Blog #373 Return of Ospreys to the Greater Cayuga Lake Basin



Canada goose sitting on Salt Point nest on March 21, 2022.


The spring or vernal equinox [vur-nl ee-kwuh-noks, ek-wuh-noks] brought this year’s familiar chirp of the first Osprey to the Finger Lakes on March 20, 2022, with many more to come. After a winter perhaps spent in a corner of the Brazilian Amazonia, or a distant river delta in Suriname, “our” Ospreys are returning to Finger Lakes and specifically Cayuga Lake, to reunite with their mates. Usually, the male returns first with the females lagging a day or so behind. Once together again, the couple refurbishes their nest and begins a few weeks of courtship. The sooner a pair breeds, the greater their chances of having successful offspring. The first nesting pair seen in the Finger Lakes was spotted by Peter Saracino on the morning of the vernal equinox, March 20, 2022, sitting on their cell tower nest behind the Smith Opera House in Geneva NY. The first Osprey pair seen on their Cayuga Lake nest was spotted at Union Fields yesterday morning, March 21, by Felicia Antsy


Females are the gatekeepers of the nest, regulating what is put in it. Nest refurbishing requires that the couple yank out the weeds and shrubs growing from last season and building up the sides with new sticks. Females find soft materials for the egg cup while the males hunt for structural materials. To secure the family structure, which centers around the nest, the male starts feeding the female as soon as they reunite and will continue to feed her until she leaves on migration in August.


Best wishes for an exciting Osprey season!


Eyes to the sky! Candace


Candace E. Cornell

Friends of Salt Point Lansing, NY

Cayuga Lake Osprey Network cec222@gmail.com



EYES TO THE SKY!


WATCH!

Salt Point Osprey Nest Cam


READ!

On Osprey Time: Ospreys of SaltPoint


VISIT!

Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail

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