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Osprey***
Pandion haliaetusOsprey***
In the spring of 2007, Lou Capuano noticed a pair of Osprey placing sticks on a cell tower next to Salmon Creek near Braddock Bay. It was obvious the birds were trying to build a nest. Capuano began keeping an eye on their progress each time he visited nearby Burger Park. Capuano, an avowed raptor enthusiast, nicknamed the male Braddock and the female Bay, and took a remarkable series of photographs as the nest gradually took shape. The birds eventually could be seen sitting on it. But Capuano wasn’t sure whether their nesting attempt succeeded. It did. Dave Tetlow, a local birder who lives not much more than a stone’s throw from the site, confirmed that the pair fledged a young osprey. Combined with the nesting of Bald Eagles at Irondequoit Bay that spring, this made 2007 something of a benchmark year in our area. You would probably have to go back well into the 1800s, maybe further, to find both of these raptors nesting this close to Rochester.The Osprey nest at Salmon Creek was one more confirmation that these “fish hawks” are making an incredible recovery, rivaling, and probably surpassing even that of the Bald Eagle. Background
This is the only North American raptor that eats almost exclusively live fish, diving feet first for prey in about the top meter of water. As a result, Osprey tend to breed most densely where shallow waters abound: Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay and Florida Bay, Georgian Bay in the Great Lakes, and at several large reservoirs and lakes in the western states. Many now nest on artificial structures, including channel markers, cell-phone towers and hundreds of nesting platforms erected specifically for its benefit. Indeed, pairs produce about twice as many young when using artificial sites. All but southernmost populations migrate as far south as South America; “an Osprey nesting in central Quebec and wintering in southern Brazil might fly more than 200,000 kilometers in migration during its 15- to 20-year lifetime,” notes the profile of this species in The Birds of North America series. This species, which also breeds throughout much of the Old World, gained increased recognition during the 1950s-1970s when DDT and other pesticides caused populations to crash in many areas of the U.S. Ospreys helped provide the evidence needed to ban continued used of DDT. By 2000 it had regained most of its numbers, boosted by a cleaner environment, a proliferation of artificial nesting sites, and an ability to tolerate human activity near its nests. By 2001, the population had recovered to an estimated 16,000 to 19,000 pairs in the lower 48 states – an increase of 25 percent in just seven years. “Phoenixlike, the Osprey has arisen from the ashes of its own demise, a survivor, even a backyard bird in some areas; little wonder the species has become such a powerful totem for conservationists.” (BNA 683: 1-2, 21, 28-29)
Local history
Eaton (1914) lamented the gradual extirpation of breeding pairs along the Hudson, the Great Lakes and the Central Chain. “One by one the Fish hawk trees have disappeared…” (Eaton II:107). He listed it as a fairly common transient in Monroe and Wayne counties, also occurring in Livingston. (Eaton I: county charts)R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated this was purely a migrant, occurring from 28 March to 27 May, usually single birds and never more than three. Fall records fell between 5 August and 14 October, again usually single birds and never more than two. When Leo Tanghe examined the returns from 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members within a 50-miles radius of Rochester from 1951-1954, he found this species reported 127 times – 76 sightings in spring, and 51 in fall. (KB 5: 69: 2A-2B)Edson in 1952 reported no evidence that it nested anywhere “in this part of the state.” (WBR, 25 August 1952) “It would seem that this interesting species should receive full protection from the very people who call themselves sportsmen,” he wrote in 1947. (WBR, 21 April 1947) “He only fishes to live, while his enemies fish for pleasure . . . Let the so-called sportsmen confine their marksmanship to starlings, the Norway rat and English sparrows and let the osprey come back as a nesting species. Now it is but a spring and fall migrant.”The egg-thinning ravages of DDT devastated remaining breeding populations during the 1950s and 1960s. (Andrle, p. 98)Alfred Starling reported a “surprisingly good showing” during 1964, especially that spring when “we had counts of more than 50 of these great birds in one day.” (WBR, 14 September 1964) The 65 tallied at Sodus Bay on 2 May that year (Brownstein, Listman, Sunderlin) were considered “unprecedented.” (KB14: 161) Bull, however, in his maxima, listed only 15 on 16 May 1970 at Manitou. (Bull, p. 167)In any event, not until 218 spring migrants were recorded at Braddock Bay in 1979, did John Brown suggest this species was beginning to make a “remarkable recovery” from the devastating effects of DDT and other pesticides. Only 96 had been tallied the year before, and only 40 the year before that. (BA, 22 August 1979) Status
Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, fairly common spring transient; a sporadic, very rare summer visitant and an irregular, uncommon fall transient. Now becoming established as a breeding species.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a casual very rare winter visitant, an irregular (presumably regular) uncommon spring and fall transient, and a casual very rare summer visitant.
