Nickname
DOHA01
Coordinates
(39.1785, -75.5407)
Substrate
Utility Pole
Description
Old Dover High School (1 Pat Lynn Drive, Dover, DE) stadium on top of the northeast stadium light pole. Nest was active in 2013 and 2014, but not before then. Monitoring began in 2015.
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
| 2023 - Mike V. | 2022 - Mike V. | 2021 - Mike V. | 2020 - Mike V. | 2019 - Mike V. | 2018 - Mike V. | 2017 - Mike V. | 2016 - Mike V. | 2016 - greenjay | 2015 - Delaware Osprey Watch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 3/17/23 | 3/19/22 | 3/22/21 | 3/14/20 | 3/16/19 | 3/19/18 | 3/26/17 | 3/13/16 | 3/11/16 | 3/22/15 |
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| aActive | ||||||||||
| bEgg Laying | 4/18/17 | 4/17/16 | 4/26/15 | |||||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/18/17 | 4/17/16 | ||||||||
| cClutch Hatching | 5/18/17 | 5/17/16 | 6/21/15 | |||||||
| dNestlings | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||
| eFledglings | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/12/20 | 7/15/18 | 7/10/17 | 7/9/16 | 7/17/15 | |||||
| fChicks Last Observed | 8/25/16 | 7/31/15 | ||||||||
| xNest Failure | ||||||||||
| xReason For Nest Failure | unknown reason |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Activity reports
2015 Nest Activity Report by Delaware Osprey Watch
| Adult arrival | 03/22/2015 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/17/2015 | |
| Egg laying | 04/26/2015 | Chicks last observed | 07/31/2015 |
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | 06/21/2015 | Reason for nest failure |
2016 Nest Activity Report by greenjay
| Adult arrival | 03/11/2016 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2016 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/13/2016 | Nestlings | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 3 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/09/2016 | |
| Egg laying | 04/17/2016 | Chicks last observed | 08/25/2016 |
| Incubation initiation | 04/17/2016 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/17/2016 | Reason for nest failure |
2017 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/26/2017 | Nestlings | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 1 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/10/2017 | |
| Egg laying | 04/18/2017 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | 04/18/2017 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/18/2017 | Reason for nest failure |
2018 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/19/2018 | Nestlings | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 1 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/15/2018 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2019 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/16/2019 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2020 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/14/2020 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/12/2020 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/22/2021 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2022 Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/19/2022 | Nestlings | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 0 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
Nest Activity Report by Mike V.
| Adult arrival | 03/17/2023 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | 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
08/16/2022 by Mike V.
Throughout the summer I did not observe any activities typically associated with chick rearing; in fact, most of the time neither adult was on or near the nest which leads me to believe there either were no eggs produced or there was complete nest failure this year.
05/31/2022 by Mike V.
1730 hrs: interesting behavior observed with the nesting pair AND two other ospreys flying in low circles about 100' above the mature loblolly pines near McKee Run; no aggressive behavior was observed, the four adults just slowly circled about 500' NW of the nest. After about 20 to 30 minutes, the nesting pair made their way back to the nest and the other two flew off in a northerly direction.
03/20/2022 by Mike V.
Osprey pair are back tending to the nest and defending it against crows that were in the immediate area.
07/22/2021 by Chris Asay
One large nestling visible in the nest. Five (!) ospreys circling nearby, SW of the nest.
06/01/2021 by Mike V.
1650 hrs: nest appears to be active and the pair in a familiar routine of the female in the nest chirping while the male is on top of the opposite light post feeding on a fish.
05/01/2021 by Chris Asay
Observed one adult osprey in the nest and the other perched on the NW stadium light, feeding. A third osprey flew very near, and was chased off by the adult while still clutching the fish it was eating.(See photo)
04/10/2021 by Mike V.
17:30 hrs: the adult pair have settled into the nest and had two visitors today, a pair of bald eagles. The eagles did not have noticeable white heads or tails. The two ospreys engaged in an aerial territorial display for about 20 minutes but then the eagles dispersed and have not been seen since.
03/22/2021 by Mike V.
07:30 hrs: observed an adult in the nest chirping.
17:45 hrs: adult (probably female) in the nest and as in years past, the other adult (probably male) perched on top of the light post directly opposite and to the west of the nest.
07/16/2020 by Mike V.
