,
35
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,232
is a New Englander at heart...
36
00:02:43,266 --> 00:02:45,613
and he's heading home.
37
00:02:48,271 --> 00:02:50,273
Weighing just three pounds,
38
00:02:50,308 --> 00:02:53,034
he travels light and fast...
39
00:02:53,069 --> 00:02:55,071
and all alone.
40
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,806
He flies up the East Coast
of the United States...
41
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,568
heading straight into
his toughest time of the year.
42
00:03:14,124 --> 00:03:16,161
Four weeks into his journey,
43
00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:18,577
he leaves New York City behind
44
00:03:18,612 --> 00:03:23,030
and turns northeast along
the shore of Long Island Sound.
45
00:03:34,731 --> 00:03:39,011
Spread out below him is
an osprey's moveable feast...
46
00:03:39,046 --> 00:03:43,361
a watery maze left by glaciers
many eons ago.
47
00:03:55,890 --> 00:03:58,721
This is the delta of
the Connecticut River.
48
00:04:01,310 --> 00:04:03,415
Dredged and farmed for centuries,
49
00:04:03,450 --> 00:04:07,799
it's now hemmed in on both sides
by houses and humans.
50
00:04:14,254 --> 00:04:17,395
Yet it remains a wild place...
51
00:04:17,429 --> 00:04:22,158
still governed by the tides
and the seasons...
52
00:04:22,192 --> 00:04:26,058
and it's here that the osprey was born.
53
00:04:35,413 --> 00:04:37,277
It's late March...
54
00:04:37,311 --> 00:04:41,246
and he's back in his home waters...
55
00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:44,801
where he first tasted fish...
56
00:04:44,836 --> 00:04:47,217
where he first learned to fly.
57
00:04:52,257 --> 00:04:54,535
His focus turns immediately
58
00:04:54,570 --> 00:04:58,125
to the most important piece
of real estate in the marsh.
59
00:04:59,678 --> 00:05:03,441
It's an old piling standing
just off an abandoned island.
60
00:05:06,789 --> 00:05:10,102
This was his true destination all along.
61
00:05:11,863 --> 00:05:15,591
It's just a ramshackle pile of sticks,
62
00:05:15,625 --> 00:05:17,800
but this is his nest,
63
00:05:17,834 --> 00:05:21,010
and he's come home early to reclaim it.
64
00:05:23,115 --> 00:05:27,844
After a long winter,
it's a wonder it's still here.
65
00:05:27,879 --> 00:05:31,020
Yet before he can even start on repairs,
66
00:05:31,054 --> 00:05:34,679
there's a crisis...
67
00:05:34,713 --> 00:05:36,474
eagles!
68
00:05:36,508 --> 00:05:39,718
This is trouble.
69
00:05:39,753 --> 00:05:43,929
Bald eagles are bigger,
stronger than our osprey...
70
00:05:43,964 --> 00:05:46,932
they're known to attack osprey nests,
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00:05:46,967 --> 00:05:49,314
taking eggs, even chicks.
72
00:05:53,939 --> 00:05:57,184
They may also be looking to
build a nest of their own...
73
00:05:57,218 --> 00:06:00,152
in his marsh!
74
00:06:07,125 --> 00:06:09,610
The eagles appear to be a young couple,
75
00:06:09,645 --> 00:06:12,475
and not very experienced...
76
00:06:12,510 --> 00:06:15,547
and the male takes the bait.
77
00:06:22,451 --> 00:06:24,867
The osprey is battle tested...
78
00:06:24,901 --> 00:06:27,387
and launches his attack from above.
79
00:06:32,771 --> 00:06:34,221
Though he's much smaller,
80
00:06:34,255 --> 00:06:36,534
he's more agile in the air.
81
00:06:41,193 --> 00:06:45,853
Even an eagle respects the power
of an osprey's lethal talons.
82
00:06:53,827 --> 00:06:55,932
For the young eagles, it's easier...
83
00:06:55,967 --> 00:06:59,073
and safer... to simply move on.
84
00:07:07,772 --> 00:07:11,189
And so begins another
New England summer...
85
00:07:11,223 --> 00:07:15,883
a season of one challenge after another...
86
00:07:15,918 --> 00:07:18,092
and the best way to start
87
00:07:18,127 --> 00:07:19,715
is with a good breakfast.
88
00:07:25,306 --> 00:07:28,171
Fish are his only prey...
89
00:07:28,206 --> 00:07:32,244
and fishing is what an osprey does best.
90
00:07:34,074 --> 00:07:37,629
His long, narrow wings,
up to six feet across,
91
00:07:37,664 --> 00:07:42,013
enable him to actually hover...
like a giant kingfisher...
92
00:07:42,047 --> 00:07:46,120
while his keen, bright yellow
eyes penetrate the waters below.
93
00:07:48,226 --> 00:07:50,573
But it's the dive...
94
00:07:50,608 --> 00:07:52,092
wings drawn in,
95
00:07:52,126 --> 00:07:55,129
eyes lined up behind wide-open talons...
96
00:07:55,164 --> 00:07:59,824
that brings all his strengths
together in one pure motion.
97
00:08:11,283 --> 00:08:15,080
No other raptor can
totally submerge like this.
