Ospreys and Seagulls on Sunday

Following the osprey chick's progress has become the focus of this holiday time.  On Sunday, Junior was very active.  Both talons clear the nest in this wing-flap/hop episode.

This is Mom.  I have never seen her hunt, but here, she takes a piece of the fish that Dad brought earlier, to her own pylon, leaving Junior to eat on his own in the nest.
Dad was also very active on Sunday, making frequent trips to the nest with fish.  At one point, Junior didn't even bother getting up when Dad arrived.  I suspect that he was too full to eat another bite.  In this shot, Dad has delivered a fish to Junior, but has decided to carry on with (a part, or all of it?) it to Mom.
He hovers over her, but she doesn't seem interested either.  Finally, he leaves, taking his fish with him.

Black Jack and I arrived in North Vancouver early enough to take advantage of the end of low tide, going out on the beach to get nearer the nest.  We played some ball, and managed to lose it, because I didn't understand that, even with the tide coming in, one must pay attention to the direction of the wind.  Black Jack was quite upset over that, but a few treats helped distract her from the loss.  Around 1:00 o'clock, we left, and biked over to JJBean at Park & Tilford Mall, where I had a delicious latte.  We stopped at the pet store, bought two more balls, and then we went to Bridgman Park.  No pictures but it was quite the adventure.  When another ball was lost (again my fault), I decided enough was enough.  Camera on my back, and Black Jack in tow on her long leash, I headed into the water.  We never did find the ball, but did end up in much deeper water than I anticipated - in fact, well above my waist.  Black Jack gamely swam to a large rock at the shore line, where she accepted help from a kind gentleman who was there with his two young children.  He wasn't used to dogs, but responded to my plea, and gave her a boost to climb up on the rock.  I, meanwhile, remained frozen, shoes tied around my neck and tangled in the camera strap, feet struggling to stabilize on the slippery rocks, and with just enough current to make me unsteady.  Finally, I made it close enough to the gentleman to pass him the camera (my next greatest worry after Black Jack) and with him guarding both Black Jack and the camera, I was able to relax get myself out of the water and up onto the rock.  Won't do that again.  I know that gentleman won't see this blog, but I remain everlastingly grateful to him.  I also gained new respect for Black Jack's toughness.  She was unfazed, ready to play ball again (with the 3rd ball of the day, and the only one to make it home) as soon as we reached shore.

Bill met us at Bridgman, missing the excitement, but willing to listen as I related every detail.  (Thank you, Bill!)  We then headed off to JJBean for another latte.     
The young man went to special effort (it seemed to me) with the design, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. 
It was clear that Jonny (He kindly agreed to a photo) takes pride in his work, and that is something I always admire.  This fellow will go places in life.  Thank you, Jonny.  You made a good day even better.
We stopped back at the osprey nest before finally heading home.  The action continued in much the same as it had in the morning, and so I focused on the seagulls for a while.  Here, two juveniles compete for food. ( I have no idea what that food is.)
Triumphant, the one seagull takes off, only to lose the prize.  I suppose, one more step along a steep learning curve.
Bill keeps a chair in the truck, and that works out well for both him and Black Jack.  With several swimming sessions under her belt, and the long bike ride in the morning, she was definitely ready for a nap.
I took a lot of "truck shots" on our way home.  This one is on West Georgia Street, just after coming off the Lions Gate Bridge.
This is along Pacific Street.  Our route home traced my usual bike commute, and I enjoyed watching from a different perspective.
Another day in the life..  I'm off again today for more of the same.