Nesting Diaries
5/19/2023
When I am in the neighborhood, there's usually one in the nest and one on the tower which leads me to believe there are eggs. However on more than one occasion, I have witnessed this tower nest under attack from other ospreys. I am wondering if it's Bonnie and Clyde from the nearby Cranberry Ave nest because that one appears to have been deserted (directly across from that nest on a very narrow lagoon, a huge McMansion is under construction. Owners sold it so their modest home was knocked down for a monstrously big home. The continuous activity and noise may have caused Bonnie and Clyde to desert their home. The most recent photos are of the interloper pair, She looks familiar because she is missing some feathers on her right wing. I will have to check previous years photos.
4/9/2023
Hooray! Hepburn and Tracy have made their home - when I visited on Easter Sunday I observed two osprey, and a nice nest.
As of 4/4/2023 I have seen no osprey here.
Still no sign of nesting activity at the tower but I have spotted a number of what looks like year old osprey in Bay Head and Point Pleasant.
I haven't seen any activity at this tower. Last year the pair started building mid summer, very scraggly ( they began to re-build after their initial attempt was thwarted by man). Because they began so late in nest-building this leads me to think that they weren't mature for mating purposes.
I saw Hepburn by herself perched on the cell tower as she was calling out for Tracy. Finally he appeared with breakfast but oddly enough he plopped into the nest and the two just looked at each other as to say "Now what?" This behavior leads me to believe they are indeed young ospreys and not ready to made yet (3 years). As I was driving away I looked up and suddenly another osprey did a fly-by at the nest and there was a skirmish. I jumped out of my car with the camera but was only able to capture Hepburn flying away because it happened so quickly.
No s8gn of Hepburn but Tracy was on the tower. I really think they're young adults bc of the haphazard attempt at nest building.
No sign of Hepburn but Tracy was on the tower. I really think they're young adults bc of the haphazard attempt at nest building.
I really hate to visit Bay Head on a summer weekend even thought it's soclose to me but I saw a lot of activity at Thurston's and Lovey's from my little beach across the bay so I HAD to go pay them a visit. Curiously on my way back from their nest, I saw from my car as I was traveling on Lake Ave., a bird on the cell tower on the firehouse property... I parked on Bridge Ave. and walked to the tower. The bird was gone BUT the orange plastic things on top were gone, and there's nesting materials again!!! I am hoping Hepburn and Tracy returned...I will check very soon.
I can't believe it's been 2 weeks that I last posted about this nest. I am sad to report a few days later, Hepburn and Tracy were evicted.
I had heard rumor of a nest being built on the new "temporary" cell phone tower in Bay Head NJ behind the fire station. On my way back home from checking on Thurston and Lovey, sure enough, I saw Hepburn and Tracy homesteading! This nest will be interesting to follow bc I think it's late in the season to be starting to nest. Another observation is both ospreys' brown necklaces are very faint so I think they're young.