Happy Osprey Day!
On Mother’s Day, we took a trip to the Edwin B. Forsythe
National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. This is the kind of gift I love, to be
out in natural settings, observing animals and birds in their native habitats.
One particular thing I observed that day was the scattering
of osprey nests through the refuge. In the wild, the male osprey gathers the
makings of the outside of the nest - twigs, sticks and branches - and the
female lines it with grass, sod, vines, and sometimes found materials. They
like to build their nests in open spaces, usually near a water source as they
tend to eat fish exclusively, leading to their description as fish hawks. The
problem is that ospreys may build nests on man-made structures such as
telephone poles, utility poles, buildings, and other open spaces, which can
pose a hazard for the birds. This was not the only hazard. Ospreys became
endangered as a result of DDT spraying, before the chemical was banned in 1972.
They have recently been rebounding, partly due to the support of wildlife and
conservation organizations. They often construct platforms for ospreys to nest
on, in protected areas out of harm’s way.
This day, we saw lots of ospreys perching alongside the
nests. I wondered if they were the males or females as both tend to the
nestlings. On this special day, I chose to imagine they were the mother birds,
watching over their babies. Mothers, regardless of category, have much in
common. I sent them silent messages of appreciation and understanding; raising
youngsters is an all-consuming job (Can you see the baby in the nest?). I was
glad that the adults were being cared for, too, by the wildlife conservation
community. We need to support each other. It is cause for celebration when we
can say that a species is reclaiming its right to exist.
Happy Osprey Day!
Get a feeling about ospreys:
Lots of photos of ospreys at the Edwin B. Forsythe National
Wildlife Refuge:
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