17:10 hrs: both juveniles are now taking flight and have been for the last several days.
06/28/2020 by Mike V.
10:30 hrs: observed both adults on the edge of the nest bowl feeding two chicks.
03/14/2020 by Mike V.
11:00 hrs: adult pair is back at the nest on the northeast light pole; however, I also observed an adult on the southeast light pole and am not sure if this was one of the adults from the northeast light pole. More observations are needed to determine the purpose of this second nest that was constructed in 2019.
08/19/2019 by Mike V.
0730 hr: an adult on top of the pole next to the SE light pole nest; on 08/16/19 I observed an adult on the original (NE light pole) nest so both are still being utilized by adults.
08/13/2019 by Mike V.
0730 hrs: one adult sitting in the SE light pole nest (the new nest constructed in the summer of 2019).
08/10/2019 by Mike V.
1500 hrs: an adult was observed in the original (NE light pole) nest; about an hour later that nest was unoccupied but the nearby nest (SE light pole) had an adult in it.
08/08/2019 by Mike V.
1700-1730 hrs: female in nest (NE light pole) chirping while male was on top of opposite (NW) light pole feeding on a fish. I have observed this behavior countless times over the last five years. However, no additional chirping coming from the nest, no fledglings were ever viewed, and I think this was a year of nest failure. The newly constructed nest on the SE light pole has been little-used and I have not observed any adults on or near this nest in the last week.
08/01/2019 by Mike V.
0730 hrs: no adult activity on or near the original nest, BUT the second nest (on the light post 300 ft SSE of the original nest) had an adult on the rim of the nest. I cannot tell if this is the same adult from the original nest or a new adult. Through further observation I will attempt to determine whether this new nest produced any fledglings.
07/31/2019 by Mike V.
1700 hrs: an adult on the rim of the nest moved over to the top of the light post and appeared to be eating a fish.
A few weeks ago I noticed that another nest was constructed on top of the light post that is 300 ft SSE of the current nest.
07/07/2019 by Mike V.
1300 hrs: female adult on rim of nest but no fledgling activity observed; in the last couple of weeks both adults have spent long periods of time away from the nest; I do not believe the clutch, if there was one, was successful this year; no sign of fledglings or feeding behavior from the adults.
06/09/2019 by Mike V.
1100 hrs: adult female in nest bowl chirping, adult male on opposite light post with fish and three (3) other ospreys circling above the nest, one getting quite close but neither the resident male or female reacted except for the female chirping. The three circling ospreys left the area after about 10 minutes.
06/02/2019 by Mike V.
Adults are tending to young in the nest bowl, but the number being tended to is currently unknown.
05/20/2019 by Mike V.
Difficult to see activity in the nest bowl now because the nest is built up and adults are barely visible while sitting down in the nest.
03/24/2019 by Mike V.
Both adults around the nest in the late morning chirping; one adult observed on top of the opposite light post eating a fish.
08/29/2018 by Mike V.
1800 hrs: nest is still occupied, observed one individual on the nest rim eating a fish.
07/31/2018 by Mike V.
0730 hrs: nest is still active but adults and juvenile spend long periods of the day away from the nest; I can hear their chirping in the vicinity of Silver Lake.
07/15/2018 by Mike V.
0800 hrs: while the male adult was on the opposite light post eating a fish, the female adult and only chick were flying in close proximity to the nest. Looks like the fledgling is just learning to fly. No other chicks were observed in the nest this season.
06/10/2018 by Mike V.
1600 hrs: observed female on nest bowl chirping, male on opposite light post eating a fish (this has been a common behavior for the male for the last several years). Fish was partially eaten and then he flew over to the nest and both adults picked pieces off the fish to feed to the chick(s). I only observed one chick during the observation period (the nest bowl has gotten deeper due to new construction). However, it appeared that both adults on opposite sides of the nest were independently feeding a chick or chicks. Once they get older, I will have a firm chick count in the nest this year.
03/21/2018 by Mike V.
0700 hrs: observed both adults, one in the nest bowl and the other on the opposite stadium light post. Both were chirping.
03/19/2018 by Mike V.
Heard chirping at 0730 hrs and observed two ospreys in the vicinity of the nest. At 1715 hrs I observed a new tree branch in the nest sticking up indicating nest building activity.
