The Chronicles of Luttrell
First of all, I apologize right off the bat – This is going to be a LARGE post!!
I decided this year to choose one Osprey family, and document them from the time they built their nest, to the time the baby or babies fly. Each date will have its own segment and story.
Just a few things before we start, especially for those of you who haven’t followed my Osprey stories before, or just aren’t familiar with them, in general. Ospreys have a 5′-6′ wing span, rivaling those of Eagles, but their bodies are much smaller. Like most Raptors, the female is about 20% larger than the male. Females can also be distinguished by their brown, spotted “necklace”, which varies in prevalence from female to female. The female’s head is also less round than the male’s. Adult Ospreys have greenish-gold eyes and brown feathers, with a white chest. Juveniles have reddish-orange eyes, and black feathers with white tips. They are BEAUTIFUL Creatures!! In about a year, their eyes and feathers change color. Like most birds, Ospreys grow VERY quickly, as you’ll see in these photos. By eight weeks, they are basically fully-grown, and they are usually flying somewhere around ten weeks. As you will soon see, Luttrell is an exception. This story has some sad parts, but many more happy ones. So … Here we go!!
Please leave any comments below. I love hearing from everyone! You can also e-mail me at danny@dannyswildlife.com . Either way, I look forward to hearing from you!
I want to welcome all newcomers to this site! I hope you will enjoy these photos, share the posts with your family and friends across all social media, and take your children and grandchildren out to see God’s Splendor and Beauty yourselves!! You’ll be SO glad you did!
Thank you, and God bless you all!
March 25, 2024 - Nest Building
March 29 - April 14, 2024 Guarding the Nest
May 11, 2024 - We have a Baby!!
May 12, 2024 - THREE Babies!!
Two more babies hatched today! I am pretty sure Luttrell was one of these. The one born the first day appeared to have the rounder head of a boy. You can see Martha holding her wings out to protect the babies from the scorching Georgia Sun, ALL DAY LONG!! She also protects them from the rain, and predators. You can also see her tiptoeing across the nest, balancing herself with her massive wings, careful not to cut the babies with her massive, razor-sharp talons. George can be seen guarding the nest, while Martha feeds the babies (and herself) with the fish that George had just delivered. She is a GREAT Mama! The last photo is Martha and Luttrell (who hadn’t actually been named at this point). I referred to the babies as The Three Ospreteers. I was THRILLED to be witnessing this!!
May 16, 2024 - Already Growing
May 17, 2024 - The Next Day
On the next day (Friday), Martha’s patience seemed to be growing this, waiting for George to deliver a fish for the babies. She was squawking and squawking!! George finally showed up with a rather small catfish, which was enough for now, but these babies are going to grow fast! This won’t be the last time Martha (or I) will be frustrated with George. After feeding the babies, Martha flew off briefly, which is highly unusual, without George there to protect the nest. I followed her with my camera, and saw her snatch a pretty large branch from a tree, without stopping. She then brought it back to the nest. It was very interesting, but strange to me.
May 24, 2024 - Almost 2 Weeks Old
Things are still going smoothly. Martha is still shading the babies; George delivers another fish; Martha feeds and shades the babies some more, then flies off to get another branch for the nest (She’s one heck of a housekeeper!!). I went back that afternoon, and it was raining, so Martha went from Sun Protector to Rain Protector. She is SUCH a good Mama!!
May 29, 2024 - Heartbroken!!
It had rained a lot over the Memorial Day weekend. I could have, and should have, gone to check on them. I have rain gear for my camera and for myself. I was finally able to go see them Wednesday afternoon. When I got there, I only saw Martha. My heart started sinking. She and George had lost their baby last year, when it was only a few days old, to terrible rain storms. Finally, one baby popped its head up. I optimistically held my breath, waiting for the other two to pop up from the low part of the nest. Unfortunately, they never did. They were gone. I had seen an Eagle when I was there nearly a week before. The other Ospreys were squawking and trying to chase it away. I don’t know if the two babies fell victim to the Eagle, or the rain, or a Buzzard, or even a Crow, but they were gone, and I was heartbroken. I took a few shots of Martha and the surviving baby (The Lone Survivor), and went home with a heavy heart. I also noticed a few other nests in the area were now empty. It was VERY saddening!! To be honest, I really didn’t know if I wanted to finish this project.
June 2, 2024 - Life Goes On
I somewhat forced myself to go check on them. Today marked the 3 week birthday of the baby. I decided to name her Luttrell, after Marcus Luttrell, The US Navy Seal, known as The Lone Survivor. I was very apprehensive about going to check on them. If she was gone too, I would have been heartbroken even more. These magnificent Creatures are like family to me. Much to my delight, when I got there, there were Martha and Luttrell, waiting to see me, so they could pose for a few photos! Luttrell is growing fast. Her adult plumage is starting to come in. She’s starting to squawk a little. Martha continues to squawk a LOT! I haven’t seen George in nearly two weeks.
June 9, 2024 - Four Weeks Old
Luttrell is four weeks old now, and growing like a WEED!! Her feathers are getting dark, her body is filling out, and her wings are HUGE!! The first few shots were in the morning, and the last few in the late afternoon. I’m so glad I went back in the afternoon, because I caught her flapping her wings for the first time. The shot where her wing is draped over Martha is my favorite.
