Ospreys

     At this time, hundreds of ospreys are migrating into the Middle Atlantic States, where some of them will nest around larger bodies of water, while others push farther north to hatch offspring.  If the reader watches the sky carefully from mid-morning to late afternoon, one or a few or more of these large, majestic birds of prey will pass into view, continue overhead and will soon be gone, unless one or more of them stop to catch fish from a larger waterway or impoundment. 
     Most ospreys that raise young here come from wintering grounds in South America.  Ospreys, by the way, nest and/or winter around bigger bodies of water on every continent on Earth, except Antarctica. 
     Ospreys are large hawks with distinctive patterns of dark and white feathering and an appetite for live fish, which they catch themselves.  Look in a field guide to birds and on a computer to see their distinctive color patterns and read more about their characteristics and habits.
     To catch fish, each osprey circles in the air over a larger body of water and watches the surface for victims.  When prey is spotted, the osprey quickly dives to the water and plunges in feet-first, kicking up spray, in an attempt to snare the slippery fish in its long, sharp talons.  If the prey is successfully caught, the osprey rises from the water with its victim headfirst in its claws for easier flying, shakes water from its plumage and flies to a tree, channel marker or platform to consume its catch.  Sometimes, however, an osprey is harassed by a bald eagle to the point of dropping its fish, which the eagle then grabs in mid-air and scavenges.     
     Ospreys nest near water across much of northern North America, but their biggest numbers are on the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary on this continent, and full of fish.  Many pairs annually attempt to rear two or three offspring in large bulky, stick nurseries in trees, as they have done traditionally.  But many pairs of ospreys today are quite obvious, handsome and picturesque rearing babies on channel markers, buoys, and platforms mounted over water especially for the ospreys to nest in.  The adaptable ospreys readily use the human-made structures, which helps bolster their populations.  And all pairs of ospreys feed fish to their youngsters, tearing off bits of meat when the young are small.  Many people, incidentally, enjoy seeing ospreys on their nesting platforms engaged in rearing youngsters.   
     Ospreys today seem used to normal human activities near their nesting places.  They are protected by law from shooting, trapping and harassment, particularly around their nests.  And the use of DDT is banned in the United States, which is a great help in the survival of egg shells and chicks. 
     Late in summer and into fall, ospreys and their grown young of the year drift south to warmer wintering grounds where they can still catch fish.  They exit this area each year during August, September and October by following mountain ridges that give them lift as wind pushes up and over the mountains.  Ospreys also follow rivers, catching fish along the way.
     Ospreys are large, stately hawks that feed almost exclusively on larger fish.  And they are becoming abundant once again in North America, thanks to their adaptations and being protected by law.  Look for these elegant fish hawks migrating in spring and autumn, and watch for them in their breeding areas, including on the Chesapeake Bay.  They are always a joy to experience.