I set out to write this blog with excitement, but now I have to write a potentially tragic story.
My boyfriend and I went to Sandy Hook yesterday. Across the street from the visitor center (on the bayside) we were thrilled to see not one, not two but 4 Ospreys seemingly battling it out over a favored nest box. They dove at each other, landed on the nest, chased each other away, flew directly over head repeatedly (I thought one was going to drop a fish on me), and gave us the thrill of our lives. I tried to take as many pictures as I could, but as I found out, Ospreys are FAST. It was a wonderful day and also included red-winged black birds, a few egrets too far to identify (they were white though), a lone bufflehead, and hundreds of birds in the distance. There might have been more birds we could have identified, but we were VERY distracted by the Ospreys chasing each other over our heads. We even got to meet several, very kind birders, who told us about seal sightings in the area, a wild great horned owl in Manasquan that’s easy to find, and a nest of bald eagles also in Manasquan (my bf and I gotta go to Manasquan!). We chatted about the Osprey’s behavior, their fishing ability in our murky waters, their repeated nesting pattern at this site and how they come back on some precise day in March each year. The day ended with a 2GB SD card filled with photos, a sunset, and a pair of excited yet contented souls.
Then I got home… and looked at the pictures. One of the Ospreys – that was oddly NOT carrying a fish like all the others seemed to be, had its foot tangled up in fishing line! There’s a fishing hook flying behind it! Horrified, I confirmed with other pictures of the same Osprey that it wasn’t just a trick of the light. I quickly got the number to the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory and the Raptor Trust. I called the SHBO first, and they were very kind and concerned. They gave me the park ranger’s number – as the rangers would be the ones doing the actual rescuing. I called the Park Rangers and told them what I saw. They told me that they can’t do anything unless the Osprey can’t fly or gets stuck to the nest box. They told me that they’ve had to rescue chicks from the nest in previous years because they were tangled up in fishing line. They told me that if the fishing line has wrapped so tightly around the osprey’s foot that it has cut into the tendon – it can develop “bumble foot” and will have to be put down. When I asked if maybe the Raptor Center in Millington could take an Osprey with bumble foot, they told me that the Raptor Trust are the ones who euthanize bumble-footed osprey’s… because they don’t have the ability to care for them. Finally, they told me they’d keep an eye on the Osprey – to see if it gets stuck and can be rescued … and when I asked if there’s anything I can do or if I could be contacted with how this story turns out, they told me that I could keep going out there and monitor it myself, but they’ll look out for signs of trouble too. I realize they’re busy and probably don’t have time to contact me about an Osprey, but I’m also bummed I might not find out what happened to it if it disappears.
I’m pretty miserable. I want to try to get out there again today (instead of adventuring around, looking for Manasquan), but I don’t know if I can – as my cat has become very sick and probably needs to be taken to our vet. I probably don’t need to ask this fine bunch of birders, but just in case – if you see any fishing line, anywhere… would you please pick it up, cut it up and recycle it / throw it away in small pieces. If you know any anglers, please ask them to do so as well. I’ve included a picture of my tangled Osprey in my album. Let’s all hope for the best.
UPDATE: We went back to Sandy Hook the next day. A pair of Osprey had won the disputed nest, and when they took to flight we noticed one had something in it's claws. It was big, we thought it was a stick - but it was a long piece of fishing net. ARGH! They flew out of sight and luckily when they came back, the fishing net was no longer with them. They both seemed OK. The other two Osprey - including the one tangled with fishing line - were nowhere to be seen. We checked the other two nesting sights, and some other favored nesting areas - but no Osprey's. I hope to go check again soon.
