Our 2021 osprey season has officially come to an end. The last juvenile and parent I was watching left between Oct 2 and 6. Oh how we will miss them.
Please report new Osprey nests to Vanessa Greene at Osprey.mn@gmail.com Volunteer to monitor a nest!
Monday, October 18, 2021
Update October 18, 2021
Now our attention turns to osprey nestpole issues! A nest on ball field lights was removed when the lights were permanently removed. I worked with the city of Plymouth, the Wayzata School District and Kilmer electric to get a new nestpole put up to accomodate those ospreys next year. Today we got the new pole set! Many thanks to the organizations listed above as well as Perry Westphal for all their good work today helping me make this happen! Thanks also to J.D. Kittleson for donating the nestbox some time ago, we finally found a good home for it! We will return and fill the nestbox with sticks and put up a predator guard in the near future so these ospreys will have a fully furnished home to return to!
It takes a village! I appreciate all those who voiced their feelings, and who pitched in to help us out so we could create a permanent home for those Ospreys!
Saturday, October 2, 2021
October 2, 2021
A dreary, drizzly day here in Minnesota, but I went out this morning to check on that last remaining juvenile that I observed last wednesday. Still there! The chick was on the nest perch with a fish….but I heard an osprey so looked around, and the adult male was divebombing a mature bald eagle and a juvenile bald eagle perched in a tree not too far from the Osprey nest. He did his best to try to dislodge them, but they wouldnt budge so he gave up. I hope he stayed nearby to watch over his youngster as she ate.
How long will they stay? This was not the latest chick to fledge….those ospreys are gone now….but her internal calendar seems to suggest its not time yet. I will keep checking as long as I can spot any ospreys….cause life is less interesting without them. I didnt stay too long today cause the weather was so muggy and miserable. I will be back soon….stay tuned!