In August of 2020, my husband and I were driving on the Laramie River Road. Just north of Chambers Lake, where the river runs in a steep narrow gulch, I spotted an osprey nest in a lodge pole pine tree. In the nest were 3 fledglings just taking their first flights. We watched enthralled as one of them flew to a nearby tree, with a parent flying overhead to make sure things went well. I was able to get this shot of the two other siblings just waiting their turn.
A darker note to this story is that 3 days later, the Cameron Peak Wildfire, Colorado's largest wildfire, started in the Rawah wilderness, less than five miles from this nest. It roared down the steep hillside of beetle-kill pine and totally destroyed the entire area around Chambers Lake, including this nest. My only hope was that the fledgings were strong enough by this time to fly a few miles north and escape the fire.
tagged: osprey birds