08/12/2017 by Mike V.
1500 hrs: One individual in the nest and two days ago same thing but with constant chirping from the one in the nest.
07/25/2017 by Mike V.
2000 hrs: nest is still occupied, but adults and fledgling are away from the nest most of the day. They return in the evening just before dark.
07/14/2017 by Mike V.
0545 hrs: all three ospreys were out of the nest early in the morning and flying in fairly close proximity to the nest. The new fledgling appears to be refining his or her flying techniques with the adults close by.
07/13/2017 by Mike V.
1700 hrs: Nest is empty, the three must be out and about all day because none were observed in the nest at 0715 hrs.
07/12/2017 by Mike V.
1730 hrs: No doubt about it, the two adults were soaring high in the vicinity of the nest and the lone fledgling was trying to keep up.
07/09/2017 by Mike V.
July 6, 2017 2000 hrs: I observed the female in the nest while the male was flying high above the nest with a fish in his talons and he was chasing two other osprey adults; he held the fish so that it did not interfere with his flight when he dove low at one of the other adults; the lone juvenile popped up during this event and the female in the nest was vocalizing; the juvenile has been flapping its wings and trying to hover above the nest.
07/04/2017 by Mike V.
Looks like only one chick in the nest this year; last week I observed this chick on the edge of the nest stretching and flapping its wings but not becoming airborne.
05/18/2017 by Mike V.
1932 hrs: egg(s) apparently have hatched, both adults were high in the nest bowl making frequent bobs up and down as if feeding a chick or chicks.
05/15/2017 by Mike V.
1800 hrs: male on opposite light post feeding on a very large fish, dropped remains off at the nest where the female was very low in the nest as if still incubating eggs. No evidence of feeding chicks yet.
04/28/2017 by Mike V.
On or about April 18, 2017, activity of adults along the sides of the nest ceased and now one adult is low in the bowl (barely visible) incubating the egg(s). Male is frequently observed in the early morning (0730 hrs) perched on the light post opposite the nest. This evening (1815 hrs) I observed an adult pop up in the nest with its head down and moving as if turning the eggs.
04/13/2017 by Mike V.
Apparently no eggs yet; both adults are away from the nest for long periods; sometimes they return with twigs and the male still frequently perches on the light post opposite of the nest and feeds on a fish from Silver Lake.
04/02/2017 by Mike V.
0730 hrs: nest building continues with both adults bringing new twigs to the nest; one adult was observed swooping to the ground on the adjacent baseball field and picking up a clump of dead grass; other trips back to the nest included what looked like leaf litter.
03/27/2017 by Mike V.
2017 will mark the fifth year in a row that this nest has been in existence and active. Based on firsthand observation (frequent spring visits to the old Dover High School stadium [2007-2013]), prior to 2013, there was no nest at this location. And although the nest was not officially monitored in 2013 and 2014, a pair was active both years, but no data was collected.
03/27/2017 by Mike V.
1700 hrs: numerous twigs/branches sticking out of nest, the pair has been quite busy the last 24 hours; female in nest chirping while male was perched on the opposite light pole feeding on a fish; I noticed this behavior frequently last year where the male would feed close to but away from the nest and eventually deliver the half-eaten fish to the nest to the female and chicks when they were present.
03/26/2017 by Mike V.
1445 hrs: one adult in the nest chirping/vocalizing; a short time later two adults were sighted in the nest.
03/24/2017 by Mike V.
1745 hrs: one adult observed high in the nest; nest appears to have shrunk or settled since last season and is not as built up as previous years.
08/25/2016 by Mike V.
Left town for a western wildland fire assignment in Idaho and upon my return to Dover (09/11/2016) there was no longer any osprey activity in or around the nest.
07/09/2016 by Mike V.
1800 to 1830 hrs; juveniles are now taking flights away from the nest with the encouragement of the adults; looks like all three offspring have successfully fledged.
07/08/2016 by Mike V.
1645 to 1730 hrs; male perched on light post several feet from nest; all three juveniles look healthy and almost ready to fledge; each was observed stretching/flapping its wings while perched on the nest bowl edge; each was also observed jumping up and hovering two to five feet above the nest for several seconds and then landing back on the nest bowl edge.
06/20/2016 by Mike V.