98
00:08:19,809 --> 00:08:22,087
His feet and talons are custom made
99
00:08:22,122 --> 00:08:24,400
for grasping a slippery fish.
100
00:08:26,506 --> 00:08:28,369
Even his dense, oily feathers
101
00:08:28,404 --> 00:08:32,028
are specially designed to shed water...
102
00:08:32,063 --> 00:08:35,238
with a mid-flight, shaggy-dog shake.
103
00:08:46,974 --> 00:08:49,252
Our osprey is not the only one
104
00:08:49,287 --> 00:08:51,945
concerned about his home in the marsh.
105
00:08:51,979 --> 00:08:56,087
Year-round residents rely on
this patch of wild country, too.
106
00:08:59,021 --> 00:09:01,195
A woodchuck is out of his burrow,
107
00:09:01,230 --> 00:09:03,059
planning his next move.
108
00:09:05,303 --> 00:09:07,961
Woodchucks hibernate through the winter.
109
00:09:07,995 --> 00:09:12,690
The mound he has created sits at
the entrance of his winter den.
110
00:09:12,724 --> 00:09:15,140
Now, he's ready to shift up-country
111
00:09:15,175 --> 00:09:18,523
to a summer burrow he also maintains.
112
00:09:22,216 --> 00:09:24,115
Out in the tall grass,
113
00:09:24,149 --> 00:09:26,151
a fox takes notice.
114
00:09:26,186 --> 00:09:30,431
She's a capable predator of woodchucks,
115
00:09:30,466 --> 00:09:31,950
but at the moment,
116
00:09:31,985 --> 00:09:34,746
she's more interested
in his plans to leave.
117
00:09:39,855 --> 00:09:43,203
A woodchuck burrow is
a masterwork of home security
118
00:09:43,237 --> 00:09:45,757
and protection from the elements.
119
00:09:48,898 --> 00:09:52,419
The fox is getting ready to have a family.
120
00:09:52,453 --> 00:09:57,286
She needs this den and is quick
to claim it for herself.
121
00:10:14,372 --> 00:10:16,029
It's morning in the marsh,
122
00:10:16,063 --> 00:10:17,996
and one by one,
123
00:10:18,031 --> 00:10:21,621
ospreys are arriving
from far-flung places.
124
00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:30,906
Many have spent the winter along
rivers in the vast Amazon Basin.
125
00:10:33,425 --> 00:10:36,636
Now, they converge in the delta
of the Connecticut River,
126
00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:41,882
more than 150 ospreys
in just 15 square miles.
127
00:10:43,988 --> 00:10:46,991
Osprey nest platforms dot the marsh.
128
00:10:47,025 --> 00:10:51,029
They're additional nest sites
built to help the birds
129
00:10:51,064 --> 00:10:55,309
recover from the toxic
devastations of DDT.
130
00:10:59,072 --> 00:11:01,074
For the savvy resident gulls,
131
00:11:01,108 --> 00:11:03,835
all these summer raptors are rivals...
132
00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:07,701
and potential marks.
133
00:11:07,736 --> 00:11:10,497
The largest, the Great Black-backed gull,
134
00:11:10,531 --> 00:11:13,396
has been king of the beach all winter.
135
00:11:13,431 --> 00:11:15,364
He's used to getting his way.
136
00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:21,370
He sees an osprey with a fish...
and he wants it.
137
00:11:41,459 --> 00:11:45,118
But now, it's beak against talon...
138
00:11:49,985 --> 00:11:52,021
...and the better weapon wins.
139
00:12:03,481 --> 00:12:05,034
Our male has been waiting
140
00:12:05,069 --> 00:12:09,176
for one special osprey
to come home to the marsh.
141
00:12:13,871 --> 00:12:17,115
And right on time, she arrives.
142
00:12:20,601 --> 00:12:22,845
She's the partner he's counting on
143
00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,123
to make the summer a success.
144
00:12:29,265 --> 00:12:31,958
This will be their 10th season together.
145
00:12:31,992 --> 00:12:38,102
But their long fidelity is not
exactly to each other;
146
00:12:38,136 --> 00:12:40,794
it's the nest they return to each year...
147
00:12:40,829 --> 00:12:46,075
the nest they build and defend together.
148
00:12:49,665 --> 00:12:52,979
But first, they must get reacquainted.
149
00:12:53,013 --> 00:12:55,291
Nothing is taken for granted.
150
00:13:01,711 --> 00:13:05,543
He greets her with the perfect gift...
151
00:13:05,577 --> 00:13:08,063
an impressive stick for the nest.
152
00:13:26,529 --> 00:13:30,740
Next, he offers her a fresh fish.
153
00:13:30,775 --> 00:13:33,088
He's both a builder and a provider.
154
00:13:43,892 --> 00:13:47,309
Soon, they are working
on the nest together,
155
00:13:47,343 --> 00:13:49,173
stick by stick.
156
00:14:14,819 --> 00:14:19,203
As the structure grows stronger,
so does their bond.
157
00:14:23,552 --> 00:14:26,210
They take their courtship to the air,
158
00:14:26,244 --> 00:14:29,144
flying in unison.
