The name of the game seems to be nest usurpation.
Swallows: A few days ago, a Mountain Bluebird attempted to take over the nest established earlier by Tree Swallows. Today, as the first picture below shows, the swallows are back firmly in control.
Ospreys: There has also been an ongoing saga of the rather sorry nest being built by two ospreys. It has been told with topics such as: trial nest, mating, sticks, biting, and rising water. Today, while the osprey couple were briefly absent, a pair of Canada Geese took over the osprey nest. They scrounged around setting up house. The tranquility did not last. From perhaps 40 metres overhead an osprey started calling. It then started a dive toward the nest. When the osprey was perhaps only about four meters above its nest and closing rapidly, the second picture was taken. It shows the beginning of the abrupt departure of the geese. A moment later, the osprey was back on the nest and the geese were complaining about their lot in life from the surface of the lake.
Tree swallows are back firmly in control of their nest.
Canada Geese in the process of losing control of the osprey nest.
The osprey couple firmly in control of the nest the next morning.
