Osprey Tales

Osprey Eggs 2 – The Oologist

The stunning beauty of osprey eggs was not lost on the old naturalists. There was gamesmanship of climbing to nests to collect the eggs. Osprey egg-collecting played a major role in the population decline in the 19th and 20th centuries. There were even journals devoted to it.

There are still museum cases full of old Osprey eggs in Europe.

Last year Harriett lay three eggs, April 5^th, 6^th and 7^th.

Osprey eggs are considered one of the most beautiful of all bird eggs. They have long been admired for their unusual coloring.

Rich browns                                             Swirls of dark mahogany.

Cream colored with dots                             Cinnamon.

Still in the picture

The Doctor found the eagle nest today. It is only ¼ mile from Harriett’s.

Last year eggs were laid April 5^th, 6^th and 7^th.

Harriett continues to configure her nest. The walls are stacked neatly and intertwined. The interior is lined with a base of soft grass.

Jonathan brings in some Spanish moss.

The Doctor’s third platform ——- Jan, 2019 to present.

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Harriett.

The Doctor’s second platform.

The Taj Mahal

Destroyed by Hurricane Florence – September 7, 2018

Urban development, road building, agriculture, logging, erosion, water pollution and more are destroying the natural habitat of osprey. Man-made artificial platforms have been helpful.

The Doctor’s first platform – 2014

Hurricane Arthur

Ospreys are beachcombers. A sundry of shore line flotsam and jetsam are frequently found incorporated into their structures: plastic bags, pieces of plastic toys, fishing line and more.

Looking at an osprey nest, one can tell how the world has changed.

Oddities found in osprey nests in the nineteenth century: a rag doll, a small doormat, a toy sailboat complete with sail, a feather duster, barrel staves and hoops, a boot-jack, 20 feet of hem rope, a blacking brush, a remnant from an oilskin rain slicker, and bleached-out bones from domestic animals like cattle and sheep.

Now, in the twenty first century we find: rubber boots, bicycle tires, Hula Hoops, sections of television antennas, styrofoam cups and plastic hamburger containers.

Here are some items used in osprey nest construction over the last couple of years.

“I hope you and your loved ones will stay safe and healthy during these trying times, and always feel free to drop me a line (by responding to this email) to let me know how you’re doing,” said Harriett.

Osprey Nest 2

The nest site is not far from water, usually on top of a large tree (often with a dead or broken top) allowing 360 degrees of visibility.

Nesting on a structure over water will protect them from the ground predators such as raccoons.

Any place, high, safe, with a wide field of vision and plenty of fish will do.

Osprey nests are built of sticks and lined with bark, sod, grasses, vines, algae, or flotsam and jetsam. The male fetches the nesting material and the female arranges it.