Dennis Puleston Osprey Cam
Message Board
2006 Season
2006 Season
HOME
WHO WAS DENNIS PULESTON?
MAKE A DONATION
ALL ABOUT OSPREYS
OSPREY CAM
— Commentary
— Highlight clips
— Archived still pictures
— 2005 Season
— 2004 Season
— 2003 Season
CHAT (testing)
2006 MESSAGE BOARD
— 2005 Message Board
— 2004 Message Board
— Search Message Board
OBSERVATIONS DATABASE
GUEST BOOK
— Guest Book World Map
POST-MORROW FOUNDATION
LINKS
| Name | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Walter | 08/02/06 09:04 pm | Betty & Dennis spend about six months on Long Island and the other six months in Florida or South America. Is it possible that Ospreys give birth to chicks and start another family during the September to March months while they are down south? Have Star, Stripe & Flag learned all their skills by the time they arrive in the winter retreat? |
| clyde | 08/02/06 10:34 pm | It is my understanding that male and female ospreys seperate into flocks by gender during these southern jaunts, and that they, in fact, compete with each other for the best hunting territories. It is only during the mating season up north that the males and females become lovey-dovey. |
| Melanie | 08/02/06 11:09 pm | Clyde, I have never heard that they "flock" during migration. I know they do separate vacations, but thought they remained solitary, like hawks. Do you remember where you heard about the flocking? |
| clyde | 08/02/06 11:11 pm | "Have Star, Stripe & Flag learned all their skills by the time they arrive in the winter retreat?" They'd better have learned these skills, or else be very quick learners in their new environment, or they will surely perish. |
| clyde | 08/02/06 11:32 pm | "Clyde, I have never heard that they "flock" during migration. I know they do separate vacations, but thought they remained solitary, like hawks. Do you remember where you heard about the flocking?" No, I don't remember, Melanie. I do remember reading somewhere online that the osprey sexes seperate from each other in the southern climes and that they compete for territory while there. Maybe from this I made the unwarranted assumption that they seperated into flocks. When I read that they competed with each other, I probably assumed that they were doing it in groups, like opposing armies. Too much anthropomorphising (and thinking about Greek plays) on my part, I'm afraid. I'll check further into it when I'm more awake, but in the meantime, thank you for correcting me, Melanie. |
| Celeste | 08/03/06 05:29 am | According to Carpentieri "The Fish Hawk, Osprey" Male and Female ospreys do separate when they migrate for winter. And they are as loyal to their wintering grounds as they are to their natal grunds. Once they are back to their wintering range, ospreys spend their time feeding, resting and loafing, mostly along coastal bays and estuaries, places where surface firsh are abundant. In one study it was estimated on one West African river delta alone, 30,000 tons of fish were eaten each winter by osprey and other fish eating birds. Ospreys on their wintering grounds are competing with other birds for the same prey. A researcher counted 25 osprey perched within 330 feet, and also saw 5 ospreys perched on a log only 16 ft long. Even though it is possible that ospreys are so close because of lack of perch areas, it was seen that they will travel together in flocks. And I quote, "In fact, like gulls, ospreys hovering and diving often stimulated other ospreys to join in on the feast" In some wintering areas, lack of perch sites does create competition to a certain degree between "colonized birds", but the osprey's ability to fly coupled with his ability to adapt to situations, always results in a orderly" dispersal of birds" They will also disperse inland off -season to avoid predators such as racoons, alligators and snakes. |
| Melanie | 08/03/06 09:02 am | Thanks Celeste - it was just too late last night to haul the book out. Ever on top of things, as always! |