Today is Blog Action Day for the environment, which is a time when thousands of bloggers around the world write about an environmental topic of their choosing. And since this is a raptor blog, I thought I'd mark the day by writing about my recent trip to Hawk Mountain where I observed migrating raptors (see below).
Also, I wanted to say that this will be my final entry for this season's Osprey Cam Web Log.
We'll continue to keep the Gallery open, so feel free to send in your photos throughout the fall and winter. And keep in mind that we expect to turn on the Eagle Cam in late November or early December.
General News
First, some general news. I wanted to thank all those who came out to our Open House on October 6, and I wanted to remind our readers that we will be having our Christmas Open House on December 1 from 10am to 4pm. We will have crafts, entertainment, food and special sale prices on the wonderful nature items in our gift store, so be sure to come out and do some early Christmas shopping.
In addition, don't forget that we offer free guided bird walks at the Refuge on select weekend days during the fall and winter. These walks are led by some of Blackwater's best birders, so you will learn and see a lot. Visit our calendar for upcoming dates. And note that you do not need to call ahead to reserve a spot. Just meet at the Visitor Center before the listed time.
Interesting Websites
A couple interesting website links I wanted to pass along in my last web log entry: First, the Wild Bird Feeding Industry has set up a nice website to help answer questions about putting out food, water and shelter for birds. The site is called Backyard Bird Care, and it offers helpful tips and also activities for kids.
Also, I was just alerted to an Eagle Cam based at a national forest in Oregon; there's an intro at the beginning of this link, but when it ends you can see the cam. I haven't seen any eagles there yet, and sometimes the cam goes down, but it's a nice view.
Be sure to look at the slideshow of the camera installation that they have on the website. When you get to the cam history page, click on the "Project Photos" on the Willamette Pass Eagle Cam button. And if you click on the "More Video" button, you can see a couple short clips of an eaglet in the nest.
And finally, although this has nothing to do with raptors, I just found out that Greenpeace is tracking migrating humpback whales on their way to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica. You can follow the whales (which include females with calves) on their migration using the website's Google Map. They also offer videos, as well as profiles of all the whales. Note that the website data is being intentionally delayed so that Japanese whalers cannot use the information to track the whales.
Hawk Mountain
A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of going to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania to do some hawk watching. If you've never heard of Hawk Mountain, it's part of the Kittatinny Ridge, which is the southeastern most Appalachian ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Province, and it's one of the best places to watch hawks and other types of birds on migration down the East Coast.
In the early part of the 1900s, Kittatinny Ridge became a hunters' paradise as the shooters would line up on the mountain to injure and kill thousands of unsuspecting raptors as they migrated south. In 1934, conservationist Rosalie Edge acquired land in Pennsylvania where most of the slaughter was occurring, and a few years later this land became Hawk Mountain Sanctuary -- the first raptor refuge in the world. Today the sanctuary serves as a model organization that promotes raptor conservation and education, not only in North America but also around the world.
The reason why raptors enjoy Hawk Mountain is because the mountain terrain offers thermals and deflective air currents that they can ride. Thermals are warm pockets of air rising upwards, and the raptors ride the thermals up into the sky (like an elevator) and then soar down the valley for long distances, all without having to flap their wings. Then they look for the next thermal to ride up into the sky and continue on for many miles. This is a great way to migrate and save energy at the same time.
In order to see the raptors that are migrating through the valley, you need to do a little hiking. The South Lookout is a short walk from the beautiful Sanctuary Visitor Center, so it is more accessible. But if you want the big raptor counts, you need to go up to the North Lookout or one of the other higher vistas, which is more of a hike. If you visit, be sure to wear sturdy shoes that have good tread because the trails have rocks that you must maneuver around, and you want sure footing.
But once you reach the North Lookout, you will realize that all the rocky effort was worth it. Gazing out over the valley and watching the eagles and ospreys appear (seemingly out of nowhere sometimes) is an inspiring sight. Although these are the same species that I see at home, there is something magical about knowing that I'm seeing these birds on migration -- which is a very different part of their lives that I don't normally observe.
At Hawk Mountain, they have helpful staff members on the lookouts to tell you what species you are seeing. Although eagles and ospreys are rather easy to identify (even in flight), the many species of hawks, falcons, and vultures that appear are a lot harder to ID from a distance, so the staff members provide guidance as to what kinds of birds you're observing.
As luck would have it, the day before I went, they had seen big hawk numbers because a cold front had passed through (prime hawk-watching weather), so our numbers were a little low by the time I arrived. But I did see a couple bald eagles and an osprey, as well as vultures, peregrine falcons and numerous types of hawks. We were also treated to seeing some migrating monarch butterflies, as well.
