by Mary Parker Sonis
In the late 1960s, the number of ospreys in the U.S. was perilously low. DDT had taken its toll, and I remember an osprey sighting to be a momentous occasion. Since the banning of DDT in 1972, the osprey population has rebounded in great numbers. The osprey is the only raptor that lives on every continent except Antarctica. I have never taken a trip to Jordan Lake without seeing this elegant bird. The eagles may hide themselves in the pines, but the osprey is rarely out of view. Even before sighting this raptor flying above the lake, you will most likely hear its high, whistling cry.
Sometimes the osprey is called the “fish hawk†– a nickname it has earned. Ninety-nine percent of the osprey diet is fish, more specifically, fresh fish. While an eagle will scrounge for dead fish or make a meal of duck or waterfowl, the osprey spends its day diving exclusively for fresh fish. Perhaps we enjoy these birds so much because they seem to be creatures devoid of what humans perceive as “vices.†They do not predate poultry; they do not bother other birds. They are tolerant of other bird species living in their territory and they are monogamous. They are certainly well suited to their jobs. You will recognize the outline of an osprey by its white breast and belly and the somewhat-kinked wing carriage that resembles the letter “M†from below. It’s a long, slim hawk (about 2 feet long) with very long legs and long, slim wings that can span more than five feet.
Unlike the eagle that grabs its fish meal from the surface of the water, the osprey will land deep in the water with only its wing tips visible on the surface. Ospreys grasp their prey with those long legs and prepare for liftoff. Their feet have all sorts of interesting features that enable them to hunt so efficiently. Like the owls, the osprey can rotate its outer toe and swivel it to create a three-and-one grasp or a two-and-two grasp. Fish are slippery. The bottom of the osprey toe is studded with barb-like projections called “spicules,†which aid with grasping fish. In addition, the talon itself is strongly curved like a hook. But even the best design has its flaws. If the osprey attempts to lift a fish that is simply too large, because the talons are so sharply hooked into the fish it is possible for the osprey to drown, simply because it cannot release its oversized catch. On a successful dive, the osprey will grasp the fish and lift off. During the first wing beats, the bird might shake off water in mid-flight; arrange the newly caught fish in an aerodynamically sound, headfirst position; and then proceed to a more secluded spot to eat its meal.
Of course, the trip to the secluded location is not without its hazards. Last year I was driving over the Farrington Bridge when I noticed an osprey carrying a fish, headed in the direction of Farrington Point. From the pines along the shore, a juvenile bald eagle bounded out and made a grab for the fish midair. With one deft move, the osprey turned itself upside-down and evaded the young, inexperienced eagle. An adult eagle might have been more successful. The young eagle looked rather dejected and clumsily made it way back to the cover of the trees.
Since the osprey is solely dependent on fish for its diet, locating ospreys and their nests is not difficult. Ospreys are found by ponds, lakes, rivers, bays, oceans and wetlands of any size as long as fish are present. In an effort to reintroduce ospreys to areas that lost their osprey population during the DDT days, conservationists have erected platforms on stands to serve as substitute dead snags in the water. The osprey will nest on these platforms. We can observe some of these manmade stands along our own Intracoastal Waterway. At Jordan Lake, there are a number of stands that have been placed in secluded coves, all of which are experiencing great success. Any tall pole sticking out of water is a possible nesting site. Power poles, channel markers and transformers have been used, along with the traditional dead snag in a wetland.
If you are searching for an osprey, scan the shoreline of the lake and look for one of those very obvious tall gray snags sticking up from the shoreline. The pale color makes the snag stand out from the long banks of dark green pine. The osprey’s deep-brown and white plumage will make it easy to identify on its isolated perch.
If you happen to find an osprey on its nest, try to make your visit a short one. You will know if you are too close because the osprey will cry out repeatedly and keep circling the nest. The young may not be visible, as they know to flatten themselves on the nest base at the first sign of danger. Unlike the great horned owl, an osprey parent will not come out to attack a human intruder, but the close observation of an osprey nest will certainly stress the birds and occupy their attention when they should be fishing for food for their nestlings. The best way to observe the nestlings is to back out of the vicinity and watch with your binoculars. The female tends to remain close to the nest and the male will bring in fish to feed the young. When dinner arrives, the young ospreys will come up with heads outstretched for the meal. The typical nest may hold three young, but you may notice that the birds are of differing sizes. Some birds will not brood their eggs until all of the eggs have been laid, but the osprey female begins brooding when the first egg is laid. The larger birds have an advantage when it comes to acquiring food, and in lean years the smaller nestlings may not survive.
If you are patient, and very lucky, you may actually witness the grand plunge of an osprey as it dives for prey. It is a lucky moment, because the osprey doesn’t complete a dive without good cause. First, there are the endless circles in the air, then a long stationary hover, followed by the grand and somewhat ungainly plunge. Eagles appear to whisk their prey from the water, but the osprey reaches deep, crashing into the water with great force. With wings outstretched, the bird sits in the water floating, resting, perhaps adjusting its grip for the Herculean effort it will take to pull its own soaked body and its prey out of the water. Here in North Carolina, we have resident osprey that live here year round and we have birds that migrate through in the spring and fall. The good news is that the ospreys are back – and thriving.