 Miles has witnessed Iris' triumphs and tragedies since 2013. She remembers the last time Iris successfully raised a chick back in 2018 and how close it came to ending very differently. Iris' former mate was having a hard time feeding his young family. Female ospreys typically stay in the nest to protect their hatchlings. Two of their chicks died of malnutrition, and one day Miles watched Iris leave the nest and her remaining baby unguarded. And she was gone a long time.