RECC employee works to secure Osprey nesting platform.
“The move went off without a hitch,” says Fisher. “This is the first time in the 12 years I’ve been here that we’ve had an osprey nest and we’d like to see it continue. We hope they will return this spring.”
An osprey nest isn’t a typical, closely “weaved” birds nest like you see in your backyard trees. It is a pile of twigs and mud sure, but a great deal larger, as you can see by the photos. Each year, the osprey will add to the nest and they have been known to weigh 1,000 pounds after many years of use.
The Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is a sanctuary for fish and other wildlife in addition to migratory birds. For more information about it visit www.fws.gov/refuge/chautauqua or call them at 309-535-2290.