On Osprey Time

  Three perched fledglings are joined by a neighbor, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek. All three Salt Point fledglings, entering their 15 th  week, developed rather quickly this summer, reaching the post-fledging dependency milestones of flying and fishing ahead of schedule, giving them ample time to develop their independency. The post-fledging period is harder to study as the fledglings roam, and their dependency on their nest begins to fade. Nest defense, however, is still sacrosanct, and it is defended by the adults and fledglings alike, that is unless you’re a neighborly Osprey teenager just wanting to hang out. The more the post-fledging-dependency period is studied, the more unusual aspects are revealed as they prepare the young Ospreys for a long independent life. Instead of feeding his offspring directly after fledging, Orpheus, and sometimes Ursula, leave food in the nest 2–3 times a day to ensure the young have the energy while they are learning to fish. It can take four weeks or

Osprey nest bursts into flames after wet branches made contact with live wires, courtesy of ABC4Utah. Many legacies of COVID persist today, one of which is deadly to the Osprey. Scratching your head? The connection (pun) is simple. Systems were broken and they have not been fixed. That includes New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) who has let their guard down protecting Ospreys. Since the onset of COVID, there’s been one if not more potentially nests catching fire annually, often killing the occupants, owing to NYSEG’s no longer taking precautions to stop this. This senseless loss of life enrages me to my very core. Nestling Ospreys and their doting parents were burnt alive as their nests atop utility poles explode into flames. The Ospreys’ big sloppy stick nests become serious fire hazards if they get so heavy the flammable nest materials make contact with the electrified wires. Tragedy ensures, birds die, and it could so easily have been prevented. The remedy is a simple $50 riser