Sitting on the rocky outcrop and looking out at the beautiful valley, it sets your heart pumping a little faster to hear the official Hawk Mountain counter call out "Bald Eagle!" and then see the majestic raptor coming over the valley with its distinctive white head and tail. Who knows where this eagle came from or where he is going. And who knows how many times he has passed this way during his life. But on this one day, I was able to witness his journey.
If you love seeing beautiful scenery and majestic raptors -- and you don't mind climbing over some rocks -- then be sure to plan a future trip to Hawk Mountain. Visit the Hawk Mountain "Visiting Us" page to find helpful information on planning your first visit.
And be sure to check out their website's Virtual Tour, which has some beautiful 360-degree movies, including this one of the North Lookout.
Thanks to all those who have joined me this season for our 2007 Osprey Cam Web Log. It was a very odd year to say the least (our first with no chicks), but I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.
See you in March when the ospreys return,
Lisa - webmaster
(contact)
As I mentioned on the Osprey Cam page, we've updated the Gallery with many new photos. Much thanks to everyone who sent in their image captures over the last few weeks.
Rob Bierregaard, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has posted some recent news on the migrating ospreys that he is tracking this year. According to Rob's latest maps, the adult osprey named 
And back on the topic of eagles: One of our cam watchers -- Susan Feldhuhn (or Suzi) -- is a volunteer at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, which is an excellent local organization that helps injured birds. Suzi recently helped transport an immature bald eagle that had become trapped in a silt basin. After Tri-State rehabilitated the bird, Suzi was also the one who released the eagle back into the wild. You can read more about the event, and see the photos, on the 
We've just learned that Richard Clifton, the 2007 Duck Stamp Artist, will be at the Blackwater Refuge Open House on Saturday, October 6 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Richard Clifton is a 45-year-old Delaware native. He lives and works on a historic family farm that adjoins a national wildlife refuge. Richard’s win in the Federal Duck Stamp Competition in October of 2006 was the culmination of more than twenty years of work in the wildlife art field. His depiction of two swimming ring-necked ducks will grace the 2007-2008 Federal Migratory Bird Stamp.
On Monday and Tuesday, we started seeing an adult bald eagle that was spending a good deal of time on the Osprey Cam platform; on Tuesday, the adult was joined by 
Ospreys from the mid-Atlantic states will normally winter in South America, although some might stop in Central America or even Cuba. A few days ago, I posted a link to Rob Bierregaard's osprey tracking website so cam watchers could see where Rob's ospreys were going. I just noticed my link to his site has stopped working, so I'll post another one 
One final bit of eagle news that is unfortunately sad -- we just heard that one of the California Santa Cruz Island bald eaglets was found dead in Nevada. Apparently it was feeding on roadkill and was hit by a car. Biologists report that as much as 50% of young eagles do not survive their first year, so this loss is not unexpected, but it's still sad for all the cam watchers who watched the young bird grow on the 
I wanted to mention that the new Federal Duck Stamp -- or Migratory Bird Stamp -- is now on sale. In case you've never heard of Duck Stamps, they are the main way in which the National Wildlife Refuge System gets funding to protect wildlife habitat in America. 
A few days ago we spotted our first view of an adult bald eagle sitting on the osprey platform. He wasn't there long, but it was great to see him. We've also noticed our resident female (with the almost invisible necklace) has not been seen much, meaning it's possible she has started migration. We have seen another female or two on the nest, including one with a very noticeable necklace. We're not sure who these birds are exactly, but it's clear that as we get into late August, ospreys will begin moving around their home areas and then heading south, so we might see some different birds on the nest.
Several cam watchers have asked if the chest coloring on these two chicks means one is female and one is male. Necklaces on North American immature ospreys are not the best indicators of gender. There have been reports of chicks with necklaces migrating south and returning with adult feathers and no necklaces -- meaning they were male all along. Without a blood test, the best indicator of gender at this age is size. These immature ospreys are about full grown, so if they are as big as their mother, then they are likely female. If they're noticeably smaller, then they're likely male.
Also, we've updated the 
As for the 
We've been seeing a few appearances by our ospreys throughout the day, although it seems like they're spending less time actually on the nest. This has allowed other birds, such as crows and Great blue herons, to pay a visit while the ospreys are out of the area. These visitors don't stay too long, and are easily chased off by the returning ospreys, but it's still interesting to see what types of birds visit the nest. We're looking forward to the appearance of bald eagles on the platform once the ospreys exit the area for migration.
