A pair from a drone with the remains of dinner. Photo by Todd McCormack

Osprey Fledglings Report 2020

by Ken Edwards, Sr.

We had 42 fledglings on 18 sites, a new high for Fishers Island. The past high was in 2018 with 34 on 17 sites. This year we had great weather and lots of food (fish) for them during their nesting time.

The first count was done on June 30 and rechecked on July 14, 2020. We had 21 active sites at the start of the breeding season (sites with pairs of osprey). After three weeks or so, three sites were abandoned for some unknown reasons.

Some interesting things to note this year:

  • We had birds sitting on nests as early as the first week in April
  • We had some late nesters in the last part of June
  • We have three new sites that produced young – Compost Station, Danforth’s at North Hill, and Bogert’s on Clay Point
  • We also have two young on the old Rafferty, now Alsop’s site. This is the first time the Osprey have returned since the Great Horned Owl took over the site years ago.

Active Sites

June 30-July 14 Nest Fledgling(s) Update
1 Compost Station (new site) 2
2 Silver Eel Cove 0
3 Transfer Station 3
4 North Hill (Danforth House) (new site) 3
5 Hawks Nest Point 2
6 John Ski 3
7 Navy Station 3
8 Pirates Cove 2
9 Wilderness Point/Chris Dewey 1 2
10 Four Corners/Bagley Reid 2
11 Driving Range/west side 3
12 Osprey Cam 3 2
13 Middle Farms Road/Bob Miller 2
14 Middle Farms South 2
15 Bogert’s Clay Point (new site) 2
16 Main Road/Chapman Drive 3
17 Alsop 2
18 Main Road/Chocomount Beach Rd 3
19 Main Road/Steve Cook 1
20 Main Road/north of Club 0
21 Money Pond 0
TOTAL 42 42

New Sites installed this year:
Herrick, North Hill, and 8th Fairway

Non-active Sites:
Parker, Race Rock, J. Harris, Milliken, and Franklin

My thanks go to Todd McCormack, Jim Baker, and Andrew Edwards for their help with the count this year.

Master birder Ken Edwards, Sr. Photo by Todd McCormack

2019 Osprey Fledglings Count