Alert! Critters are on the move – skunks, raccoons, porcupine, etc. Keep an eye on your pets!

The osprey are back. And all those single out in the open high in the air landing zones are back in use.

They, like many flyers, return to our neighborhoods like clockwork. The usual spots get repopulated. The Southport bridge, despite much regular activity, is a favorite location. I remember, years back, being granted permission to visit the upper house for a better view as air traffic control allowed for the comings and goings of nesting parents. They were quite busy tending to offspring – one parent bringing food while the other tended the nest. They were not happy to see me but not distracted from the tasks at hand. Their location atop the bridge seems to be a very appealing spot and they are determined to return. I recall attempts to dismantle the nest without success. It’s odd that the bridge’s openings and closings do not deter them.

Based on the many locations occupied by osprey, I guess a key preference is height and unencumbered access. They almost always build their nests high with abundant visibility, spindles and bell buoys included. The photograph shared today is at the mouth of Cozy Harbor on Southport. That nest has been there for as long as I can remember and even during the busy summer season the occupants maintain a working relationship with all the boating activity. They must just figure that they have every right to  return. The rent is cheap and the fishing is good. Hard to beat that.

Sometimes when we walk out to our back fields we can hear the distinctive osprey cry off in the distance and when following the sound inevitably find a circling, sometimes pair, floating about, perhaps in search of food or maybe just enjoying a leisurely playful glide. Also, frequently, other birds will try to annoy the flight. There are a number of intruders who seek to bother the osprey flights but, for the most part, they manage. I suspect, from what I’ve seen fairly close up, the osprey are pretty well equipped to protect themselves. They have long talons which, if deployed, could do some real damage. When osprey go fishing they are very good at snatching food out of the water. Whatever gets caught in those claws doesn’t generally get away.

It’s fun to see locations getting repopulated and even more fun to watch as the activity, so public, picks up. But, caution! Don’t get too close. Osprey are very protective especially when there are young in the nest. They will let you know when you have entered the forbidden zone!