159
00:14:34,356 --> 00:14:36,565
They have become a team again,
160
00:14:36,599 --> 00:14:38,670
a perfect pair.
161
00:14:49,578 --> 00:14:54,894
Tiny tree swallows are courting
and building nests, too.
162
00:14:54,928 --> 00:14:58,207
They prefer natural cavities
in standing dead trees.
163
00:15:00,727 --> 00:15:03,488
But such nest sites are hard to find.
164
00:15:06,284 --> 00:15:07,941
So there's considerable excitement
165
00:15:07,976 --> 00:15:11,048
over this prime, old woodpecker hole.
166
00:15:17,537 --> 00:15:21,506
Hopeful house hunters
are eager to see inside.
167
00:15:23,923 --> 00:15:26,649
But, of course, it's already occupied.
168
00:15:26,684 --> 00:15:29,342
The best places always are.
169
00:15:35,589 --> 00:15:39,835
The ospreys are having
a housing crisis of their own.
170
00:15:39,869 --> 00:15:42,320
They want to nest up high,
171
00:15:42,355 --> 00:15:45,185
but even with all the platforms,
172
00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:46,462
there are not enough sites
173
00:15:46,497 --> 00:15:49,500
for the birds that have come to breed.
174
00:15:49,534 --> 00:15:53,607
Young, less experienced ones lose out.
175
00:15:53,642 --> 00:15:57,370
Their only way to get a good nest site
176
00:15:57,404 --> 00:15:59,475
is to steal one.
177
00:16:13,110 --> 00:16:15,353
A young osprey with ramped up hormones
178
00:16:15,388 --> 00:16:18,494
launches a direct attack on our pair.
179
00:16:21,497 --> 00:16:24,811
It's a rash move with
little chance of success.
180
00:16:24,845 --> 00:16:26,882
The pair is strong,
181
00:16:26,916 --> 00:16:29,781
and they know their jobs.
182
00:16:29,816 --> 00:16:33,785
He heads up to provide air cover
over the nest.
183
00:16:43,968 --> 00:16:47,558
She hunkers down
to protect their property.
184
00:16:54,668 --> 00:16:56,912
Young birds keep coming,
185
00:16:56,946 --> 00:17:00,157
but they can find no opening
in the pair's defenses.
186
00:17:08,889 --> 00:17:10,615
Young challengers aren't likely
187
00:17:10,650 --> 00:17:13,308
to overwhelm ospreys in their prime.
188
00:17:23,145 --> 00:17:26,528
They're reduced to nesting
attempts out on the marsh flats.
189
00:17:28,668 --> 00:17:33,259
A nest out here is open to
predators from every direction.
190
00:17:33,293 --> 00:17:37,677
It's always in danger of flooding.
191
00:17:42,130 --> 00:17:45,754
Yet they decide any nest is
better than no nest at all.
192
00:17:49,275 --> 00:17:53,002
So they build...
193
00:17:53,037 --> 00:17:56,213
and mate...
194
00:17:56,247 --> 00:17:58,284
and take their chances.
195
00:18:03,254 --> 00:18:04,980
Back at the island nest,
196
00:18:05,014 --> 00:18:08,846
the structure is now fit for service.
197
00:18:11,883 --> 00:18:16,647
The male launches into
his most impressive display.
198
00:18:18,994 --> 00:18:21,445
Climbing hundreds of feet in the air,
199
00:18:21,479 --> 00:18:24,033
and carrying a fish for maximum effect,
200
00:18:24,068 --> 00:18:26,035
he starts the show.
201
00:18:32,870 --> 00:18:35,735
He performs dramatic loops in the air...
202
00:18:35,769 --> 00:18:38,669
where every other osprey can see him.
203
00:18:42,742 --> 00:18:45,227
It's called a "sky-dance."
204
00:18:45,262 --> 00:18:49,335
Accompanied by a distinctive,
high-pitched call,
205
00:18:49,369 --> 00:18:53,062
it's a show of stamina, of bravado.
206
00:18:58,033 --> 00:19:01,312
Far below, his mate calls back.
207
00:19:03,349 --> 00:19:08,181
Perhaps it's an encouragement...
208
00:19:08,216 --> 00:19:11,288
for when he returns, they mate.
209
00:19:15,395 --> 00:19:17,570
He turns his talons inward
210
00:19:17,604 --> 00:19:21,850
before carefully resting them on her back.
211
00:19:21,884 --> 00:19:24,611
His touch is remarkably tender.
212
00:19:34,483 --> 00:19:37,693
They will mate many times
over the next two weeks.
213
00:19:39,108 --> 00:19:42,284
Then she will lay a clutch
of beautiful brown eggs
214
00:19:42,319 --> 00:19:45,287
into the soft center of the nest.
215
00:19:56,505 --> 00:20:00,992
The marsh has seen many changes
in its long, ice-age history.
216
00:20:01,027 --> 00:20:03,892
Yet washed by tides
and nourished by the river,
217
00:20:03,926 --> 00:20:05,963
it remains so fertile,
218
00:20:05,997 --> 00:20:09,449
it still feeds multitudes
when they need it most.
219
00:20:12,866 --> 00:20:14,282
It's early May,
220
00:20:14,316 --> 00:20:17,216
and a flock of dunlin has arrived.
