Lightning, thunder and powerful winds transformed a quiet night at the Hellgate Osprey nest as Iris, Clark and young Wensi endured one of the season’s most dramatic storms, with flying sticks, driving rain and even part of the nest’s outer rail torn away.
A beautiful close-up reveals how Iris and Clark’s chick has transformed from a tiny hatchling into a striking young osprey.
One month after hatching, the Hellgate Osprey chick pecked at a fish, looked to Iris for answers, then tumbled face-first into dinner before trying again.
On June 11, 2026, at the Hellgate Osprey nest in Missoula, Montana, the first Hellgate Osprey chick hatched after 38 days of waiting, giving Iris and Clark a hopeful new beginning.