The Osprey Flyer, Volume XXXIII May/June Edition 2026

Photo: Debbie Stachkunas

A Message from the Director

Dear Friends,

What an incredible spring season it has been for the Virginia Osprey Foundation!

From the return of our Osprey to the overwhelming success of this year’s 8^th Annual Virginia Osprey Festival, we have been reminded once again how deeply our community cares about conservation, education, and the Chesapeake Bay environment.

Seeing so many people come together in support of wildlife and environmental stewardship was truly inspiring. Whether you attended the festival, volunteered your time, supported us through donations, monitored nests, or simply tuned into our nest cam, thank you for being part of our growing conservation community.

As nesting season continues, we remain hopeful for a successful year for our local Osprey and look forward to sharing updates with you throughout the season.

With gratitude,Joan MillwardFounder & DirectorVirginia Osprey Foundation

Our Biggest Festival Yet!

This year’s Virginia Osprey Festival was truly our best ever!

With an estimated attendance of between 1,500 and 2,000 people, this was the largest crowd in festival history. Town Hill was filled all day with excitement, learning, and appreciation for Osprey and the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries..

Each of our four guest speakers had wonderful attendance throughout the day, while the trolley and golf cart nest tours stayed busy from morning until evening.

Our live raptor program was a tremendous success and captivated audiences of all ages. Visitors also enjoyed a delightful variety of artisan vendors and conservation exhibitors, who remained busy throughout the festival.

The excitement and enthusiasm from attendees could be felt across the entire festival grounds, and it was clear that the Virginia Osprey Festival continues to grow into one of the region’s most beloved conservation events.

Honoring Our First Garland Jenkins Award Recipient

One of the most meaningful moments of this year’s festival was presenting the very first Garland Jenkins Award to Todd Dalton.

Todd, a supervisor with Dominion Energy, has supported the Virginia Osprey Foundation and our Osprey in countless ways over the years. He has helped clear harmful trash from nests, assisted with Osprey banding efforts, helped secure a grant that allowed us to upgrade our nest camera, and even assisted with the installation of the camera itself.

Todd’s dedication to conservation, his love for Osprey, and his commitment to our community make him an incredibly deserving recipient of this award.

Congratulations, Todd, and thank you for all you do for our Osprey and our community.

86 Incredible Volunteers

Events like this simply would not be possible without our volunteers.

This year, 86 volunteers dedicated their time, energy, and talents to help everything run smoothly—from setup and parking to tours, hospitality, children’s activities, and cleanup.

Their hard work, kindness, and commitment helped create a welcoming and memorable experience for everyone who attended.

To each and every volunteer:Thank you for being the heart of this festival.

Nest Cam Update: David and Pearl Are Expecting!

Our resident Osprey pair, David and Pearl, are doing well and keeping viewers entertained every day on the nest cam.

The pair currently has three eggs, and we are eagerly awaiting the first egg to hatch, expected sometime between May 29 and June 2.

Until then, viewers can enjoy watching David deliver fish to the nest while he and Pearl continue their ongoing “discussions” over who gets egg-sitting duty!

Watch live here:https://www.youtube.com/@virginiaospreyfoundation

(Click on “Live”)

  

Osprey Monitoring Update

With the help of dedicated volunteers, we continue to monitor Osprey nests throughout Colonial Beach and record nesting observations during the season.

At this time, we have identified approximately 30 active nests in Colonial Beach, which appears to be somewhat lower than in previous years. We will have a clearer picture once all monitoring data has been collected and analyzed.

One encouraging sign is that we are continuing to observe Osprey regularly bringing fish back to their nests. Currently, Ocean Harvesters IS NOT fishing in the Bay, although fishing operations are expected to resume in June.

Our nest cam pair, David and Pearl, have been especially active, averaging approximately four fish deliveries per day during good weather conditions. Seeing consistent feeding activity gives us hope for a successful nesting season ahead.

We are wishing all of our Osprey a healthy and productive year and look forward to continuing to monitor their progress throughout the season.

If you are interested in participating in our nest monitoring program, we would love to hear from you!

Email us at:ospreycbva@gmail.com

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Supporters

We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, donors, community partners, and supporters whose generosity made this festival possible.

Because of your support, we were able to provide a full day of educational programming, wildlife experiences, conservation outreach, and family-friendly activities that inspired thousands of attendees.

 Come See Us at NatureFest!

The Virginia Osprey Foundation will be exhibiting at NatureFest at the College of Southern Maryland on May 30 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Stop by our booth to learn more about Osprey conservation, our education programs, and upcoming events. We would love to see you there!

Your investment in the Virginia Osprey Foundation helps us continue our mission of protecting Osprey through education, conservation, and community engagement.

Thank you for believing in our work and helping us make this year’s festival such a tremendous success.

Help Us Continue Our Work

The Virginia Osprey Foundation is able to carry out its mission because of the generosity of supporters like you.

From nest monitoring and educational outreach to nesting platform maintenance, recycling programs, and the Virginia Osprey Festival, your support directly helps protect Osprey and the Chesapeake Bay environment they depend on.

If you enjoy following our Osprey, attending our events, or supporting conservation in our community, please consider making a donation to help us continue this important work.

Every contribution—large or small—truly makes a difference.

Thank you for being part of our growing conservation community.

Donate and learn more at:www.virginiaospreyfoundation.org

Virginia Osprey Foundation

Protecting Osprey through education, conservation, science, and community engagement