The Return of the Osprey

Originally published in Seven Mile Times' August 2016 Issue

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Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back. ~Princes s Diana

SAVING THE OSPREY Once-Endangered Species a Conservation Success Story

By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute

A female osprey.

I

n early March each year, those few of us who spend the winter “in the marsh” are delighted when we hear the first chirps of the ospreys returning from their southern wintering grounds. They are the true harbingers of spring in the marsh.

They are wonderful, majestic birds and their return should be celebrated for many reasons.

Ospreys are large raptors with a wingspan of more than 5 feet. The females are larger than the males and can usually be distinguished from the males by the “necklace” of darker feathers around their neck. Their diet is composed almost exclusively of fish and they are remark-

An osprey nest with baby ospreys.

able hunters, diving with their feet in front of their head as they plunge into the back-bay and ocean waters in search of a meal. They are pretty good engineers, too, in that they always carry their fish with the bodies facing forward for aerodynamic flight.

They have a life span of up to 30 years and mate for life. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are highly migratory: Birds from our area winter throughout Central and South America. Interestingly, the mated pair don’t spend the winter together; instead they have a timeout from each other and are reunited when they return to their nest platform each spring.

Ospreys landing on a weather vane.

Ospreys build remarkable nests with sticks and marsh grasses. Many return to the same nest annually and repair or add additional material each spring. Some nests can be as large as 10 feet deep and several feet wide. Ospreys frequently have three eggs, and both adults incubate the eggs for approximately 35 days before hatching. The males are responsible for most of the hunting when the chicks are young while the females care for the chicks. Young birds grow quickly and will fly when they are about 8 weeks old. The young birds will remain in the wintering grounds until they reach 2-3 years old before they return to breeding grounds to nest themselves.

The return of the osprey is an amazing story and remains one of the great conservation stories of our time. Ospreys, eagles, peregrine falcons and many other top predators fell victim to the effects of DDT. DDT was being used to manage insects but had a catastrophic effect on the reproductive success of these powerful birds. Before the effects of DDT caused the state’s osprey population to decline, there were more than 500 osprey nests in New Jersey. The combination of habitat loss caused by extensive coastal development and reproductive failure due to food-chain poisoning caused the osprey population to plummet. By 1974, only 50 nests remained in New Jersey, and continued on page 64

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A flower’s appeal is in its contra d i ct i o n s – so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, ...

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Osprey numbers are rebounding but they still face threats.

An osprey nest on a nesting platform.

the osprey was listed as endangered in the state. Similar declines were reported throughout their North American range.

Thanks to work by dedicated conservationists, researchers and attorneys, armed with public awareness sparked

by Rachel Carson’s seminal book “Silent Spring,” DDT was banned in 1968. The Wetlands Institute has a long and proud history of research and conservation related to ospreys. Joseph Jacobs, a founding member of the institute’s board of trustees, worked tirelessly on osprey conservation. A 1964 article in the Seven Mile Beach Reporter with the headline, “Bands 35 Ospreys in Avalon Section,” highlights some of Jacobs’ work banding nestlings at various Stone Harbor sites and on Cedar Island in Avalon. He was licensed for bird banding by the U.S. Department of the Interior and banded birds in the area from more than two decades. Jacobs believed that the local area was the last strong nesting site for ospreys because it gave the birds easy access to waters where the fish on which they feed are plentiful and the effects of DDT were not as severe as in more populated areas.

Jacobs pioneered the use of nesting platforms. Before the nesting platforms, ospreys were nesting on the tops of the telephone poles along Stone Harbor Boulevard. With the increase in traffic and the DDT problems, the nest numbers were declining. One day in the early 1970s, Jacobs – a builder by trade – took the materials for a platform into the marsh and erected what he felt would be a site attractive to a nesting pair, and walked back to his car. When he reached the road, he turned back to look at the platform and was thrilled to see that an osprey had already found it.

The rest is history. Since the first one was a success, he continued to erect others, both in the Stone Harbor and Avalon areas where he had usually banded the August 2016

nestlings. Artificial nest platforms are now the predominant conservation measure to encourage and aid osprey nesting throughout their range. There are more than 100 osprey nest platforms in the back bays of Seven Mile Beach and more than 1,000 nest platforms statewide. A map of nest platforms in the state is available through the New Jersey Osprey Project (osprey-watch.org) hosted by Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

Joe and Herbert Mills, founder of The Wetlands Institute, conducted research on osprey populations in New Jersey and contributed significantly to their recovery. By 1986, the osprey population had surpassed 100 pairs and their status was upgraded to “Threatened” in the state. By 2006, the state’s osprey population hit a new post-DDT record of more than 400 active nests and by 2009, osprey numbers in the state were close to historic populations. Today, it is believed that osprey numbers have exceeded their pre-DDT declines.

There are five osprey nest locations within view of The Wetlands Institute, and our Osprey Learning Station provides lots of great information collected by the state’s osprey banding programs. Since 1926, 279 of the 358 osprey banded near Cape May County have been sighted in 18 countries. The oldest osprey on local record was banded in 1957, encountered and released alive in 1979 at a nest in the same vicinity, which means it lived at least 22 years. Conserve Wildlife Foundation works closely with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife on osprey conservation and is a great source of additional information about ospreys.

This summer, we are excited that a young osprey pair has again returned to the institute’s osprey platform, featuring a new high-definition nest cam. We have all been monitoring the daily nest activities and chick rearing, both day and night, from

the live osprey feed (wetlandsinstitute.org/ visit-us/wetlands-institute-livecams-1/).

While osprey numbers are rebounding nicely, the ospreys still face many threats. Among them are dangers they face from trash in the environment.

Unfortunately, they are master trash collectors and frequently include marine debris and other trash in their nests. This material can be hazardous to both adult and young birds that can become entangled in debris. Do your part and prevent trash from getting into the environment,

and also collect trash you see in the marsh or our waterways.

The osprey recovery in New Jersey – and especially in the marshes in Cape May – is one of the great conservation stories of our lifetime. Next time you see these majestic birds, or hear their chirps, remember that it was active conservation that has returned them to their former glory. They are a great example of how we can coexist with wildlife and how the work of a few can be a sea change.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES FREE WITH ADMISSION FROM JUNE 16-LABOR DAY: • Hooked On Fishing and Crabbing at the Dock – Saturday and Sunday • Salt Marsh Safari – Daily • Creature Feature – Monday through Friday • Catch o’ The Day – Monday, Wednesday, Friday • Aquarium Feeding – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

• Totally Turtle Tuesday and Horseshoe Crabmania Thursday – Tuesday and Thursday evenings

ADDITIONAL FEES APPLY: • Back-Bay Birding and Wildlife Tours – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday • Dune and Beach Exploration – Monday in Stone Harbor, Wednesday in Avalon • Back-Bay Kayaking and Paddleboarding – Monday through Friday • Evening Back-Bay Kayaking – Wednesday and Thursday For details or to make a reservation, visit wetlandsinstitute.org or call 609.368.1211.

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