August
11 , 2003 Commentary:
It
is now getting toward the end of the nesting season, and “our birds” seem
to have been quite successful. As Dave Shore notes, the timeline for the
past week goes like this: The birds come to the nest and yell for food,
the adults bring a fish, it gets eaten and the birds fly off. Nonetheless,
as we well know from watching Dennis’ nest this year, survival is a harsh
proposition for individual ospreys. Most important is the question of how
the species as a whole is doing this year on Long Island. Here are some
comments on that point from Mike Scheibel, Wildlife Manager for The Nature
Conservancy’s Mashomak Preserve on Shelter Island:
I
am still compiling the results of this year’s osprey nesting survey for the
LI region and so do not have final numbers at this writing. However, the
general trends I have noted over the past several seasons would seem to have
continued in 2003. Generally, ospreys nesting in the greater LI region (NYC
to Fishers Island) are doing well with one caveat.
Overall
numbers of nesting pairs in this region has increased to about 300 pair,
from a low of about 60 pair in the late '70's. That is the good news. On
the east end of LI incl. Shelter, Plum, Fishers and Gardiners Islands the
initial recovery seems to have slowed and even declined in recent years.
In fact, if was not for the increase in nesting pairs and good productivity
of the "west-end" birds the regional picture would be somewhat disheartening.
Why the east enders should be experiencing such a rough go of it is a puzzle.
At first I'm tempted to ponder about increased predation levels, or less
prey availability, but there isn't any clear evidence of that being the case.
Some researchers point to the increase in cormorant numbers, or black-backed
gulls nesting on the east end. And then there is the notion that east end
nesting birds are somewhat more exposed to the maritime elements, and so
during a cold, wet spring such as the one we just had it is more difficult
for the adults to incubate eggs and shelter newly hatched young. Whatever
the reason(s), one thing is clear. We are now witnessing a decade long decline
at specific nesting areas within the Long Island region that were once the
very stronghold of that breeding population.
Timeline:
August 10, the chicks continue to spend a lot
of time away from the nest but still return for feedings. This morning they
both were in the nest calling for a meal. Suddenly one flew off and the other
followed, but they didn't fly far, you could hear them circling and calling.
After a few minutes, they returned to the nest, but the first to land wouldn't
let the other land. They were playing "King of the Hill". After another ten
minutes or so, the young bird that had possession of the nest was rewarded
by one of the adults with a small amount of fish.
Visit our Ospreycam any time and this webpage again for
an updated commentary for the week.
