We’ve been receiving reports that the Osprey had returned to their nest in Westborough and have been itching to get out there and see them ourselves. It has been a slow and bumpy start to Spring here in New England and we never seem to be able to synch up with the weather. But yesterday it finally edged out of the 40’s and, despite an increasingly stiff wind, we headed out to the far side of the reservoir to see what was happening.
The Osprey pair have indeed settled in. I managed to catch a shot of one of them grabbing a branch and bringing it to the nest. Later one of the birds, presumably the male, delivered a fish as well.
All in all, a good start for these birds.
My observation protocol keeps me a good distance away from the nest site during these early months. Once the nest is established and occupied, we can test the waters for edging a bit closer. Last year proved to be a big surprise in that the adults were extremely skittish (in past years they were always rather tolerant - leaving me to believe that at least one of the birds is new).
Between the wind and the lack of good light, it was no fun out there - but it was still great to get back on the water again after a long winter and we’re looking forward to many more visits. (The forecast has the temperatures back into the 40’s again in a few days, so it’s not going to be a cake walk…)
