The Osprey Flyer, XXVII, May Edition 2025

Virginia Osprey Foundation
May 18
3 min read

Our Osprey Garden

Greetings!

I apologize for skipping our newsletter in April and being late this month. The festival kept us busy before and has continued but I think we are now on a slower track!

I will start out by saying our ospreys in Colonial Beach are all doing well at this time. Some should have chicks by this time and some are still incubating. Some are still building nests! We remain cautious but hopeful for this new season. I encourage you to tune into our nest cam.

We have three eggs as of 5/14/2025. David returned but Betty did not. We have a new female, Lily. David has really built up the nest, so much, you can’t see the eggs, we will have to go by their behaviors to determine when the chicks hatch, at least until they get big enough that we can see their little heads. The first egg was laid on 5/8/2025, they typically hatch around 35 days. The other two will hatch in the order they were laid. Stay tuned and keep watching. You can view our nest at https://www.youtube.com/@virginiaospreyfoundation and click on “LIVE”. We will try to give you a count next month.

I am pleased to say that our festival was a success in spite the soggy grounds and the cold temperatures. We adapted, adjusted and persevered. I can’t thank enough, all of our participants that turned out to support us. Our vendors, exhibitors, amazing volunteers, they made it happen! Our turnout was awesome, and I appreciate the support of all of our attendees. I believe that everyone that came out had a great time. Some of the highlights of our festival – Earthquest with their amazing raptor display, The Rappahannock Tribe with their Drum and Dance Team, and our keynote speaker, Mark Smith. You can see photos and a video with clips from the festival at https://www.virginiaospreyfoundation.org/. We look forward to next year and we will begin planning next month.

Since our festival, we were honored to be invited to Potomac Elementary School’s Career Day! Our Foundation sponsored Earthquest to come along with us! They brough the Harris Hawk that many of you saw at the festival. Imagine the delight of the students when each of them were able to get up close and personal for this meet and greet! We saw about 400 children in three hours. It was amazing! See photos below.

On May 10, we exhibited at the Eagle Festival that was held at Mason Neck State Park in Northern Virginia! It was a beautiful day, and we met many people and friends of the Osprey. We were able to answer questions and share about our favorite raptor.

One of the highlights was our “Inside an Osprey’s Nest” display. It shows some of the trash that ospreys pick up to put in their nest. It is a reminder to all of us! I say when people are aware, they care. A lot of people left the Eagle Festival caring just a little bit more.

On April 22 I, along with others, testified in front of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in support of a petition placing restrictions and/or reducing the catch quota for menhaden. After discussion, the petition was denied 6 to 2. On May 6, I again testified, this time by ZOOM at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission asking them for the same. No action was taken. Two disappointing outcomes but we must continue to be a voice for our Osprey, for our environment! I urge you to write to your legislators, write to your local government and be heard! If you need help, reach out to us and we can assist and guide you. Please contact us at ospreycbva@gmail.com.

On Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 pm, we will be hosting a free educational event. We will be showing a documentary produced by Bob Lennox, “Osprey Banding in Colonial Beach” followed by a question and answer period by our bander, Ken Smith. Please join us and learn about the science behind bird banding. Location: Ice House, 119 Monroe Bay Ave., Colonial Beach, VA. We hope to see you there!

Until next time, eyes to the osprey nests!