Behind the Extraordinary Osprey Rebound

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By Anne W. Semmes
Sentinel Features Reporter

Josie Watson checking Cos Cob Harbor nests.
Josie Watson checking Cos Cob Harbor nests.

Ospreys. They’re those charismatic fish hawks with a bent wing, black and white feathers and super-sized talons for pulling up fish. They come to Greenwich in the spring to reclaim their nests or build new ones, raise their chicks, then leave in the fall for their winter quarters in South America.

Josephine “Josie” Watson, 19, came new to the osprey world this summer. Raised in Greenwich and now a rising sophomore at Tufts, she’s studying ecology and found field work “fascinating,” so signed on as an Osprey Steward this summer for the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) statewide program called Osprey Nation.

“I drive around town most afternoons checking osprey nests,” she says, with the help of her tagged Google map. She’s observed over half of the 17 nests recorded thus far by Osprey Nation. She’s become familiar with ospreys, she says, their behavior patterns, their bonding with their mates. “It’s so inspirational to see their loyalty to their partners.”

Watson is also seeing how prolific these osprey are. “There are an average of three fledglings in each nest except for one nest with two.”

With 17 nests producing say an average of two offspring, and the fact that most chicks have fledged by now, that’s 34 fledglings, plus parents’ equals 68 ospreys, and that’s a conservative estimate. Wetlands scientist and CAS board member Mike Aurelia, another of six Osprey Stewards in town, estimates there are 20 nests, so add another 12 and there’s a possible population of 80 ospreys in residence.

These numbers equal a dramatic osprey success story.

Jim O'Brien building first osprey platform.
Jim O’Brien building first osprey platform.

In 1977 there were two osprey migrants counted, with none nesting in the Greenwich-Stamford area, according to Joe Zeranski, co-author with Tom Baptist of “Connecticut Birds,” and longtime Audubon Greenwich member/historian. Zeranski has a summary of the annual Audubon Summer Bird Count begun in 1976. That low figure shows the drastic effects the use of the pesticide DDT had on the osprey, getting into its fish food chain, resulting in too thin eggshells. The numbers don’t enter the double digits in the Greenwich area until the mid-1980’s to early 1990’s when the town stepped in to offer the birds nesting platforms.

Jim O'Brien nest platform builder.
Jim O’Brien nest platform builder.

It was under Tom Baptist’s aegis as Conservation Director in the 1980’s and 1990’s that the first three nest platforms were built in Cos Cob Harbor. Working with Audubon member Jim O’Brien who had marine contracting experience, Baptist obtained the required state and local permits to erect these first successful nest platforms in Greenwich in 1990. “Their first occupancy took place the year after they were installed,” says Baptist, now based in Hartford.

“There were no natural nest sites available,” explains O’Brien, a realtor living in Cos Cob. “There were no more dead trees along the shore,” he says, “and ospreys like dead trees with no branches so they can see their enemies approaching.”

With additional permits obtained by Baptist, seven more platforms were installed with O’Brien’s assistance, two on Shell Island, one by Bowers Island, three in Greenwich Cove, and one off Mead’s Point. “All of these now have successful nesting ospreys,” says Baptist. Hartford.

Add to that a few platforms that homeowners have built off their property.

Add to that enterprising osprey stories as told by O’Brien, known in the birding world as Mr. Osprey. At Eagle Pond on Greenwich Point, long after the eagle statue was installed on the small island in the Pond an initiative supported by present Conservation Director Denise Savageau to build a platform on the island met with resistance from members of the public. “The ospreys settled the dispute and built their nest atop the eagle statue,” says O’Brien.

Cynthia Ehlinger is the Osprey Steward of the Eagle Pond nest. She’s now seeing an empty nest with the one chick fledged. She can identify the juveniles from the adults with their “light scallops” on the edge of their black back feathers – the adults have solid black feathers on their back. She sees how the adults are now bringing new sticks to their empty nest, preparing their prime territory for their return next spring.

Ehlinger, who leads the First Sunday Bird Walks, who marks the beginning of the spring with the osprey arrival, works for the Bruce Museum as marketing associate, science curatorial associate, and manager of the Museum’s Seaside Center. Her latter responsibility has her more attuned to the connection of ospreys with the aquatic world, in particular the abundant supply of their favorite fish – the menhaden or bunker as known here.

Cynthia Ehlinger checking Eagle Pond nest.
Cynthia Ehlinger checking Eagle Pond nest.

Billy Ingraham, owner of the Sportsman’s Den on the Mianus River, sees firsthand that abundant fishing supply. “We’ve got more bait than we know what to do with,” he says, “The bunker are jumping right off my docks.” He sees his waterways “loaded with pods of bunker” he says, for the upcoming bluefish tournament season.

Ingraham attributes the menhaden abundance, he says, to the new federal limits imposed on menhaden commercial fishing, and to new state limits of “50 bunker per angler a day.” “New Yorkers used to come with their fishing nets and fill them up then sell them in New York,” he says, “Now they can’t.”

That ample fish supply has brought back the eagles according to Ingraham. “There are two bald eagles on the Mianus River side of Cos Cob Harbor,” he says, “The eagles are feeding off the menhaden.” He suspects they have a nest nearby.

Across the Cos Cob waterways lives Riverside resident and CAS President Alex Brash, who brought the Osprey Nation project into being in the spring of 2014 in the midst of this osprey rebound and menhaden abundance. “We met with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment – DEEP,” he says, “and asked them what were some of their wildlife management issues not heavily funded that we could possibly help.” Osprey management was offered, accepted, and entitled Osprey Nation by CAS.

Alex Brash President of CAS
Alex Brash President of CAS

“The strength of this project is in its membership,” says Brash. “It tells us, with the help of our stewards, where the nests are in the state, when the birds return, when the eggs hatch, when the birds fledge, how well they do and when they takeoff.” The project also facilitates best nest locations that “don’t conflict with human needs.”

“The osprey is at the top of the food chain so it’s an ideal species for bio-assessing the environment,” says Brash. “Its main predation is fish so it’s a bio-accumulator of fish and water. The menhaden, though favored by ospreys has been undervalued he says. “Menhaden had been unregulated in the Northeast. It was considered a trash fish – put into lobster pots.”

But, after the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission implemented commercial harvesting limits on the Menhaden in 2013, says Brash, “The menhaden has exploded in Long Island Sound and this has led to an incredible bump up of the population of osprey offspring.”

Also undervalued says Brash is “the intellectual capacity of our fellow citizens.” “There are tangible ways to get people involved to help the osprey and fish population and our environment. If we can develop greater awareness and involvement of our citizens in the outdoors, to be better informed, to be more engaged – there will be more of an effect on making this earth a better place.”

Osprey stewardship is having its effect on Josie Watson. “We all have a lot to learn from the osprey – the way they are indicators of the health of the ecosystem. Given that they are fishing for a variety of fish – that means a multiple of fish are thriving.”

“People are taking the time to stop what they’re doing and just watch,” she says, “The cornerstone of this project is they are giving 15 minutes of their time for observation.”

Postcript: This reporter is also an Osprey Steward.

 

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