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Home My WebLink AboutJuly 10, 2003 - Osprey situation_ 'perplexing' The News-Review • July 10, 2003 ■ ■ s re � � ua � on : � � , er exin � � � �� s. � �e t �� -�,y�'� � � Y � �,�a� ��` ' � '��S �£ ��HY z�y> €�f �`y,��Y g ;� ��;� ��s� ��'s'�� i� � �� s� �. �. a �y e f} �a �� r r�� -� S t F��53.2.��`� :.�., , , � FY � ,�F � � �;x ing time,young survival can be � .� � '� ,� � � � ` ' greatly reduced. "Of perplexing concern to me is why over the past several years our East End ospreys seem to be faring '" far worse than their West End coun- � ��" terparts.Although East End ospreys - µ s; . �, ' '" are subject to the brunt of these east- � <r � r ,. = erly storms,I suspect that other influences on pro- �,� �,, ductivity such as food lim- .t:.,� itations,foraging competi- �" tion and nest site quality � � `� � may be playing a part." To support his theory �'� , ' you only have to go to �9 � ` ; � Mashomack,where Mike �..,�� .«.�.a :,a.; � �.::�' °�. , ,�<S '�' � : `� ° � ��` orks,and find the disap- � : < . .; a,a �"�` ' ��rc ointing figure of a total of three � oung in nine nests.Our own obser- " � - ' '� ` ations show the same results.Some nests that have proven so reliable in past years come up with a big zero. It's very,very disappointing.As an Txts sPuirrG wE xAVE een om- Environmental Conservation to keep example of what has happened,the barded by the question,"What's hap track of the osprey population.We nest set up by the Dennis Puleston pened to the ospreys?"It's kind of figured he should be able to give us a Osprey Fund,which can be seen on nice to see so many people interest- good idea,for he travels with the the Internet (www.postmorrow.- ed in a bird,but then again I guess DEC in a helicopter and surveys the org/OspreyFund),is being closely the osprey represents our North nests each year.We called him up monitored and the results tabulated. Fork more than any other flora or and he sent this information back to The birds arrived on March 23,they fauna.From what we have seen, us,which we quote for you: worked on rebuilding the nest and something drastic is going on. "Regarding the osprey nesting sit- then their spring ritual of the male Nests that have produced young uation this season,I believe that the feeding the female,which put them year after year have no young in record-setting rain and accompany- in a mood of copulation.Also during them at all.We wonder what has ing cold east winds that were so this time,courtship maneuvers are happened.We have our own theory, commonplace this spring have had a taking place in the air and they are but we wanted to ask the expert,so disastrous impact on young produc- we called Mike Scheibel,natural tion.The newly hatched young are resources manager for The Nature poorly equipped to thermoregulate �OCV S Conservancy based at Mashomack on thcir own,so when inclement on Shelter Island.He also does the weather co��c�dcs with peak hatch- 0]y aerial surve for the De artment of NAruRE by Paul Stoutenburgh continually working on rebuilding ' � the nest. The eggs were laid on Apri18,fol- lowed by one each on the 11th and � ' the 15th,with the last egg laid on the � 18th.This time in between you will Y-i �w see plays an important factor later on. � � `= Both male and female incubate the .� eggs.The first chick hatched on May 17 and the last � arrived on the 24th of May. � From then on,the male did �� the fishing and brought t�e �-.. r % fish to the female and young. �:- �-M��. �'c We have to stop here to tell ' R � �` �e� '� ��„�.` � the tale of survival in the � � � q � �� ..#:� '� nest.Ospreys,like all hawks, � ' � � ,� �«.�," ollow the same pattern. � � � �` `�h e , w , When the first young is hatched,it ' D' ';� , receives the food,and as others come TimesiReview photos by Paul Stoutenburgh along it still gets the first food and Sorry to say, you won't see too many of these young ospreys (above, with adult) when its gullet is full,it passes up the this season. The reason: The cold and rainy weather we had at the critical hatch- food and then,and only then,the ing time could only spell disaster to eggs and young. At left:An adult osprey. food will go to the next one and on down the line.So you can see there's a starvation problem at the end and it's seldom that there's enough food to feed all the chicks each time. Now comes the sort of gruesome that?Why would the ospreys be area.There is a theory that these cor- part,but remember this is nature,and doing better in what we could consid- orants,which have multiplied in it has worked for thousands of years. er a much poorer habitat? reat numbers in the past few years, T'he one born first immediately starts Many who have been watching are reducing the menhaden popula- pecking on the other three.The one ospreys have reported that there ion,thereby affecting the food sup- that receives the most pecking is the were lots of the hawks around,some- ly of the osprey. weakest,for it has hardly been fed at times not just the pair at the nest but So you have many choices and rea- all.•Therefore,the youngest is elimi- others flying around.'This gives the ons for the lack of osprey young this nated by its siblings,literally killing it. false idea that our ospreys are doing ear.I think the prime reason was This goes right down the line until well,but on the contrary they should he poor weather we had.Remember, there's usually only one or two left in be feeding their young or busy away any of the old nests are packed the nest,the ones that were hatched from the nest locating the food oWn and often there is an impervi- first and always fed first because they source. us area at the bottom.As the birds were the strongest and called for So what are we saying here?We uild the nest up with layers and lay- food as soon as the parent birds were have the possibility that nature takes rs of seaweed,grasses,plastic and ready to feed. care of many of the young in the nest ebris of all kinds,it becomes a prob- This may seem cruel,but it's part of itself through attrition and the peck- em when it rains.The rain cannot the system that makes the strong ing order.Then,with the miserable ercolate through the nest and forms endure and the weak fall by the way- �,eather we've had of rain and wind a puddle which,of course,is cold side.So this is one of the reasons that and cold,this could have affected and �'�'ater,which would surely do in the we find,even in the nest that's being iped out many of the young.Then eggs or young.So,sorry to say,we videotaped by the Dennis Puleston here is the other possibility that I have no magic bullet to offer,but just Ospre}•Fund committee,there are , the hopes that next year will be a aven t mentioned,and that is their nly two birds left where there were ood source.There is definitely a better one.Remember,ospreys live our in the beginning. hortage of inenhaden in the bay and to a good old age and so those that But let's get back to what Mike great increase in cormorants.These �'�'e see this year should be back again aid about the contrast between the are those black water birds that are next year and if the weather condi- ospreys on the west and east ends of ontinually diving and sitting on tions are better,let's hope we'll have the island.North Hempstead,for buo s and ilin s throu hout our a lot of young ospreys fledged from example,right near New York City, the East End. had seven nests and,believe it or not, a total of 18 young.Can you believe