OSPREYCAM
OSPREYS IN COLONIAL BEACH
Banding Osprey
Watch volunteers in action as Ospreys are banded in Colonial Beach, VA. Ken, a licensed raptor bander, Virginia Osprey Foundation members, volunteers, Nies Tree Service, and curious vacationers participate in this exciting event. This year 9 nests were visited and 25 osprey chicks were banded. Watch this coordinated effort. Learn why banding of birds
is so important. What you need to know about banding. What are the dangers. Why banding is so much fun.
And why banding is so important to these magnificent ospreys. And most importantly reporting band
numbers of all birds seen is so vital them. Report bird band numbers. Watch Here.
Ospreys are abundant in Colonial Beach in the spring and summer. There are 50 plus nesting platforms, manmade structures and tree nests in its 2.6 square mile area. As ospreys return from their wintering grounds in late February and early March, the sky is filled with their presence and their song. They signal the beginning of spring and summer in Colonial Beach and excitement is literally in the air. Residents share their excitement with each other as they witness these magnificent raptors bringing sticks to their nests and preparing for the purpose of their return, raising a new clutch of chicks.
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Some nest watchers in Colonial Beach document activity and record their observations on Osprey-Watch.org. At one of our nests, in 2021, a local photographer was able to capture the numbers off of a leg band. It was discovered she was a 20-year-old female, banded in Calvert County, Maryland. As we looked forward to her return this year, she did not disappoint. Although she has not had a successful nest in the last two years, we applaud her efforts and her journey.
If you would like to participate in nest watching and recording your observations, register at: Osprey-watch.org and participate in citizen science!
THE OSPREY HAVE RETURNED
WRITTEN BY TED TAIT ON MARCH 27, 2024
https://www.wwer.org/the-osprey-have-returned
Bird banding at the beach
Virginia Osprey Foundation volunteers put bands on osprey chicks to help gather info on the protected species.
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