Nickname
083-A-029 (Little Silver Point)
Coordinates
(40.3383, -74.0186)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
Twelve feet above wetlands on a point of land behind 615 Little Silver Point Road, about 10' from Little Silver Creek, a tributary of the Shrewsbury River. No public access via land but visible from the water.
Followers
None
Monitoring groups
What to look for
Review All Observations
2023 - wrwetzel2022 - wrwetzel2020 - wrwetzel2019 - wrwetzel
aAdult Arrival3/22/233/19/223/22/204/13/19
aOccupiedYesYesYesYes
aActive
bEgg Laying
bIncubation Initiation4/16/234/27/224/27/20
cClutch Hatching6/3/226/4/20
dNestlings32
eFledglings32
eFirst Chick Fledging7/30/227/30/20
fChicks Last Observed9/19/229/14/20
xNest Failure
xReason For Nest Failure

Select Seasons

Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019

Activity reports

2019 Nest Activity Report by wrwetzel
Adult arrival04/13/2019Nestlings
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiationNest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure
2020 Nest Activity Report by wrwetzel
Adult arrival03/22/2020Nestlings2
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings2
Nest Active First chick fledging07/30/2020
Egg layingChicks last observed09/14/2020
Incubation initiation04/27/2020Nest failure
Clutch hatching06/04/2020Reason for nest failure
2022 Nest Activity Report by wrwetzel
Adult arrival03/19/2022Nestlings3
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings3
Nest Active First chick fledging07/30/2022
Egg layingChicks last observed09/19/2022
Incubation initiation04/27/2022Nest failure
Clutch hatching06/03/2022Reason for nest failure
2023 Nest Activity Report by wrwetzel
Adult arrival03/22/2023Nestlings
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiation04/16/2023Nest failure
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failure

Photos of this nest

Nesting Diaries

12/12/2023 by Ben Wurst
Sounds like this nest attempt failed (2023).

05/28/2023 by wrwetzel
Some concern for the eggs/young mounting. Have not seen incubation nor feeding activity for several days. Unsure why.

04/19/2023 by wrwetzel
One or two intruders (other osprey) were in the vicinity of the nest. There appeared to be at least one altercation. I don't know if they were interested in the nest, the female, or something else.

04/16/2023 by wrwetzel
Behavior changed, one bird is now always sitting down in nest. Suspect that there are now eggs. We do not have a sight line into the nest so we can't confirm visually, just infer based on behavior.

04/14/2023 by wrwetzel
Saw more mating activity today. Not sure if it was procreational or recreational. Today it was happening on the perch. One on top appeared to be giving the one on the bottom a back rub with his talons.

04/06/2023 by wrwetzel
Birds appeared to be rearranging the nest, moving sticks from the center up to the sides. Perhaps they are clearing a low spot in preparation for laying eggs.

04/01/2023 by wrwetzel
More mating activity today.

03/30/2023 by wrwetzel
Observed mating activity this morning.

03/24/2023 by wrwetzel
Looks like they have settled in. The pair were on the nest and/or perches almost the entire day, yesterday.

03/22/2023 by wrwetzel
Observed two birds on the nest early in the morning but nothing since then. Perhaps they are house-hunting. They are back again late in the afternoon. Great to see two of them sitting on the nest. We were a bit concerned because we had to remove a large tree during the winter. It was over 80' tall, about 150' away from the nest, and a favorite perch of the osprey in the past few years. We were concerned that it might be a landmark and without it they might not return. Saw a little bit of nest renovation work (moving sticks) late in the day.

03/21/2023 by wrwetzel
Saw one bird sitting on a channel marker in the morning. In mid-afternoon saw one sitting on the next. Exciting! One is back.

08/17/2022 by wrwetzel
Today I saw behavior we never seen before. I saw something fall from a tall tree near the nest and heard it hit the ground. A few moments later one of the birds flew down to the ground, picked up an eel, and flew to the nest, In the past we never saw a bird pick up a meal dropped on the ground.

08/14/2022 by wrwetzel
For at least the past week it appears that only one parent is now present. We assume the other has departed for the season.

07/30/2022 by wrwetzel
Finally saw one young hovering over the nest. Prior to today there was a bit of flapping in the nest from time to time but no liftoff.

07/30/2022 by wrwetzel
Saw at least two of the young flying around the neighborhood.

06/03/2022 by wrwetzel
Behavior changed today. Instead of sitting low in the nest the osprey is now sitting up on the side of the nest and appears to be leaning over into the nest as if feeding a young. We suspect one hatched!

04/27/2022 by wrwetzel
Looks like a bird is sitting low in the nest for the first time this year. Suspect sitting on egg(s).

03/26/2022 by wrwetzel
For past few days birds doing a lot of fishing, little to no nest redecorating.

03/19/2022 by wrwetzel
Observed two birds in nest, definitely different sizes implying female arrived today.

03/16/2022 by wrwetzel
Observe one bird in nest, suspect male.

03/15/2022 by wrwetzel
Observe one bird in tree, suspect male.

