Nickname
Great Meadows
Coordinates
(40.882, -74.9248)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
Great Meadows.
Followers
None
Monitoring groups
What to look for
a
Adult Arrival
Look for 2 adults on the nest. The adult pair will show pair bonding behaviors such as vocalizations, aerial sky dances, and the male feeding the female fish. You may see the pair copulating, which typically begins 14 days before laying eggs.b
Incubation Initiation
Females will lay 1 - 4 eggs at a rate of one egg every 1 - 2 days. After laying, incubation starts. Look for adults taking turns sitting low in the nest incubating eggs. The incubation period can last 35 - 43 days.c
Clutch Hatching
Chicks hatch ~39 days after incubation begins. Look for adults bringing food to the nest and making "head bows" into the center. Chicks typically can't be seen until they are 2 - 3 weeks old, so feeding behavior is the only way to know chicks are there.d
Nestling Count
Around 4 weeks after hatching, look for the heads of chicks to show over the rim of the nest, particularly when adults bring food to the nest. Other times they lie flat and are harder to see. Count the number of chicks in the nest before they learn to flye
Fledgling Count
Chicks begin flying around 7 - 8 weeks old, and are still fed by the adults. Count the number of chicks who have successfully fledged the nest and are observed flying.f
Chick Last Observed
4 - 10 weeks after fledging, chicks begin leaving the nest area to migrate south, once they have learned to fly and feed themselves. Record the date that the last chick left the nest.x
Nest Failure
Look for signs of nest failure like adult abandonment, adults no longer incubating eggs or feeding young.Review All Observations
| 2021 - CyclistBarb | 2020 - CyclistBarb | |
|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | ||
| aOccupied | No | No |
| aActive | ||
| bEgg Laying | ||
| bIncubation Initiation | ||
| cClutch Hatching | ||
| dNestlings | ||
| eFledglings | ||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | ||
| fChicks Last Observed | ||
| xNest Failure | ||
| xReason For Nest Failure |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2022 2021 2020
Activity reports
2020 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by CyclistBarb
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
06/03/2022 by CyclistBarb
12:08 p.m. For as long as I have been doing osprey nest checks (since 2019), this tower has had no nesting material, and I have seen no sign of osprey at or near the area. Again this year there was no nesting material here, but when I got home and blew up my photo, lo and behold, there was a single osprey perched on the edge of the platform!! I will have to check back later and keep an eye on this platform in future seasons. There is not a large, clean body of water nearby. The closest would be Mt. Lake which is about 3 miles to the southwest. There is a small creek to the east, passing through the Great Meadows.
07/05/2021 by CyclistBarb
1:15 p.m. For the second year that I have check this nest tower, it is completely empty of nesting material and I have never seen osprey on the Great Meadow area.
07/04/2020 by CyclistBarb
4:30 p.m. I found this nest platform after researching its location a bit more. I couldn't locate it two weeks ago. It is in the center of very large, flat fields with no river nearby. It is seen/accessed from Island Rd which leads into this broad, agricultural valley. I found the platform completely empty of any nesting materials and the only bird on the structure was a red-winged blackbird. It does not seem that this area would attract osprey as the irrigation ditches and various holding ponds in this valley are covered with algae, full of weeds, and not very full. I doubt these water sources would support the large fish that osprey would want.