Osprey nestling

After watching the killing of the young swallows in the nestbox this morning (see a brief explanation at the Nestbox Cam link to the right) I decided I needed to see something more cheerful in the world of birds before the day ends. I found this young Osprey trying to stay cool on his shadeless nest, facing away from the sun, sometimes panting and raising the feathers on his back. It's remarkable that he gets enough moisture just from the fish he eats until he fledges at 51 - 54 days of age. I wonder how soon he takes his first drink of water when he is finally able to get to it.