07/17/2021 by wrwetzel
It appears we may have lost one of the young. Tropical storm Elsa passed through New Jersey on 9 July 2021 with some wind and lots of rain. We don't know for sure if the storm is responsible but we are pretty sure there were two before the storm and one afterwards.

06/17/2021 by wrwetzel
Definite feeding activity and little heads popping up above the nest. Count of young uncertain.

05/28/2021 by wrwetzel
Behavior changed, no longer sitting low, possible feeding activity, suspect hatching has started.

04/21/2021 by wrwetzel
Starting today one of the birds is sitting constantly low in the nest. Perhaps an indication of eggs? Previously they would be sitting on the perch or high on the nest and also not constant.y

04/03/2021 by wrwetzel
It's been an exciting week. First one bird, then two, now today we saw five competing for the nest complete with dive bombing. Earlier this week there was another competition but not as violent as today. Must be a desirable location. Very little nest building observed but we did see mating a couple of days ago and again today. Estimated seven osprey soaring overhead yesterday but not near the nest.

03/28/2021 by wrwetzel
After little to no activity yesterday, this morning two birds are in the nest. No nest building yet.

03/26/2021 by wrwetzel
We saw one in the nest this morning. Perhaps it was just checking out the neighborhood as by late afternoon we no longer see it.

09/26/2020 by wrwetzel
It has been a wonderful summer watching the young grow and learn to fly but they have finally left. Monday, 14 Sept 2020, was the last day we saw them.

08/07/2020 by wrwetzel
The young are flying a lot for the past few days. Today it looked as if one was trying to fish.

08/03/2020 by wrwetzel
The second young one flew today.

07/31/2020 by wrwetzel
Today a third young one visited, sitting on the perch for a while. We suspect it was from a nearby nest and got confused on one of its first flights.The nearest nest that we are aware of is about 900' south of ours, on the other side of Little Silver Point.

07/30/2020 by wrwetzel
Lift off! One of the young took off and flew out over the river and back.The other is now flying up over the nest a few feet, just as the first did a few days ago.

07/27/2020 by wrwetzel
Observed some nest remodeling. Are the parents teaching the kids how to build a nest? Yesterday observed the young flapping their wings a a lot. Looks like it won't be long now until they are flying. One flew up higher than the perches, remaining above the nest.

07/18/2020 by wrwetzel
The kids are trying to fly. One got up about three inches above the nest floor. The other tried but fell flat on his/her face.

06/26/2020 by wrwetzel
It appears that a parent is intentionally shading the young from the sun, sitting east of them in the morning and west of them in the afternoon.

06/24/2020 by wrwetzel
Observed some nest-redecorating activities in the past few days - rearranging and adding sticks, adding green leaves. Little ones are growing, easy to see when up during feeding.

06/15/2020 by wrwetzel
Best view of the little ones we have had. One is slightly larger and grayer, the other a little smaller and lighter. I assume the larger one hatched first. When parents left the nest unattended I could see the larger one flapping its wings and climbing out of the nest pit high onto the side of the nest followed by the smaller one though the smaller one was not flapping as much. I also saw the larger one preening.

06/13/2020 by wrwetzel
Visual confirmation of two young today. One sitting higher than the other and appears to be looking around out of the nest. Both feeding.

06/10/2020 by wrwetzel
Visual confirmation of at least one young! This morning I could clearly see one little head popping up for food. As the adult is making feeding movements at other places in the nest I suspect there are others.

06/08/2020 by wrwetzel
Unrelated to the osprey a small bird, perhaps a sparrow, appears to be living in the the nest. We have seen it mostly approach from the bottom but also once from the edge of the top.

06/08/2020 by wrwetzel
Over the past few days we have seen what looks like feeding behavior. One of the adults is alternating between sitting high on the nest with some visible chewing and then leaning down into the bottom of the nest as if feeding a young. We don't have a sight line into the bottom so we don't have visual confirmation of hatchlings yet.

06/05/2020 by wrwetzel
Right on schedule we may have hatchlings. While I have not seen the young yet the parents are sitting higher in the nest than over the past month+ and both are frequently present. Switched to a longer lens on the nest camera to better observe activity just in the nest.

06/04/2020 by wrwetzel
Observed significant change in behavior. Both birds are frequently at the nest, one down low, one higher up, perhaps sitting on the edge of the box.

05/01/2020 by wrwetzel
Observed hand-off of nest duties today.

04/28/2020 by wrwetzel
One almost constantly on nest. Other often in tall, nearby tree, rarely on perch.

04/27/2020 by wrwetzel
Behavior changed. One is sitting low in the nest for the first time. Eggs?

04/26/2020 by wrwetzel
Not much to report for the past couple of weeks. We did see more redecorating with the deposit of new nest material. Birds sometimes on nest, sometimes on perch. One bird often eating fish in a tall, nearby tree. Ground under the tree littered with dead fish parts. We do not see continuous nest occupancy yet.