221
00:20:19,701 --> 00:20:23,670
They are joined by sandpipers
and plovers...
222
00:20:23,705 --> 00:20:26,535
whimbrels and yellowlegs...
223
00:20:26,570 --> 00:20:29,918
all finding rich pickings in the mudflats.
224
00:20:36,614 --> 00:20:38,720
Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds
225
00:20:38,754 --> 00:20:41,240
are stopping at
essential marshes like this
226
00:20:41,274 --> 00:20:43,863
on their way north.
227
00:20:46,072 --> 00:20:48,937
They're going to the high Arctic
to breed...
228
00:20:48,971 --> 00:20:52,458
if they can stock up on
enough fuel to survive the trip.
229
00:21:31,428 --> 00:21:35,328
At the nest, a raucous set of
house sparrows has moved in
230
00:21:35,363 --> 00:21:38,158
and is busy making nests of their own
231
00:21:38,193 --> 00:21:41,679
inside the ospreys' great pile of sticks.
232
00:21:47,478 --> 00:21:49,722
The quiet single-family home
233
00:21:49,756 --> 00:21:52,311
has turned into a lively little village.
234
00:22:01,596 --> 00:22:05,082
Magnanimously,
the ospreys don't seem to mind.
235
00:22:18,267 --> 00:22:22,375
The female has been sitting
for 37 straight days.
236
00:22:26,828 --> 00:22:30,728
Every day, the male has
faithfully brought her fish.
237
00:22:30,763 --> 00:22:34,732
This time, she rises...
238
00:22:34,767 --> 00:22:38,046
to reveal, at last, his reward.
239
00:22:47,573 --> 00:22:52,060
This is what their partnership
has been all about.
240
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,074
We cannot read their inscrutable faces,
241
00:23:06,108 --> 00:23:08,456
but we can see how careful they are
242
00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:12,252
to protect their tiny chick
from their talons.
243
00:23:18,466 --> 00:23:20,813
Within moments, a ritual begins
244
00:23:20,847 --> 00:23:24,782
that will play out every day
for the next two months.
245
00:23:24,817 --> 00:23:27,371
Dad brings in a fresh fish,
246
00:23:27,406 --> 00:23:29,960
Mom tears tender pieces of it
247
00:23:29,994 --> 00:23:32,997
and delicately feeds the hungry new mouth.
248
00:23:39,383 --> 00:23:43,732
But soon, everyone's exhausted
by the whole thing.
249
00:24:15,177 --> 00:24:17,594
The eggs are laid three days apart
250
00:24:17,628 --> 00:24:20,251
and hatch in the same order.
251
00:24:20,286 --> 00:24:25,360
Now, a second little chick
is also eager to be fed.
252
00:24:30,883 --> 00:24:34,265
Good parenting will help her
catch up with her big sister.
253
00:24:40,202 --> 00:24:43,551
One egg remains.
254
00:24:46,726 --> 00:24:50,178
But the two active chicks
need constant care.
255
00:24:53,940 --> 00:24:57,944
As the female broods the chicks
under her warm feathers,
256
00:24:57,979 --> 00:25:01,569
the last egg sits out in the cold.
257
00:25:17,308 --> 00:25:21,036
Finally, with his two older
siblings fed and quiet,
258
00:25:21,071 --> 00:25:25,662
the third baby osprey
breaks out of his shell...
259
00:25:25,696 --> 00:25:27,905
and joins the family.
260
00:25:39,986 --> 00:25:43,542
He's so weak and tiny
compared to his two big sisters,
261
00:25:43,576 --> 00:25:45,820
he can't seem to get any attention.
262
00:25:47,580 --> 00:25:49,582
He can't even manage to get up.
263
00:26:00,489 --> 00:26:02,457
He struggles and struggles...
264
00:26:04,770 --> 00:26:07,186
...while his sisters
eat and eat...
265
00:26:13,917 --> 00:26:15,643
...and then finally,
266
00:26:15,677 --> 00:26:17,472
that little mouth in the back,
267
00:26:17,506 --> 00:26:19,681
the one that needs it the most,
268
00:26:19,716 --> 00:26:22,339
gets its first taste of fish.
269
00:26:27,896 --> 00:26:30,658
His sisters aren't pleased about sharing.
270
00:26:30,692 --> 00:26:33,626
But his mother seems to know
what she's doing.
271
00:26:42,566 --> 00:26:46,984
Day by day, all three chicks are growing,
272
00:26:47,019 --> 00:26:50,229
even though he remains the smallest.
273
00:27:09,489 --> 00:27:12,458
At the fox den, it's an important night.
274
00:27:12,492 --> 00:27:16,807
Dad sets off to hunt,
and under the cover of darkness,
275
00:27:16,842 --> 00:27:20,086
the tiny kits, now about five weeks old,
276
00:27:20,121 --> 00:27:23,676
take their first foray outside the den.
277
00:27:25,885 --> 00:27:29,233
Six roly-poly little foxes tumble out,
278
00:27:29,268 --> 00:27:32,892
followed by their surely exhausted mother.
