Blog #313 History of Ospreys in Finger Lakes, so far...

Osprey painting by James DeKay, 1844. 

In the 1844 Zoology of New York, Part II Birds, naturalist James DeKay declared the  Osprey “occurred in every part of the state and breeds in the vicinity of fresh or salt  water.” It’s unfortunate that this survey did not look at specific regions in the state. I find  that statement misleading and rather doubt there were many, if any, Ospreys breeding  in the Finger Lakes during the 1800s. Their numbers were very low at the turn of the  century. Reed and Wright’s 1909 Vertebrates of the Cayuga Lake Basin reported “several are seen every year during the summer months, but we have no evidence that  they nest within the basin.” In 1935, Jasper Spiker wrote: “Attractive as the Finger Lakes  might seem for this species, the fish hawk is very rare, except during migrations.” However, populations continued in the Adirondacks and flourished on Long Island.  

Anyway, that was before the 1940–70 DDT era, which drastically reduced Osprey and  other birds of prey populations globally. Then surprisingly, in 1974, two years after the banning of DDT, an Osprey was seen flying around the Montezuma National Wildlife  Refuge (MNWR). In 1980, a pair nested in MNWR’s Tschache Pool representing the  first documented breeding Osprey pair in Central New York in over a hundred years.  This celebrated nest yielded two fledged young and continued to produce young in  subsequent years. Since then, the population in the Montezuma area has expanded down Cayuga Lake. My team has recorded nearly 150 active nests in the Greater  Cayuga Lake Basin and along the Erie Canal 


from Port Byron to Waterloo. Most of these nests are listed in the Cayuga Lake Osprey  Trail. 

In 2018, I became aware of two ospreys that regularly fished in Owasco Lake, one at  the north end and one at the southern outlet. However, I have been unable to locate  their nests yet. An active Osprey nest was also reported near Skaneateles Lake, but I  have not found that nest either.  

Fledge on its nest at Greenidge Generation. 

We turned our eyes to Seneca Lake in 2019 to check on the Osprey population at the  Grenidge Plant in Dresden. It’s been there for over a decade and appeared to be limited  to the plant’s outfall. However, reports of active nests on cell towers elsewhere around the lake prompted us to do a full lake survey. Ten nests were found at the Grenidge  Plant and an additional 15 nests on the west side of the lake, many of them on cell  towers. The only nest found on the east side was at the restricted portion of the former  Seneca Army Depot on a spotlight tower. However, it does not appear active. 

Male Osprey guarding female on nest on a cell tower in Seneca Co. 

Reports of active Osprey nests in the City of Canandaigua prompted yesterday’s road  trip to this Canal town. Three nests were found surrounding the city, all on cell towers. 

The Finger Lakes in central New York.

The great “hunt” for Ospreys in the Finger Lakes continues! While you are driving about  in our scenic area, be on the look out for Ospreys and their nests. Please send me any  nest sighting locations you find! Thank you. 

Eyes to the sky!  

Candace 

Candace E. Cornell  

Friends of Salt Point & 

Cayuga Osprey Network  

Lansing, NY  

cec222@gmail.com 

HELP PROTECT OSPREYS: 

• Keep a distance (100-300 feet) from active nests in the breeding season. If an  animal vocalizes when you are near, you are too close! BACK OFF IMMEDIATELY. • Carry binoculars to view wildlife from a distance. 

• Help keep local waters clean and healthy. Preserve and clean shorelines. • Recycle or dispose of used fishing line and other materials that can entangle  Ospreys and other aquatic animals. 

• Volunteer to monitor Osprey nests with the Cayuga Osprey Network. Write to:  cec222@gmail.com.  

EYES ON OSPREYS 

WATCH! 

Salt Point Osprey Nest Cam 2021 

READ! 

On Osprey Time—a blog on the Ospreys of Salt Point

VISIT! 

Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail

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