Even tho we are still in the depths of winter here with several feet of snow on the ground, our Osprey friends will return sometime in the upcoming weeks.....not sure how many weeks. So I once again am putting out a call for volunteer nest monitors. If you have monitored in the past, and want to return to your nest this year, please let me know. Experienced volunteers become more and more treasured each year as your knowledge and instincts improve and increase each year. If anyone else is interested, we ask for a commitment to visit your nest at least once a week, thru the breeding season, April to September. After each visit you will need to send an email sharing your observations. We have a list of guidelines for what data we are trying to collect at each nest. It is helpful to either have a spotting scope or a good pair of binoculars to be able to closely watch for specific behaviors. If you will be unable to visit your nest for a week or two, (vacation, illness, whatever....) all I ask is that you let me know so we can plug in another monitor or I will check the nest. We have nests in all eight metro counties, tho none are in the heart of the city, so you may have to drive a ways to monitor a nest.
I like to spend some time in the field with volunteers when we are able to coordinate schedules, tho it doesn’t always happen. But I am always happy to answer questions in emails. The more questions you ask, the more you learn! The project is always growing and we always need help watching over all these nests. It can be a life changing experience to get to know a family of ospreys and many of our long time volunteers have fallen deeply in love with “their” ospreys!
If anyone is interested in volunteering, or has questions, you can contact me at Osprey.mn@gmail.com