279
00:27:42,522 --> 00:27:44,973
Both parents hunt now,
280
00:27:45,008 --> 00:27:48,114
bringing meal after meal home to the den.
281
00:27:56,053 --> 00:27:59,643
Some nights, it's a mouthful of voles,
282
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:03,440
on another it's an enormous rabbit!
283
00:28:08,134 --> 00:28:12,414
Including themselves,
they have eight foxes to feed.
284
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,957
The marsh is now bursting with new life.
285
00:28:42,065 --> 00:28:45,654
Part land, part river, part salty sea,
286
00:28:45,689 --> 00:28:50,590
it provides such a rich
livelihood to so many families,
287
00:28:50,625 --> 00:28:54,111
it's among the most prolific
nurseries in nature.
288
00:29:00,428 --> 00:29:02,257
In their coveted tree hole,
289
00:29:02,292 --> 00:29:04,708
the tree swallow parents
are coming and going
290
00:29:04,743 --> 00:29:07,849
with insects for their brood of five.
291
00:29:11,232 --> 00:29:13,924
Two white-tailed does bring their fawns
292
00:29:13,959 --> 00:29:16,858
out of the forest
to the edge of the shore.
293
00:29:19,136 --> 00:29:20,862
Behind them in the trees,
294
00:29:20,897 --> 00:29:23,934
a red-shouldered hawk
feeds her little chicks.
295
00:29:30,907 --> 00:29:34,773
The fox kits are playing
in the perfect afternoon.
296
00:29:34,807 --> 00:29:37,568
Yet they've already discovered
297
00:29:37,603 --> 00:29:40,468
that not every day will turn out well.
298
00:29:40,502 --> 00:29:43,954
One is severely injured...
299
00:29:43,989 --> 00:29:46,405
and instead of six,
300
00:29:46,439 --> 00:29:49,615
there are now only five.
301
00:29:52,618 --> 00:29:56,070
Their salt marsh is as rough
and wild a place to grow up
302
00:29:56,104 --> 00:29:58,797
as any wilderness.
303
00:30:05,217 --> 00:30:07,736
The year is swinging into summer...
304
00:30:07,771 --> 00:30:10,429
the High Season on Long Island Sound.
305
00:30:14,502 --> 00:30:16,124
The fishing grounds of the osprey
306
00:30:16,159 --> 00:30:19,610
have become a playground
for beachgoers and boaters...
307
00:30:19,645 --> 00:30:22,993
all enjoying a bright afternoon.
308
00:30:26,755 --> 00:30:29,828
When it's hot,
everyone heads for the water.
309
00:30:32,175 --> 00:30:34,763
Even a deer enjoys a swim...
310
00:30:34,798 --> 00:30:38,491
and paddles out for a summer
retreat on the osprey's island.
311
00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:44,946
Our pair has new neighbors.
312
00:30:44,981 --> 00:30:48,432
A dead tree some 30 yards
behind the pilings
313
00:30:48,467 --> 00:30:51,470
is now hosting the beginnings
of a new nest.
314
00:30:51,504 --> 00:30:54,473
They must be young builders.
315
00:30:54,507 --> 00:30:56,889
It's late in the season
to start such a thing...
316
00:30:56,924 --> 00:30:59,892
and our pair takes no notice of them.
317
00:31:06,450 --> 00:31:08,694
In their nest, the three chicks
318
00:31:08,728 --> 00:31:12,974
have been eating, sleeping,
and growing stronger.
319
00:31:19,291 --> 00:31:23,812
Their mom is still
painstakingly feeding each one,
320
00:31:23,847 --> 00:31:26,470
but the little male is still much smaller
321
00:31:26,505 --> 00:31:28,817
than his two big sisters.
322
00:31:28,852 --> 00:31:32,718
But he's been gaining a lot of attitude
323
00:31:32,752 --> 00:31:35,238
along with a little weight.
324
00:31:38,103 --> 00:31:40,968
He doesn't win many tussles
with his bigger siblings,
325
00:31:41,002 --> 00:31:43,384
but he's putting up a fight.
326
00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:56,259
Their mother, who has been
devotedly keeping them warm,
327
00:31:56,293 --> 00:31:59,676
now has to worry about keeping them cool.
328
00:31:59,710 --> 00:32:02,748
But they are on their way to
solving that for themselves.
329
00:32:02,782 --> 00:32:05,785
Their feathers are coming in...
330
00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:10,135
one of nature's best inventions
for moderating temperature.
331
00:32:10,169 --> 00:32:13,828
And their looks are changing too,
332
00:32:13,862 --> 00:32:17,728
suddenly taking on
the daunting aspect of raptors.
333
00:32:17,763 --> 00:32:19,972
They're well on their way to becoming
334
00:32:20,007 --> 00:32:22,181
the fierce birds they're meant to be.
335
00:32:27,083 --> 00:32:31,397
Yet they still patiently take
one offered bite at a time,
336
00:32:31,432 --> 00:32:33,434
more like three well-behaved children
337
00:32:33,468 --> 00:32:35,954
than mighty predators in training.
338
00:32:40,096 --> 00:32:43,858
As they grow,
their demand for fish does too.
339
00:32:47,172 --> 00:32:51,383
The female is constantly asking
the male for more food...
