Blog # 302 Osprey Alley


The former “Osprey Alley” is now a ghost town. A nesting saucer is visible on top of the middle tower. 

Today’s plan was to drive to the north end of Cayuga Lake to check the status of  National Grid’s new nesting saucers on Routes 5&20. On our way, we had a delightful  visit with birder and dear friend Fritzie Blizzard, touring her gardens to see what was  budding. Fritzie is the inspiration behind the Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail, and along with  daughter Becky Sewell, the most prolific Osprey nest spotter in at least three counties.  

Last week’s Blog # 298 Flying Saucers relayed the shocking removal of five-decades old Osprey nests from the high-tension power lines lining Routes 5 & 20 cutting  through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. These five nests used year after year  by the same pairs of breeding Ospreys were torn down and replaced by nesting disks— non-conductive fiberglass saucers with drain holes in them.  

Last week, one male already nesting disappeared after his home was rudely  demolished. And these weren’t the only nests replaced. According to the new owner of  Rivers Crossing Campground at May’s Point, National Grid also took down 6–7 nests  on his property along the Seneca River replacing them with saucers. 

Osprey pair nesting in SC in saucer, courtesy of FiberNest. 

I presume National Grid has good intentions using these fireproof nest platforms to help  protect the birds from nest fires and electrocution, but the jury is still out whether or not  the Ospreys will readily use the new saucers. Ospreys are very stubborn. But the key to  their survival is their nesting site plasticity or ability to readily adapt their nesting  strategies to suit the changing environment.  

One way to make the saucers more inviting to the Osprey is to seed them with sticks  when first erected. Unfortunately, the new saucers along Routes 5 & 20, installed just a  week ago, were not seeded—a gross oversight. So far the acceptance of these new  nesting substrates in place of their old nests is slow and what we once called “Osprey  Alley” is now a ghost town. To date, only one nest has nesting material in it and is  being used by a nesting pair—the other four are untouched. True to their nature, one  stubborn Osprey pair is building a nest the old fashion way, on the tower itself.

As on 5&20, a pair buiding next to the saucer elsewhere in NY, courtesy of Dave Kennedy. 

As on 5&20, a pair buiding next to the saucer elsewhere in NY, courtesy of Dave Kennedy.

Eyes to the sky! 

Candace  

Candace E. Cornell  

Friends of Salt Point  

Cayuga Osprey Network 

Lansing, NY  

cec222@gmail.com  

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT OSPREYS: 

• AVOID GETTING TOO CLOSE TO NESTING SITES DURING THE BREEDING SEASON. IF AN ANIMAL  VOCALIZES WHEN YOU'RE NEAR, YOU ARE TOO CLOSE! BACK OFF IMMEDIATELY. 

• CARRY BINOCULARS TO VIEW WILDLIFE FROM AFAR. 

• RESTORE, CLEAN, AND PRESERVE LAKESHORE AND WETLAND HABITAT. • HELP KEEP LOCAL WATERS CLEAN, HEALTHY, AND SAFE. 

• RECYCLE USED FISHING LINE, WHICH CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OSPREY.  

• JOIN THE CAYUGA OSPREY NETWORK AND VOLUNTEER TO HELP MONITOR OSPREY NESTS. WRITE TO: CEC222@GMAIL.COM. 

All 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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