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The osprey platform and camera arm
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A Message from the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge
Complex Manager
Thank
you for your interest in the Dennis Puleston Osprey Cam located
on the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge staff is aware
of the tremendous interest each spring and summer in the Osprey Cam
and we appreciate the efforts of the volunteers and the Post-Morrow
Foundation who set up and maintain the site. As many viewers are
aware, the camera suffered a malfunction this season after the osprey
pair began laying eggs (The young have now hatched!). We understand
the camera needs to be repaired and/or replaced.
Since our last communication several weeks ago, refuge staff members
have completed a careful review of several wildlife state department
guidelines and sources of information regarding the types of
disturbance tolerated by nesting osprey. Although the various
sources differed in their recommended “no disturbance” radius from
the nest (generally 500 to 700 feet), there was consensus in the type
of disturbances that are tolerated versus those that may disrupt
nesting. Osprey pairs vary widely in their tolerance to disturbance.
Regular, low level disturbance such as boat traffic past a nest on a
navigation structure or pedestrian traffic past a nest is generally
tolerated. This is especially true if the disturbance was present
during nest initiation and incubation.
Irregular disturbance, which is the category in which the camera
replacement would fall, and new disturbances that occur after nesting
has begun, should be avoided. The risks to the young birds include
exposure to excessive heat or to predators such as greater
black-backed gull, red-tailed hawk, or crow. With the ospreys
hatching the first week of June, the earliest opportunity to access
the nesting area will be the middle of August (as fledging usually
takes place about 60 days after hatching).
I cannot speak specifically as to next steps/timing regarding the
camera operations, as the camera is maintained by a dedicated group
of volunteers with very unique technical skills! Refuge staff do
work very closely with the camera volunteers and will continue to do
so to be very supportive of their efforts. In the meantime, refuge
staff members will share any “new news” from the osprey nest
observed during ongoing bird surveys conducted in marshes adjacent to
the nest site.
If you have any further questions or need more information, please
feel free to contact me via e-mail or phone at the address below. It
is nice to see all the interest and enthusiam about the world of
these birds!
Thanks,
Debbie Long
Refuge Manager
Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex
360 Smith Road/P.O. Box 21
Shirley, NY 11967-0021
Tele: 631-286-0485
Fax: 631-286-4003
E-mail: deborah_long@fws.gov
At
approximately 1:14 PM on Saturday, April 12, a lightning
strike near the camera knocked out the video signal from the
camera. Attempts to recover the signal failed. After discussion
among the people responsible for the camera, the consensus is that
we attempt to retrieve and replace the camera. We are very
early in the process and do not have an estimate as to how long
we will be without video, but the process has started. Updates
will be posted.
There
is an
ongoing discussion on the future of the ospreycam
visible from this site. Please follow
this link for some
background information.
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