340
00:32:51,417 --> 00:32:54,006
but he already knows his job.
341
00:32:58,562 --> 00:33:00,806
He's out fishing, of course.
342
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:05,155
This is what he came 4,000 miles to do.
343
00:33:12,507 --> 00:33:15,165
He needs to see a fish to catch it,
344
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,547
and he has 15 hours of daylight
345
00:33:17,581 --> 00:33:19,721
here at the height of the season.
346
00:33:19,756 --> 00:33:24,105
That's a big help
with a family of five to feed.
347
00:33:27,384 --> 00:33:30,042
He also provides quite a menu;
348
00:33:30,077 --> 00:33:32,872
he serves up a fluke,
349
00:33:32,907 --> 00:33:35,944
then a winter flounder,
350
00:33:35,979 --> 00:33:38,292
a porgy,
351
00:33:38,326 --> 00:33:40,363
and a menhaden.
352
00:33:44,574 --> 00:33:46,748
The chicks consume them all...
353
00:33:46,783 --> 00:33:50,062
learning the taste of
each different fish...
354
00:33:50,097 --> 00:33:55,723
while their dad takes a moment
to power wash his talons.
355
00:34:12,705 --> 00:34:14,224
Three weeks after hatching,
356
00:34:14,259 --> 00:34:16,985
all three chicks are growing fast.
357
00:34:19,057 --> 00:34:21,749
The little male is still the smallest.
358
00:34:21,783 --> 00:34:24,269
He's in that "awkward" stage.
359
00:34:24,303 --> 00:34:27,410
Like his "osprey suit" is too big for him.
360
00:34:28,894 --> 00:34:30,206
But the fact is,
361
00:34:30,240 --> 00:34:33,933
he will always be smaller
than his sisters.
362
00:34:33,968 --> 00:34:36,004
As in all birds of prey,
363
00:34:36,039 --> 00:34:40,216
females will be up to 30% bigger
than the males.
364
00:34:40,250 --> 00:34:43,702
Perhaps that extra size
helps them get through
365
00:34:43,736 --> 00:34:45,807
the demanding weeks of sharing their food
366
00:34:45,842 --> 00:34:50,053
with three extra mouths.
367
00:34:52,331 --> 00:34:54,264
Their mother continues to call...
368
00:34:54,299 --> 00:34:57,371
and the stress on her is starting to show.
369
00:34:57,405 --> 00:34:59,925
She looks thin... and hungry.
370
00:35:02,514 --> 00:35:04,930
And despite the bounty
of fish in the sound,
371
00:35:04,964 --> 00:35:07,415
his job is getting harder, too.
372
00:35:09,521 --> 00:35:12,524
The population of the marsh has boomed.
373
00:35:12,558 --> 00:35:15,837
Seagulls and cormorants have taken over
374
00:35:15,872 --> 00:35:18,875
rocky offshore islands
to raise chicks, too.
375
00:35:18,909 --> 00:35:23,190
The demand for fish has really ramped up.
376
00:35:35,616 --> 00:35:37,997
It takes an extraordinary effort
377
00:35:38,032 --> 00:35:41,691
for a three-pound bird to lift
a fish out of the water.
378
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,145
But the bigger challenge now
is holding on to it.
379
00:35:57,431 --> 00:36:01,780
Osprey against osprey is
a test of strength in the air.
380
00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:13,585
The bird carrying the fish is handicapped.
381
00:36:15,690 --> 00:36:19,453
It takes powerful wings indeed
to stay out in front...
382
00:36:19,487 --> 00:36:23,388
especially when the fish itself
is still putting up a fight!
383
00:36:26,701 --> 00:36:30,429
And ospreys aren't the only
pirates in these waters.
384
00:36:32,569 --> 00:36:36,297
Double-crested cormorants
usually dive for their fish.
385
00:36:38,713 --> 00:36:44,132
Now, one has the nerve to pursue
our male straight into the sky.
386
00:37:03,773 --> 00:37:05,671
It's a big mistake.
387
00:37:09,641 --> 00:37:12,540
Upon delivering the catch to the nest,
388
00:37:12,575 --> 00:37:15,267
the male turns...
389
00:37:15,302 --> 00:37:19,340
to deliver a message
to the cormorant colony.
390
00:37:24,587 --> 00:37:28,142
He begins with a fly-by...
391
00:37:28,176 --> 00:37:31,145
then, he picks a target.
392
00:37:39,705 --> 00:37:42,398
The colony is suddenly wide awake.
393
00:37:42,432 --> 00:37:44,331
Everyone is instantly aware
394
00:37:44,365 --> 00:37:47,126
of the talons descending from above.
395
00:37:51,924 --> 00:37:56,757
But now, he's just trolling them...
396
00:37:56,791 --> 00:37:58,345
just making a point.
397
00:38:10,564 --> 00:38:13,774
He's the top gun here.
398
00:38:13,808 --> 00:38:16,466
He's the bird of prey.
399
00:38:24,957 --> 00:38:27,857
As the last of the day fades in the sky,
400
00:38:27,891 --> 00:38:31,343
night steals into the marsh.
401
00:38:34,553 --> 00:38:36,486
Out in the salt meadows,
402
00:38:36,521 --> 00:38:40,835
an osprey sits atop
an impressive stack of sticks.
