Westport’s favorite winter snowbird has returned home.
Okay. This snowbird is actually an osprey bird.
Alert — and nature-loving – “06880” reader Wendy Crowther spotted the much-loved raptor this morning. He was perched at his usual spot: the nesting platform near Fresh Market.
(He started out here on a utility pole. But in 2014 Eversource — then called CL&P — relocated the nest a few yards away, to avoid short circuits. The original pole now has a black protector, making it unsuitable for nesting.)
So far we haven’t seen his mate. Perhaps this year they traveled separately.
Wendy Crowther was driving this morning, and could not get a photo of the osprey. But here’s what the osprey looked like just over a year ago — on March 26, 2016. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
We saw the mate flying around yesterday, while the female sat on the nest. Glad to see them back!
Wonderful! Aspetuck Land Trusts installed two new Osprey platforms this spring at our 3.2 acre Taylortown Salt Marsh Preserve in the Saugatuck estuary off the Kings Hwy bridge in downtown Westport and another at our Allen Salt Marsh Preserve off of Grove Point Road. After DDT was banned the Ospreys made a recovery. Wonderful Birds.
Beautiful bird. Lousy song.
Nice pic Wendy!!!!
THERE’S A NEST AT LONGSHORE ALSO ON THE EXIT ROAD. HAVEN’T BEEN DOWN THERE YET.
This bird may be a male. It is hard to tell without a better picture. The female has mottled upper chest features quite easy to see in a good camera shot or field glasses. The male’s chest appears to be clearly white. Whichever sex, the return is good news.
Friends of Sherwood Island has a live camera trained on the park’s osprey platform (just don’t try to see anything after nightfall).
http://friendsofsherwoodisland.org/webcams/osprey
They’re back on Sherwood Island now!