I went for a little ride today. I had been losing sleep over a nest where I saw some plastic landscape netting last fall, after chicks had fledged. Was worried about what might happen this year and was lying awake trying to figure out where I could get a climber to get that crap out of the nest. So happy to find that the stuff I saw in the nest last fall is now below the nest tangled around the support arms of the platform, and not where chicks could get caught up in it. Whew. It's nightmare material for me. Checked a few other nests where we typically see some of our earliest returns, but saw no Ospreys, no fresh whitewash or freshly broken sticks. Some nests have been removed from cell towers. Sigh. I rewarded myself with a chocolate croissant and a latte. As the project grows, the demands on me continue to expand (lead scientist, secretary, volunteer coordinator, webmaster, fundraiser, public relations director) and preparing for the new season takes a lot of time, finding and organizing volunteers , meeting and training the new ones, always needing more help...in so many ways. Wishing we had the support we need to grow this research study into something really exciting...so many possibilities for Investigation. Meanwhile we do the very best we can to keep accurate track of all known nests, maintaining a complete productivity study, putting up new nests when we find some boys scouts to help, finding new nests on man made structures. Thanks to the experienced volunteers who are already visiting nests to look for Ospreys and assess the condition of the nests and supporting structures.
We will see what the tide brings in this year....
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