Speaking of the Connecticut cam, they had some high drama at the nest about a week ago when one of the chicks got a piece of bubble wrap looped around its neck. The bubble wrap was brought to the nest by the parents as nesting material, but the chick somehow managed to get his head tangled in it, which can be dangerous. The staff at the Audubon Center alerted the fire department, which brought out a long ladder, and then a pair of canoes and a Zodiac boat were dispatched to reach the nest and cut off the plastic. You can see a video of the rescue, taken by our friend Paula, on 
During the past week, I had the great privilege to go on an osprey banding trip at 
Here at Blackwater Refuge, our ospreys are spending a lazy summer hanging out until migration time arrives. Adults that don't produce chicks often migrate earlier than those that do, so we're not sure when ours will migrate, but it might be around mid to late August. Once they leave, the local bald eagles will probably start using the platform as a riverside perch again -- something they like to do when the ospreys aren't around to defend the nest.
I also wanted to mention some news from other osprey websites that are seeing new chick action. First, we had some sad news from our friend Bob Montanaro down at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Bob is an incredibly talented photographer who follows the ospreys there each season via his website called 
And at the 
As I mentioned on the cam page, we seem to have a technical issue with the cam where the image blurs, then it clears, then it blurs again. We're trying to find out what is causing it, since it doesn't seem to be caused by poop or moisture/dirt on the lens. Thanks for your patience while we work on it.
If you're interested in learning more about ospreys, I can point you toward three books that are excellent for getting some new insights into these entertaining raptors. First, for the younger crowd, is Awesome Ospreys: Fishing Birds of the World. According to our web store description, "Donna Love enthusiastically shares her knowledge of ospreys and their life cycle, from courtship, nesting, and raising their young to their yearly migrations. In beautiful colors that evoke the ospreys’ aquatic world, illustrator Joyce Turley brings these birds to life in a book that will appeal to readers both young and old. Suggested activities to try with teachers or parents give kids the chance to explore what it’s like to fly, live, and fish like an osprey. An appendix with osprey physiology, a range map, index, and lists of Web sites and suggested readings point young naturalists toward further research." This book is recommended for ages 8 and up.
And for adult osprey fans, a must-read is David Gessner's Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder, where Gessner follows several osprey families in the Cape Cod area during a full nesting season. Gessner observes both the joy and heartbreak that comes with watching osprey chicks hatch, grow, and then venture out into the big world.
What's incredible about the idea of ospreys traveling in large groups is that for many years, students of osprey behavior believed that ospreys were mostly solitary on their migration. When the birds leave the nest for migration, the mother usually goes first, and the father stays with the chicks until they are proficient at catching their own food. Then the male leaves on migration and the chicks soon follow -- all independently. 
Here at Blackwater Refuge, we're slowly resigning ourselves to the reality that we will be seeing our first chickless summer since we came online in 2001. As I mentioned on the cam page a few days ago, the day after our resident female's three eggs were punctured by a crow, a male was seen on the nest. This could have been the male that photographer Bob Quinn saw sitting in the marsh across the road from the Osprey Cam on the day we lost the eggs. Around the time the male returned, we saw the 
Well, this will go down as the strangest year we've had in our seven years with the Blackwater Osprey Cam. Thank goodness every year isn't like this.
As for the rest of the season, our female is not likely to lay any more eggs -- it's late in the season and second clutches are rare, even if she managed to copulate again with a male. Individual ospreys that do not have a family often wander around their home area and even leave early for migration, but our female has ties to this nest, so she might feel an obligation to remain there for most of the summer, defending the nest from other ospreys and from opportunistic eagles. She might even be able to bond with another male before she migrates, but we'll just have to wait and see what develops.
I wanted to post a quick note since folks have been concerned about the family. I was at the Refuge on Sunday and both parents were there quite a lot in the morning. In the afternoon, it appeared that one parent was not there so much and it has been that way since.
We now have our second and third eggs! Normally osprey clutches are two to three eggs in size, so we're very pleased with the size of the current clutch. If a fourth egg does come (and sometimes they do), it could arrive on Saturday or Sunday. Personally I'd rather the ospreys stopped at three because they started nesting so late. If a fourth egg was laid and the chick managed to survive in the nest, it would have little time to build up its flying/fishing skills before migration season in September.
On May 12, many countries around the world will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day, which is a time when people can learn more about the unique needs of migratory birds. At Blackwater Refuge on May 12, we will be holding a free Bird Walk at 8am and a free Eagle Prowl at 10am at our Visitor Center, and we welcome those who will be in the area.