THREE osprey chicks have been spotted in the nest of the Wellington Point pair that was relocated three years ago.
Trevor Linton spotted the chicks and snapped a picture of the male osprey returning to the nest with a fish in its claws.
He said he saw the male fly from the nest.
“While the female sat on the nest the small heads popped up one by one to see where their father had disappeared,” Mr Linton said.
“Fifteen minutes later the male appeared followed by two crows who forced him to circle the nest before landing.
“As the male approached, the mother osprey gathered the chicks under her to allow space for the male to land with a large wriggling fish.”
Mr Linton said he had not seen the female leave the nest apart from an occasional flight to stretch her wings.
“She has been busy with feeding the chicks and guarding the nest,” he said.
Wellington Point’s osprey pair were moved 100 metres down the coast when the tree they were nesting in became unsafe in 2015.
Council packed up the nest and relocated it to the pole and platform where they were pictured by Mr Linton.
The council website states ospreys can successfully relocate to artificial nest platforms and have a preference for homes that are exposed and located at great heights.
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Ospreys breeding season is from April to November in south-east Queensland.
Many return to the same nesting site year after year.
Young ospreys fledge, or leave the nest, about 55 days after hatching but can return to the nest to be fed for another two months, the website states.
“They mainly feed on medium-sized fish that they catch while patrolling the coast but they do occasionally eat crustaceans, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals,” the website states.
”An osprey can completely submerge into the water in pursuit of their prey.
“They have oily plumage that repels water and allows them to take flight as soon as they reach the surface.
“Ospreys have extremely sharp, hooked claws and flexible toes with spiny toe pads, perfect for holding onto a slippery meal.
“They take their catch to a perch close-by and tear it into bite-sized pieces with their sharp beak.