403
00:38:40,870 --> 00:38:46,496
But nearby, another female
has barely any nest at all.
404
00:38:46,531 --> 00:38:49,534
She must be part of a very young pair
405
00:38:49,568 --> 00:38:52,502
that hasn't learned how to build.
406
00:38:52,537 --> 00:38:56,195
Suddenly, she's disturbed.
407
00:38:59,267 --> 00:39:00,924
It's a coyote.
408
00:39:04,238 --> 00:39:10,106
Casually, she takes the only egg
the young osprey managed to lay.
409
00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:16,975
The giant stick nest fares no better.
410
00:39:23,153 --> 00:39:27,537
Raccoons make a tidy meal
of every egg they find.
411
00:39:33,854 --> 00:39:35,683
In merely a moment,
412
00:39:35,718 --> 00:39:39,446
this nesting season is over.
413
00:39:48,213 --> 00:39:50,353
The osprey returns...
414
00:39:50,388 --> 00:39:54,668
and searches for her eggs...
415
00:39:54,702 --> 00:39:58,050
but all she can do is pick up the pieces.
416
00:40:00,467 --> 00:40:04,091
There will be no chicks
in her nest this year.
417
00:40:08,958 --> 00:40:10,856
In fact, there'll be no chicks
418
00:40:10,891 --> 00:40:13,203
in any of the osprey ground nests
419
00:40:13,238 --> 00:40:15,274
anywhere in the marsh.
420
00:40:15,309 --> 00:40:20,487
One by one, they will all
be raided and ruined.
421
00:40:20,521 --> 00:40:25,699
It's one of the hardest lessons
an osprey must learn.
422
00:40:44,062 --> 00:40:47,790
There's a new, restless energy
at the island osprey nest.
423
00:40:50,413 --> 00:40:53,209
The chicks have full-sized talons now,
424
00:40:53,243 --> 00:40:55,729
but they still don't know how to use them.
425
00:40:59,387 --> 00:41:02,218
They're almost the size of their parents,
426
00:41:02,252 --> 00:41:05,566
but their juvenile feathers,
trimmed in creamy white,
427
00:41:05,601 --> 00:41:09,777
and their bright orange eyes
mark them as mere teenagers.
428
00:41:11,814 --> 00:41:13,816
They're always hungry...
429
00:41:13,850 --> 00:41:16,508
and quick to cry about it.
430
00:41:21,306 --> 00:41:24,965
Dad obliges with a fish and departs.
431
00:41:28,106 --> 00:41:31,868
Now, no parent feeds them.
432
00:41:34,250 --> 00:41:36,942
Their mother simply stands by.
433
00:41:36,977 --> 00:41:42,223
She's fed each one every morsel
they have ever eaten...
434
00:41:42,258 --> 00:41:44,432
until now.
435
00:41:47,194 --> 00:41:50,749
They no longer need
her constant care in the nest.
436
00:41:54,373 --> 00:41:58,101
It's the beginning of the end
of an osprey family.
437
00:42:01,346 --> 00:42:04,418
Their mother is the first to leave.
438
00:42:04,452 --> 00:42:08,077
She's given all she has...
439
00:42:08,111 --> 00:42:10,907
and having fulfilled her mission
for this summer,
440
00:42:10,942 --> 00:42:16,326
she slowly heads south
to rest and recuperate.
441
00:42:24,611 --> 00:42:27,890
But their father continues
to bring food to the chicks
442
00:42:27,924 --> 00:42:30,340
for several more weeks.
443
00:42:33,102 --> 00:42:36,312
The young male is quick
to claim the latest fish.
444
00:42:40,419 --> 00:42:43,664
As he grows more aggressive,
arguments break out.
445
00:42:52,155 --> 00:42:55,193
The sisters, once so far ahead of him,
446
00:42:55,227 --> 00:42:58,334
now wait for him to finish.
447
00:43:03,546 --> 00:43:06,584
The nest is feeling smaller and smaller...
448
00:43:09,483 --> 00:43:12,279
...and he's eager
for a wider world.
449
00:43:24,809 --> 00:43:28,640
Even a torrential downpour
doesn't dampen his mood.
450
00:43:28,675 --> 00:43:31,332
It's exhilarating!
451
00:43:41,584 --> 00:43:45,243
He achieves a brief
but thrilling lift-off...
452
00:43:45,277 --> 00:43:48,971
his very first moment out of the nest.
453
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:04,434
In the coming days,
454
00:44:04,469 --> 00:44:07,368
the young male takes to
floating above the nest,
455
00:44:07,403 --> 00:44:09,854
getting a feel for the wind.
456
00:44:13,927 --> 00:44:15,998
He was the last to hatch.
457
00:44:16,032 --> 00:44:19,449
Now, he's the first to fledge...
458
00:44:22,729 --> 00:44:25,317
...and his sisters
seem impressed.
459
00:44:34,533 --> 00:44:37,398
He graduates to short trips...
460
00:44:40,643 --> 00:44:43,646
...mastering take-offs
461
00:44:43,681 --> 00:44:45,959
and landings...
462
00:44:45,993 --> 00:44:47,995
almost.