2015 to 2045 hrs; one adult in the nest picking apart a fish; all three apparently healthy chicks also observed in the nest.
06/05/2016 by Mike V.
1700 to 1830 hrs; male was observed alone high in the nest and flew off for four minutes leaving the nest unattended and one chick popped its head up; he came back and shortly thereafter the female returned and the male flew off; a second chick was visible and both were stretching their wings; a short while later a third chick popped up and all three were clearly visible with the female high in the nest on the north end; male came back with a huge fish (2/3 the length of his body) and landed on the opposite light pole; female chirped the whole time; male fed for 32 minutes before flying over to the nest with the remaining fish and both fed the chicks; while he was feeding alone, a third osprey flew directly over the male but then left the area.
05/25/2016 by Mike V.
1700 to 1915 hrs; female was observed high in the nest on the west side, occasionally with wings outstretched as if shading the chick(s); male returned with a fish and the female fed the chick(s) for over a half hour; male flew off and eventually came back with another fish but landed on the opposite light pole and ate the fish; the female eventually settled down into the nest bowl as the sun dropped lower on the horizon.
05/24/2016 by Mike V.
1640 to 1710 hrs; both adults in the nest; one high in bole and on edge of nest feeding on a fish; the other lower in the nest bowl bobbing up and down feeding chick(s); the adult feeding on the fish on the nest edge eventually flew off to the top of the opposite stadium light pole and just continued eating the fish.
05/17/2016 by Mike V.
1700 to 1800 hrs; both adults were on the nest tails up, heads bobbing indicating that both were feeding a chick or chicks in the nest.
04/24/2016 by Mike V.
1600 to 1730 hrs; always now one adult low in the nest; during the observation period they switched positions-one low in the nest and other out away from the nest; although for a time one adult was observed circling high above the nest; prior to switching positions, the adult low in the nest briefly flew out of the nest, defficated while in flight, and returned to the nest immediately.
04/17/2016 by Mike V.
1600 to 1730 hrs; one adult low in the nest got up briefly with its head down and rump up moving a bit for about one minute then back down low in the nest until the end of the observation period leading me to believe there are now eggs in the nest.
04/10/2016 by Mike V.
1100 to 1200 hrs; both adults high in the nest initally feeding on fish; one flew off and came back some time later with another fish; both were observed high in the nest feeding.
04/03/2016 by Mike V.
1200 to 1300 hrs; neither of the pair in the nest; at 1400 hrs both were observed perched high in the nest.
03/27/2016 by Mike V.
1830 hrs; an abundance of new twigs/branches for the nest; both adults observed in nest; one flew off to the south and chased a pair of bald eagles (that were flying close together) to the west and a few minutes later came back to the nest.
03/26/2016 by greenjay
Female on nest while male sat on closer light post. Added picture of female on nest.
03/15/2016 by Mike V.
Drama today at 1840 hrs; both ospreys were chasing a bald eagle in the vicinity of the osprey nest; the three flew low over my front yard on Terry Circle and up over my house. Earlier (1805 hrs) a third osprey was observed again in the vicinity of the nest but eventually flew off and left the pair alone. One of the pair had a fish in its talons.
03/13/2016 by Mike V.
Osprey pair are occupying the nest; at 1715 hrs a third osprey near the nest was chased off by one of the pair.
02/14/2016 by Test
by Chris Asay
7/15/22*: No ospreys visible in or near the nest at 8:45 AM.
* "date observed" is not accepting my entry.
by Chris Asay
7/19/22*; 8:18 PM: Single osprey visible on nest, calling repeatedly. A second osprey is visible, perched on the south east stadium lights, eating.
* "date observed" is not accepting my entry.
by Chris Asay
7/28/22*:8:30 AM: No osprey present at the nest, but one osprey perched on the south east stadium light. 8:45 AM osprey has moved from south-east stadium light and is now on the nest. 9 AM osprey is still on nest, presumably adult.
* "date observed" is not accepting my entry.
by Chris Asay
8/13/22 2:17 PM; Just one osprey present on the south east stadium light. No birds on the nest itself. 5:15 PM Two ospreys, probably adults, both perched on south east light pole. One is eating.
by Chris Asay
8/21/22
11:19 AM, cloudy sky, Two ospreys perched on South East stadium light. Hard for me to tell, but one might be a juvenile, while the other is definitely an adult.