Occurrence
Spring: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 19 March to 3 May, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 6 to 25 April. In most years had departed by 13 June, with a late departure date of 27 June. The occasional sight of a crooked-winged bird “carrying its lunch” as it flies overhead, fish firmly grasped in its talons, adds spice to the spring migration. Note that the fish will be held so that it lines up with the direction of the bird’s flight, to reduce drag! In fact, Ospreys passing over Braddock Bay during migration “spend much time fishing in the bay and are very often seen perched on one of the bare branches of a tree in Island Woods, in the marsh in front of the hawk lookout, eating a fish, or flying off, carrying a goldfish in their talons,” Laura and Neil Moon reported in 1982. (GOS, August 1982)The increase in numbers migrating past Braddock Bay each spring offers dramatic proof of this species’ recovery.
Ten on 9 June 2003 (C. Cass) at Braddock Bay was a good number for that late in the migration (GNR); five were there on 19 June 2001 (C. Cass, Symonds, D. Tetlow, mob). (GNR)
Summer/breeding status: The banning of DDT helped this species recover. Especially pertinent for our region was the appearance of Osprey at Montezuma NWR in the mid 1970s, resulting in successful nesting there in 1980. Unlike the Bald Eagles, which had to be introduced at Montezuma through hacking, the Osprey appeared at the refuge on their own, notes Mike Allen, a senior wildlife technician with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Avon office. (Others were introduced at Iroquois NWR through hacking.) By 1997, seven Osprey nests were in use on the refuge and adjacent areas. (Online U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service profile of Montezuma) Ten years later, Allen estimated 30 or more pair nesting in and around the Montezuma wetlands complex and spreading outwards.As early as 1990 there were indications this species might be nesting, or about to nest, in Wayne County. A pair that spent the summer fishing at Crusoe Lake, Frank Dobson reported, “would always head straight west and they would return again from the same direction,” suggesting that if they were nesting, it may have been somewhere other than at Montezuma a few miles to the south. (Birds, 23 December 1990)Beginning in 1999, breeding was indeed confirmed in Wayne County, likely by birds spilling over from Montezuma NWR. (KB 49:330) A nest was found near Clyde (D. Tetlow) with two youngsters. (LG September 1999)By 2001, breeding was reported at several sites in Wayne County, including a nest at Butler (R. and S. Spahn) with 2 adults and one immature. (KB51: 783-4, GNR) In 2002 it was “highly likely that a pair of Osprey nested in northern Wayne County almost to the Lake Ontario shore.” (KB52: 347)In 2005, Osprey were observed putting sticks on cell towers in Greece and Parma (KB 55:363), with nesting confirmed two years later at Salmon creek (see introduction above). The expanded presence of this species as a breeder in our region has been amply documented by the BBA projects. During the first project, breeding was confirmed in only a single block at Montezuma NWR, with evidence of “possible” breeding documented in only four scattered blocks elsewhere. During the second project, the number of blocks with confirmed breeding had increased in and around the Montezuma wetlands complex, and there was increased evidence of breeding in blocks along the lakeshore in Wayne County, and also in scattered blocks in Livingston County.
Summer/breeding status: The banning of DDT helped this species recover. Especially pertinent for our region was the appearance of Osprey at Montezuma NWR in the mid 1970s, resulting in successful nesting there in 1980. Unlike the Bald Eagles, which had to be introduced at Montezuma through hacking, the Osprey appeared at the refuge on their own, notes Mike Allen, a senior wildlife technician with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Avon office. (Others were introduced at Iroquois NWR through hacking.) By 1997, seven Osprey nests were in use on the refuge and adjacent areas. (Online U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service profile of Montezuma) Ten years later, Allen estimated 30 or more pair nesting in and around the Montezuma wetlands complex and spreading outwards.As early as 1990 there were indications this species might be nesting, or about to nest, in Wayne County. A pair that spent the summer fishing at Crusoe Lake, Frank Dobson reported, “would always head straight west and they would return again from the same direction,” suggesting that if they were nesting, it may have been somewhere other than at Montezuma a few miles to the south. (Birds, 23 December 1990)Beginning in 1999, breeding was indeed confirmed in Wayne County, likely by birds spilling over from Montezuma NWR. (KB 49:330) A nest was found near Clyde (D. Tetlow) with two youngsters. (LG September 1999)By 2001, breeding was reported at several sites in Wayne County, including a nest at Butler (R. and S. Spahn) with 2 adults and one immature. (KB51: 783-4, GNR) In 2002 it was “highly likely that a pair of Osprey nested in northern Wayne County almost to the Lake Ontario shore.” (KB52: 347)In 2005, Osprey were observed putting sticks on cell towers in Greece and Parma (KB 55:363), with nesting confirmed two years later at Salmon creek (see introduction above). The expanded presence of this species as a breeder in our region has been amply documented by the BBA projects. During the first project, breeding was confirmed in only a single block at Montezuma NWR, with evidence of “possible” breeding documented in only four scattered blocks elsewhere. During the second project, the number of blocks with confirmed breeding had increased in and around the Montezuma wetlands complex, and there was increased evidence of breeding in blocks along the lakeshore in Wayne County, and also in scattered blocks in Livingston County.
