On Osprey Time

The watchful eyes of a male Osprey, courtesy of PBS. Ospreys returning next year to Monmouth County, New Jersey from spring migration will get quite a shock: their nests will be gone. The entertainment mega-giant Netflix, in its march across the state, purchased Fort Monmouth, an enormous former military base well-known as a haven for Ospreys. Now this coastal area is slated for development. Numerous Osprey nests are scheduled to be removed as Netflix proceeds with its mammoth construction campaign. Netflix developers won approval from the Borough of Oceanport (“the Borough”) last year and unanimous preliminary approval from the Monmouth County Commissioners last month to “relocate” Osprey nests away from this mega parcel. In this case, “relocate” means the nest is removed, and a nesting platform is built elsewhere. Final permits to begin the nest relocations are awaiting approval of Netflix’s Avian Mitigation Plan by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Plan charged...

  Orpheus (standing) and Ursula tending their eggs, Salt Point Nest Camera. For Ospreys raising a family is a two-bird job to ensure the best possible outcome for their offspring. Rarely is a single Osprey mother, forced by circumstance, able to raise a full brood alone even if no predators exist. A two-parent system is usually necessary in long-lived species, especially when raising the young requires several energy-intensive months. Ospreys typically live 7–10 years, but some live 20–25 years, with the oldest recorded Osprey living well over 30 years. For these primarily monogamous piscivores maintaining communication between them and dividing domestic tasks is the basis of Osprey familial success. Domestic duties include nest construction and maintenance, tending the offspring, and protecting the nest and family. Once a male finds a good building site, he collects hundreds of sticks for the main structure. He flies past dead tree branches and grabs them with his talons, snapping...