Project Osprey Watch
In 2012, I registered our Oyster Cove osprey nest to be a part of a mission called Project OspreyWatch, through the Center for Conservation Biology in Williamsburg, Virgina. Here is an excerpt from their website….
The Center for Conservation Biology has launched Project OspreyWatch, a project created to engage a global community to collect data on breeding osprey. Linked by an interest in osprey and a concern for the health of the aquatic environments on which they rely, this community will for the first time provide a global perspective on this charismatic species. The mission of Project OspreyWatch is to bring citizen scientists together in order to collect information on a large enough spatial scale to be useful in addressing three of the most pressing issues facing aquatic ecosystems including global climate change, depletion of fish stocks, and environmental contaminants.
OspreyWatch is a user-friendly, internet platform that allows observers across the globe to map their nests, log observations, upload photos, and interact within an observer forum. Information entered into the platform will be immediately accessible to users and will be summarized following the breeding season. To join a growing community of global citizens, please visit http://www.osprey-watch.org and become an OspreyWatcher.
To date there are over 900 watchers from around the world watching over 3,300 nests and platforms. Do you have an osprey nest that you see daily or even just periodically? If so, consider registering the nest and be a part of a global research project for the osprey. It’s very easy! I just checked and found no one has registered any osprey nests along the Rt. 50 corridor (my last post), so I plan to register those in the next day or so. You can do as many as you can handle that aren’t already registered! Here’s my listing of the Oyster Cove nest platform registered as an example.
As an update to our Oyster Cove nest platform, we still do not have any Osprey taking residence. We have been hit with an artic blast of cold air, and the Osprey that I have been watching in the area seem to have disappeared to find a warmer spot, maybe a tree, to get out of the wind. Can’t blame them!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and to those who consider registering an Osprey nest or passing this info onto someone who might be interested!
And because in almost three years since starting this blog, I have never posted without a photo, here’s a capture of last night’s sunset. An update on the Rt. 50 Osprey coming up in the next post!
Sunset over Kent Island 3/20/13
That was a beautiful photo. Thanks for posting the information on the Osprey watch.
Thank you Deb!
Sorry, I’ve not found an osprey nest around here, but the good news is that I have seen osprey within the last year, so they must be nesting in the area.
I hope you do have osprey begin to grow in numbers in your area, you’d love watching them while fishing from your kayak. Of course, you’d have more competition with the fish! 😉 Thanks Jerry!
Gorgeous sky!
Thanks Jane, that view helps to keep me smiling and be thankful!