This has come as a pleasant surprise to experts like Mike Allen. “It’s really kind of neat to see what’s gone on. It’s been totally unexpected.” DEC has not monitored the exact number of pairs nesting in our region, but “we’re getting reports all the time,” Allen said. Especially from utility companies that find them nesting on power line poles. The Ospreys keep reusing and adding to their nests, so they can become quite bulky. And that could lead to power outages. So Allen and the DEC advise the companies on how to erect platforms or other structures that the Ospreys can use instead for nesting. The spread of breeding pairs of Ospreys in our region is an exciting development. Obviously the Lake Ontario shoreline, with its multitude of bays and ponds, and the creeks and rivers that contribute to it — not to mention the Finger Lakes – offer promising nesting habitat for this magnificent bird of prey. And this is one raptor that readily adapts to human surroundings. Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated a range of arrival dates from 5 August to 19 September, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 28 August to 11 September. In most years had departed by 16 October, with a late departure date of 24 November. Ones on 28 November 1987 (Oswald) at Braddock Bay (GOS, January 1988) and 6-30 November 2004 (D. Tetlow) at Salmon Creek (LG, January 2005) were reported even later. See also winter records below. A gleam of golden yellow high in a tree from nearly a mile away caught the attention of John Koopman and other members of a Genesee Ornithological Society field trip at Buck Pond in October 1979.But it wasn’t until the birders trained their scopes on the tree that they discovered it was an oversized goldfish – being consumed by an Osprey. (BA, 10 October 1979) More than 40, reported fishing at a marsh near LeRoy in mid September 1975, was considered “amazing,” and “unprecedented” for this time of year. (KB26: 37) Nine sightings during October 2005 were considered “more abundant than normal.” (LG December 2005)
Winter: Still very rare in winter.One 1-15 December 1974 (Koopmans et al) at Irondequoit Bay (GOS, February 1975), one 30 December 1975 (Doris et al) at Hamlin (GOS, February 1976), and one 19 December 1977 (Henderson) at Hamlin (GOS, February 1978) were very late stragglers as were two in December 1987: one on the 6th (R. Dobson) at Crusoe Lake and one on the 28th (T. and P. Bartlett) at Geneseo. (GOS, February 1988) Another was at Braddock Bay (D. Tetlow) 1-2 December 2004. (LG, February 2005)
Misc.
Long Island conservation groups and residents have embraced this species, putting up hundreds of artificial nest platforms. Indeed, virtually all of the more than 300 active Osprey nests on Long Island are on man-made platforms, according to Michael Scheibel, wildlife manager for The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve. So is it time to begin a similar campaign in our region? Would it make sense to encourage these birds to nest on a multitude of man-made nest platforms, thereby avoiding problems when they choose utility poles instead? Not necessarily, cautions Allen, who has been involved in eagle restoration projects here. Osprey pairs breed much more closely together than Bald Eagles, often in loose colonies. So it is possible that an abundance of nesting platforms could lead to too much of a good thing: Enticing more and more Ospreys into an area might actually compound potential conflicts if surplus offspring end up nesting on utility lines. However, he added, DEC is perfectly willing to advise individual property owners on how to go about erecting nesting platforms.
Winter: Still very rare in winter.One 1-15 December 1974 (Koopmans et al) at Irondequoit Bay (GOS, February 1975), one 30 December 1975 (Doris et al) at Hamlin (GOS, February 1976), and one 19 December 1977 (Henderson) at Hamlin (GOS, February 1978) were very late stragglers as were two in December 1987: one on the 6th (R. Dobson) at Crusoe Lake and one on the 28th (T. and P. Bartlett) at Geneseo. (GOS, February 1988) Another was at Braddock Bay (D. Tetlow) 1-2 December 2004. (LG, February 2005)
Misc.
Long Island conservation groups and residents have embraced this species, putting up hundreds of artificial nest platforms. Indeed, virtually all of the more than 300 active Osprey nests on Long Island are on man-made platforms, according to Michael Scheibel, wildlife manager for The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve. So is it time to begin a similar campaign in our region? Would it make sense to encourage these birds to nest on a multitude of man-made nest platforms, thereby avoiding problems when they choose utility poles instead? Not necessarily, cautions Allen, who has been involved in eagle restoration projects here. Osprey pairs breed much more closely together than Bald Eagles, often in loose colonies. So it is possible that an abundance of nesting platforms could lead to too much of a good thing: Enticing more and more Ospreys into an area might actually compound potential conflicts if surplus offspring end up nesting on utility lines. However, he added, DEC is perfectly willing to advise individual property owners on how to go about erecting nesting platforms.
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