This is a great time to get out and watch the ospreys performing their tandem courtship flight swooping, looping, and circling together in the wind. It's also the time when the males perform their spectacular sky dances above the nests. These behaviors only last for a few weeks so enjoy them while you can.
All the established local osprey nests in the Ithaca (Union Fields, Treman Marina, and Game Farm Rd) and Lansing (Portland Point and Salt Point) areas have been reclaimed by their owners. The new platforms at Stewart Park, the Newman golf Course, and the two at Portland Point are still not occupied, but the season is just starting. However the platform on Myers Hill and the new one at Salt Point (now there are two) have both had ospreys bringing sticks to them. Whether they'll successfully establish nests and attract mates is still up in the air, but the prospects look good. Many of the nests from Union Springs to the Montezuma area were reclaimed by last weekend and I expect the rest to be occupied any day now. *If anyone sees any osprey nests on the west side of the lake, please send me an email with the location.* On the west side there are nests at Dean's Cove, on Footes Corners Rd in Interlaken, and at the Seneca Golf Club, but other than that, I haven't found any more. The shallow shelf where the ospreys can fish is narrower on the west side than on the east side and at the ends of the lake, but it still should support some ospreys. So far I have documented 53 nests around the lake, although I don't know yet how many of them will be used this year. Karen Edelstein and I are developing an interactive Cayuga Lake Osprey Trail map showing the locations of the nests visible from public roads for every one's viewing pleasure. We should have it ready within the month so stayed tuned. Thank you all for your help! Candace cec...@gmail.com -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
