Photo from the Field: Rolling out the Red Carpet

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by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

A damaged osprey nest platform on the Mullica River that was repaired this week.

Are ospreys back early or did they never leave? Early last month (Feb 11), a trustworthy Osprey Watcher reported a lone osprey perched on a nest platform behind her home on Barnegat Bay in Brick Twp. Several other people reported seeing ospreys at other locations as well. Either way, spring marks the return of ospreys to their breeding grounds and the time of year when we kick fieldwork centered around their nest platforms into high gear. Over the past several years we have rallied our volunteers to grab some tools, a ladder and use their boat to perform maintenance to platforms. This includes cleaning out excessive nesting material – which breaks down and causes additional stress to wood nestboxes especially.

Our trustworthy skiff is ready for the task of managing ospreys and their nest platforms.

Our goal is to keep the osprey population stable and since 75% of the population nests on these nest platforms, it is crucial that they remain in good, working condition. In the coming weeks you might see us or our volunteers out on the bay at an osprey nest. Without their support, ospreys would not be where they are today. Your donations also help us to purchase much needed tools, hardware and supplies to fuel our fieldwork.

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