04/08/2020 by wrwetzel
Things still quiet today. Observed one standing on the back of the other, who was standing on the perch. Appears to be mating activity. Spoke to Ben Wurst today. He said the fighting of two days ago was territorial. The aggressors could have been a new pair trying to take over the nest from the original pair from last year who returned a couple of weeks ago. Or, it could have the original pair trying to reclaim it from a new pair, who arrived earlier. No way to know without some close-up photography. Ben also said that the bird in the pond was likely tired from the fighting and too wet to get airborne.

04/07/2020 by wrwetzel
Things appear back to normal today after aggression yesterday. Two birds on the nest, not sure if the original pair or conquering invaders from yesterday. No dogfights so far today.

04/06/2020 by wrwetzel
Lots of activity today with three (sometimes four) birds flying about the nest and perching in a nearby tree. We were unable to determine the identity of the aggressor(s), whether they were new to the area or the ones who had been in the nest for the past two weeks. There were a lot of aerial dogfights and some swooping on the nest. While we saw nothing extremely aggressive our neighbor reported such and later indicated that two osprey were fluttering on the ground in the wetlands near the nest. While neither our neighbor or we saw the incident that lead to them on the ground we both suspect it was due to an injury from the aggression. On inspection we saw two birds in a small tidal pond in the wetlands. As we approached, one flew away but the other appeared unable to. We saw no obvious injuries on the one bird in the pond (from a distance of five to ten feet) though the wings appeared to be quite wet. We also heard no vocalizing when near the birds, quite surprising as they normally vocalize anytime we are are within a couple of hundred feet of the nest. We returned a couple of hours later and the bird was gone. We never provided any assistance. We have never seen an osprey this close before and so are uncertain if wet wings are normal for a diving bird. If not, the wet wings could explain the inability to fly.

03/22/2020 by wrwetzel
They're back! Two days ago we saw one in the Cottonwood tree in the backyard for the first sighting of the season. Yesterday there were three flying around the nest with some nest building. Today, March 22, there are two in the nest guarding their territory.

07/10/2019 by wrwetzel
For the past month the presence of the birds has diminished. We still see one or both on the nest but less and less frequently. Likewise, we may see one on the perch but that, too, is infrequent. We have pretty much given up hope of seeing the young. We don't know what happened. We have no sight line into the nest and still don't want to bring a ladder nearby for a direct inspection. There was strong behavioral evidence of eggs in early June. Did they fail to hatch? Did a raccoon or other surface predator (despite a predator shield) intrude? Did another bird attack the nest? Was our assessment of the presence of eggs faulty? We don't know. But we are disappointed.

06/13/2019 by wrwetzel
For the past several days we have seen mostly only one bird, no hand-off, and rarely the other on the perch, probably only once.

06/05/2019 by wrwetzel
Now back to the prior behavior. Osprey sitting on nest most of time though perhaps not as low. Appeared to be eating at one point. Perhaps wishful thinking but it also appeared to be making gestures suggesting that it was feeding a young, that is, head bobbing down into the nest from time to time.

06/04/2019 by wrwetzel
Right at the 38 day mark from the time the nest was always occupied (27 Apr 2019) another abrupt change occurred. Now one of the pair is standing up at the side of the nest, no longer sitting down in the middle. Does this mean a fledgling has hatched? We don't know. Our line of sight is too low to see down into the nest, even with a telescope in the attic. We hope to see feeding activity in the next few days, which will confirm the presence of young.

05/12/2019 by wrwetzel
No change in behavior for past two+ weeks, one of pair always sitting on nest. Other rarely on perch except just before hand-off of nest duty. Nest and pair survived rain and 20+ Kt sustained winds on Sunday, 12 May 2019. Observed hand-off a couple of times including one where duty period lasted only a few minutes.

05/06/2019 by wrwetzel
Nothing new for the past week. One of the pair is always on the nest, the other is frequently on the perch.

04/29/2019 by wrwetzel
Behavior described on 27 Apr continues. Registered at Osprey Watch, posted photo, link to osprey camera, and diary entries retroactively. Angle of osprey camera is too low to observe inside of nest - cannot report on presence of eggs.

04/27/2019 by wrwetzel
Today the behavior of the pair changed abruptly. Now the nest is always occupied by one osprey. The other is infrequently on the perch, more often fishing or perching elsewhere.

04/26/2019 by wrwetzel
From 14 Apr 2019 to present the pair divided their time between building the nest, sitting on the nesting-box perch, fishing, and sitting in a tall, nearby tree. They appeared to vacate the nest before dark and return in morning. We observed one giving the other a back rub on several occasions - one on top of the other, claws touching back feathers. Perhaps this is part of mating activity?

04/14/2019 by wrwetzel
Pair begin nest construction.

04/13/2019 by wrwetzel
Built and installed platform. Pair observed visiting platform a few hours later.

by wrwetzel
It looks like the parents and all the three chicks have finally left. The last we saw one was yesterday, Monday, 19 Sept 2022, two was 6 Sept 2022, and, three was 29 Aug 2022. We didn't record the last sighting of four and five. We look forward to their return next spring.