On Osprey Time

Orpheus flying over Salt Point, my harbinger of spring,   courtesy of Cassandra Rooney-Monger.  Being in nature, immersed in a world of trees, water, birds, and especially Osprey is  where I’m at peace. It is where I feel connected to the Earth. While humans suffer the  COVID-19 pandemic and panic grows, nature is constant and oblivious to it. Snowdrops  and daffodils are peaking out of the snow, and soon, very soon, the forsythia and cherry  blossoms will bring forth color to a dreary world.  Orpheus at the Salt Point nest, courtesy of Cassandra Rooney-Monger.  To many, nature is just the outdoors, but to me, it’s so much more. Nature is my  church, my sanctuary, where I can escape the human sphere and indulge my senses  in all that is beautiful. Nature heals and re-energizes me, frees my soul, and gives me  happiness. The calling of an owl gives me inner calmness. Life and rebirth are all  around us.   I’m drawn to where forests meet wetlands, shallow lakeshores, or marshy beaches— t

Ospreys are unique among birds and are the only member of its family, Pandionidae. In general, Ospreys appear dark chocolate brown when seen from above and white when seen from below and are whiter than most raptors. This fish-eating raptor can easily be confused with other hawks and eagles depending on their activity.   Male Osprey with field marks indicated, courtesy of S. Keeze.   A PERCHED OSPREY  A perched Osprey is easy to confuse with many brown hawks and eagles. Look for the following field marks to quickly identify Ospreys:  1. Crown : The Osprey's crown is pure, plain white with a dark brown band across the  forehead. The crown varies depending on the bird's posture and size of the crow. 2. Eyes: Mature Ospreys have bright yellow, piercing eyes with a dark pupil. Immature birds have darker orange-yellow eyes that gradually lighten as they reach sexual maturity around 18 months of age.  3. Auriculars: A broad dark chocolate-brown stripe extends across the Osprey's

Juvenile Osprey eating a brown bullhead at Stewart Park, courtesy of Cindy and Karel Sedlacek.  Spring is the time for new beginnings for all. For birds, this new beginning means it’s  time to build nests and refurbish old ones. It is a time of growing handsome new  breeding feathers as well as performing vital courtship behaviors to catch the eye of  passing mates. It is the time to lay eggs and raise a new brood. But before any of that  can happen, migratory birds must journey from their winter grounds back to their  breeding homes. Fall migrations can be long, drawn out affairs, but time is of the  essence when it comes to spring migration. In Ospreys, both males and females do all  they can to minimize the time spent on spring migration to ensure a timely arrival on the  breeding grounds to establish a nest or defend their existing nest.  Ospreys employ different spatial and temporal migration strategies in spring versus fall.  A migration strategy is defined as ‘‘the set of rules