This bird used to be referred to as a fish hawk, yet today in many places it’s called an Osprey.
These raptors are known for their ability to catch fish, their main food source. They have interesting bodily features and an amazing skill for catching slippery fish near the surface of waterways.
Rhode Island has a population of Osprey. I have done some monitoring of an Osprey nest in the city of Pawtucket.
The city is located along two riverways. The Blackstone River runs through the city’s center to then plunge over a 50-foot waterfall before transitioning into the Seekonk River.
One nest I watched was near one of the elementary schools and play fields. The river passes by that spot. It was ideal for an Osprey. A pair of adults build a nest on top of one of the light posts of the baseball field. They successfully had young that fledged there a couple of years.
The Osprey population in RI has been overall good.
A year so ago, the nest was moved to the large playing field next to it. One year a youngster fledged.
This past year the adult ospreys were there only a short time.
Though we can make speculations of why the adults left that nest, we’ll never really know why.
Later in the season I happened to be driving on the other side of the river and noticed another nest not far from the other location, that had an adult and youngster in it. Apparently that nest location worked out good.
September: My daughter and I were at Blackstone Park, near the Seekonk River in Providence. We witness at least 4 Osprey flying over the river. They were soaring and circling. We got to see two of them dive for the water and successfully catch fish. It’s awesome to watch them do what they do.
I know that those Osprey will soon depart on their migration south. We’ll miss them but hope to see them again next Spring.
The drawing above is of an Osprey after catching a fish and flying off to a tree. And a head portrait.
Leave a Reply