463
00:44:50,757 --> 00:44:54,933
Inspired, his sisters begin
to stretch their wings.
464
00:45:01,768 --> 00:45:06,634
Soon, all three siblings
are soaring over the marsh.
465
00:45:15,126 --> 00:45:18,267
But the nest is still
a source of security.
466
00:45:18,301 --> 00:45:21,891
They often come home
and settle in for the night.
467
00:45:30,072 --> 00:45:32,005
It's mid-August.
468
00:45:32,039 --> 00:45:34,697
Another osprey summer
on the Connecticut coast
469
00:45:34,732 --> 00:45:36,872
is coming to a close.
470
00:45:49,850 --> 00:45:53,164
The male of the island nest
brings one last fish
471
00:45:53,198 --> 00:45:56,754
to the fledglings
he has nourished all summer.
472
00:46:05,038 --> 00:46:07,212
They may not know it yet,
473
00:46:07,247 --> 00:46:10,975
but their childhood is over.
474
00:46:13,978 --> 00:46:16,221
Their father's work is done.
475
00:46:16,256 --> 00:46:19,017
He's defended his nest against all comers
476
00:46:19,052 --> 00:46:22,124
and fed his family for months.
477
00:46:22,158 --> 00:46:25,403
He's been fierce and devoted.
478
00:46:25,437 --> 00:46:29,269
He is everything an osprey needs to be.
479
00:46:31,512 --> 00:46:35,689
Now, the long days of fishing
in the north are over.
480
00:46:38,968 --> 00:46:41,971
Ospreys fly from summer to summer,
481
00:46:42,006 --> 00:46:46,873
and it's his turn to head for
the sunlight of South America.
482
00:47:02,233 --> 00:47:06,720
The young male is still reveling
in his newfound joy of flying.
483
00:47:08,446 --> 00:47:11,345
He seeks out other fledglings
for mock battles.
484
00:47:20,665 --> 00:47:22,770
It's both play...
485
00:47:22,805 --> 00:47:24,358
and practice.
486
00:47:32,884 --> 00:47:34,886
He'll need to be good at it.
487
00:47:34,921 --> 00:47:38,131
He'll need the skill and courage
of his father.
488
00:47:44,171 --> 00:47:48,072
And all those fish
he probably took for granted
489
00:47:48,106 --> 00:47:51,075
he'll now have to catch for himself.
490
00:47:57,391 --> 00:48:00,394
Dad made it look so easy.
491
00:48:14,512 --> 00:48:16,652
A rainy day doesn't help at all.
492
00:48:26,627 --> 00:48:31,529
Not even his father could catch
a fish he couldn't see.
493
00:48:33,841 --> 00:48:37,155
But no one teaches an osprey how to fish.
494
00:48:51,687 --> 00:48:54,172
It just comes to him...
495
00:48:54,207 --> 00:48:56,554
a gift...
496
00:48:56,588 --> 00:49:00,489
from all the generations
of ospreys before him.
497
00:49:06,909 --> 00:49:10,154
It's the end of the season
on Long Island Sound.
498
00:49:14,537 --> 00:49:19,197
Every evening, thousands of
tree swallows fill the skies,
499
00:49:19,232 --> 00:49:23,926
intercepting a feast of insects
on their way to warmer weather.
500
00:49:31,761 --> 00:49:35,800
Before long, the flock grows
to a million strong...
501
00:49:38,941 --> 00:49:41,323
...swirling in syncopation...
502
00:49:46,949 --> 00:49:50,539
...preparing for their migration
to the Gulf of Mexico.
503
00:49:53,818 --> 00:49:57,477
It's the last great celebration of summer.
504
00:50:14,597 --> 00:50:18,739
The young ospreys linger in the
only place they have ever known.
505
00:50:23,054 --> 00:50:25,608
But temperatures are dropping.
506
00:50:25,643 --> 00:50:29,267
Fish are heading into deeper water.
507
00:50:29,302 --> 00:50:32,098
The fledglings must be on their way.
508
00:50:34,824 --> 00:50:38,932
Finally, our young male takes to the sky.
509
00:50:43,799 --> 00:50:47,872
How he will find good wintering
grounds remains a mystery.
510
00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:56,225
The dangers that lie ahead
for him we can scarcely imagine.
511
00:50:59,125 --> 00:51:00,919
But if fate is kind,
512
00:51:00,954 --> 00:51:04,095
in a few years he'll return...
513
00:51:04,130 --> 00:51:08,272
to compete for a place
in the marsh of his birth.
514
00:51:16,107 --> 00:51:19,938
The birds of summer have all flown.
515
00:51:22,458 --> 00:51:24,322
For those left behind,
516
00:51:24,357 --> 00:51:28,119
it's time to face the coming cold.
517
00:51:37,197 --> 00:51:40,580
The marsh bows down to winter.
518
00:51:52,143 --> 00:51:56,043
It, too, gets to rest and replenish,
519
00:51:56,078 --> 00:52:00,979
preparing for all the wild
travelers that will need it...
520
00:52:03,568 --> 00:52:05,881
...when it's spring again...
521
00:52:05,915 --> 00:52:09,298
and the ospreys come home.
37944
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