With one particularly large piece of wood protruding from it. You can see the mother (I guess) circling around.
Day 126
A large nest
July 30th, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
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Here's my progress so far:
Well, here we are again…just happened to come on board…speaking of a board…there is quite a board on board that nest…I’ll stop…
Ahh, did I mention…I was first…keep it quiet…
Matt – What kind of bird nest is that! Watch out for Pterosuars!
Oh toot – PterosAUrs…..
Duck! I see a Ptersaur in the distance – watch out!
Oh TOOT! If in my excitement I don’t switch letters, I LEAVE SOMEOUT! Ptersaur = PterOsaur!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterosaur
Candice where and how do you come up with this stuff? What made you think of this and how would you know what one was or is? Are you a prehistoric lover or something? Your links are so fascinating what you come up with.
First, Matt mentioned a big nest, then I saw the bird flying, and since Montana is known for its dinosaurs, I thought I’d TRY to make a joke – big nest = big bird = Pterosaur (<<<<<Hey I spelled it correctly!!!!) = concern for Matt being flown to Oregon (or the nest). I'm silly!
P.S. – I was a big Tomboy growing up – dinosaurs included – and now I’m an adult Tomboy (still big – 5′ 11″) living vicariously through Matt!
Matt’s adventure is making me want to walk some distance – its just hard to imagine doing it safely as a female (even a 5′ 11″ female).
Pobably an osprey
This has got to be one of my favorite pictures from Matt’s walk. Amazing
I believe this is a RAIL bird. Keep tracking it to find out. The nest is built on the E G G Rail line.
This is beautiful and is almost to good to be true. Is the bird a carved wood one as in the previous post or a real one? I think i see a guy wire holding the bird up. JUST KIDDING!!!
Only Matt knows.
Carved wood bird – and someone playing frisbee with it! :)
that’s what I think
Did you hear the baby birds chirping Matt? Awesome background!
OSPREY… there are many of them in Western Montana & North Idaho. They build huge messy-looking nests from sticks, resembling Bald Eagle nests. They are very LARGE birds! The nests are built near waterways because the Osprey swoop down & nab fish with their talons. There are special large flat platforms built all over this area of the NW to attract them to build there, so they won’t build on their favorite places…. tops of power poles, which makes for power outages and “Fried Ospreys”.
They are really neat to watch and to see them w/ babies in their nests. We have lots of them flying over our home & nesting nearby, because we’re by the Spokane River where they like to fish. Once we had one drop his fresh-caught lunch (fish) in our yard as he headed back to the nest! Matt will see a lot of these nests on the platforms as he walks along the next 100+ miles.
We have a ton of Osprey’s here in the Vancouver/Portland area. Just down the street from my house, the city built a few “platforms” on top of the telephone poles for them to build nests on. I always thought they were in fact Bald Eagles, but learned they were Osprey’s when I went to Multnomah Falls a few years ago. They are gorgeous birds and I love to see the babies in the nest.
Too bad Matt will be on the North side of the Columbia River as he heads down the gorge – he’ll miss Multnomah Falls, but at least he’ll see Maryhill Museum & Stonehenge on the Washington side.
Thanks for the great info., Lois. That is an amazing nest.
I mean Lori, sorry! :/
Not only does Matt get close and personal with fascinating people on his journey…he even has beautiful pic’s of the local inhabitants. Love it!
That is absolutely fascinating! I can’t imagine seeing a nest that big on top of a bridge. That certainly would be amazing to see in person.
I’d bet it is Osprey too. If she was circling she was probably agitated that you were too close to her nest. They can be quite nasty to encounter.
Today’s trivia: The Osprey has an NFL football team as a namesake. The Osprey is also called…. the SEAHAWK.
We just learn something new everyday. Thanks Lori I didn’t know that.
Matt can’t help but notice that the nest is built atop a rail bridge. You’ve been following those rails since MN that I know of. Are you sure you haven’t been hitchin’ a ride there?
Love the bridge over the water surrounded by the mountains. And the wildlife just adds to it’s beauty. Gorgeous all the way around. And thanks to all for the information on the bird the Osprey and their nesting habits. Wonder if there are babies in that nest still? Would think it’s to late in the year for newborns.
Not necessarily, Dorinda. Spring comes late in Montana. The chicks are probably ‘teenage’ size by now and Mom & Dad are getting tired of the crowd in the nest. Probably boot ’em out any day. In our area of N. Idaho, that’s about how big the chicks are by this time of summer.
Wow. Thanks. Hardly seems like they have enough time to grow before it starts to get cold again. Doesn’t it start snowing in September in some places out there?
In the higher elevations like the Mission Mts. shown in Matt’s earlier photos, Glacier NP, Beartooth Pass, etc. Those elevations are up around 8,000 to nearly 11,000 feet (Beartooth). It often snows by Labor Day.
http://www.geometer.org/TT2004/Photos/pages/Osprey.html
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/07/osprey_triplets_banded_in_geau.html