June 15, 2024 - Five Weeks Old
Martha and Luttrell squawked and squawked and SQUAWKED, but still no George. I don’t know if something happened to him, or if he’s just a bad father. Finally, Martha swooped right down beside me and plucked a fish right out of the water. It happened so quickly that I didn’t even get a shot of it. Much like fishing, photographers lament over “the one that got away”. I did, however, get some decent photos of Martha feeding her baby!!
June 23, 2024 - Six Weeks Old
July 06, 2024 - Eight Weeks Old
I arrived this morning, one day shy of Luttrell’s 8 week birthday, and she was FLYING!! I had missed the previous week, so I don’t know if this was her maiden voyage or not, but I honestly don’t think it was. Like I said in the opening narrative, they usually don’t fly until about ten weeks. Luttrell did it in less than eight!! She flew up the cove and perched in a tree across the way. Then, when Martha flew to the nest, so did Luttrell. She is SO majestic!!
July 13, 2024 - Nine Weeks Old
That's about it ...
I truly hope y’all have enjoyed this. It was thrilling for me! I can’t wait to do it all again next year. I would like to take a minute to give a shout out to my dear friend Virginia, who worked tirelessly a few years back to have these habitats built, which has helped increase the Osprey population on Lake Oconee tremendously, and given wildlife enthusiasts like me GREAT access to see these MAGNIFICENT Creatures so closely!! Thank you, Virginia!!
I’ll still get to see Luttrell for a couple more weeks. I’m sure I’ll see her next year, but I probably won’t recognize her with her new colored feathers and eyes. Hopefully, George is OK, and he and Martha will return to the nest next year. Until then, Thank you so much, Luttrell!! Thank you so much to all of my followers!! And thank Our Good Lord Above!!
Please leave any comments below. I love hearing from everyone! You can also e-mail me at danny@dannyswildlife.com . Either way, I look forward to hearing from you!
I want to welcome all newcomers to this site! I hope you will enjoy these photos, share the posts with your family and friends across all social media, and take your children and grandchildren out to see God’s Splendor and Beauty yourselves!! You’ll be SO glad you did!
Thank you, and God bless you all!
(We’ll get back to normal with out next post, and go back to more random photos, and sharing those of our friends!)
“Say it loud and let it ring
That we’re all part of everything
The future, present and the past
Fly on, proud bird, you’re free at last”
~Charlie Daniels
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What a great post and thanks for taking us on Luttrell’s start to life journey! Nature is so sad sometimes. I will just believe that George and Martha had a tiff and 2 of the kids wanted to live with him so they are about 2 miles away and visit infrequently. LOL! At first I thought Martha was getting a stick to bop George, but maybe she was just amping the nest to add a bit more protection from eagles etc. Very interesting! Your photos are amazing. I am sad the two babies are gone and that you haven’t seen George.
🙁 Love the baby faces in 6426, 6454, 7129. The action shot in 8006 is fantastic! Adore 8917, 8996, 9117 and 9692. But, a gold start for ALL of them! 🙂 Awesome! Thanks for sharing these with us! 🙂
I should start giving out a prize for the first comment! Thank you, Melissa! I always appreciate your kind words. It was a long journey, but well worth the effort. We’ll have to post some of your photos on here, soon!!😎
I love looking at your photos. Makes me feel like I am right there and the way you capture them is majestic. Thank you for sharing your talent
Thank you so much for your kind words, Kly!! It always means so much to me. I love that you enjoyed the photos. I certainly enjoy taking them, and sharing them with great friends like you!!
What a fantastic photographic journey you’ve been on!!! These pics are as remarkable as the stories behind them. Thank you, my friend. You are truly blessed.
Thank you so much, Cynthia!! I always appreciate your kind words and encouragement. The blessing is being able to get out and enjoy the splendor and beauty of God’s magnificent Creation, and to be able to share those moments with wonderful friends like you!! You are a very dear friend!!
Truly enjoyed viewing this magnificent bird and her little one – amazing photography!! My son, Robert, (we met you at the Sand Hill Cranes’ site back in early spring) has a new camera (Z8 Nikon) and is getting some good shots in his backyard …. You can’t hardly keep from falling in love with these majestic birds!!! They are excellent fishers …
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Cheryl! I do remember meeting you at the Sandhill Crane site. I hope to see you down there next year! I hope Robert is enjoying his new camera. From everything I’ve heard and seen, the Z8 is an amazing camera! If he posts any photos, I would love to see them, or even share them here on my page. Thank you for your kind words!!
Thanks Danny for sharing
your amazing experience thru beautiful pictures & great story.
Thank you, Yvette! I love sharing them with great friends like you!!
Absolutely Magnificent!!
Thank you, Marcia!! I appreciate your kind words!!
That was absolutely amazing.. I really enjoyed the journey with you..!!! The pictures & your dedication is top notch sir..!!! Keep up the good work.. caint wait to see the next adventure…❤️
Thank you so much, Bobby!! It was an amazing adventure and experience!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Please do stay tuned. There’s plenty more to come!!