The ospreys continue on the platform on Number One Rd., the extension of Center St. going east from the post office. Also on the nests on Backus Rd. & at Firelanes 15 & 17 north of Union Springs as well as at the Cayuga Lake Farm south of the Springs.
On Rte 90 on my way from Union Springs to the refuge on Wed. past, I noticed sticks atop a utility pole on the west side just north of the RR tracks, not far south of Cayuga. The white farm house across the road belongs to Mennonites I know. In summertime, Mrs. Horst always has a nice veggie garden, lots of beautiful flowers ... & often a line of drying clothes flapping in the breeze. Always a neat place, thanks to her labors. When I went by on Fri. a.m. I noticed the nest had increased in size & an osprey was approaching the nest with a large stick. Another osprey was on a pole to the west down along the driveway. I stopped & watched a bit from a fair distance. Two other vehicles had stopped, one right under the nest, the other directly across the road where parents & 3 kids jumped out to point, jabber & watch. The osprey with the stick approached 4 or 5 times but finally went to perch by the mate. I then drove to the family where the man loudly proclaimed, "Ospreys!" I told them they were disturbing the birds & the man said, "Oh, uh, we're leaving." At Cayuga's Beacon Mills no nest has been built on the tower in the water but I saw 2 ospreys circling around the west end of the RR bridge. Hopefully they'll build on the tower. Two nests along 5 & 20 have ospreys. The platform on the North Spring Pool along Rte. 89 which has a nest cam on it has a nesting osprey, finally, & one egg was visible on Fri.. Osprey was on the platform along the Seneca R. just north of the bridge before MNWR entrance. A new nest has been started on a large power pole east of the 5 & 20/90 intersection on the north side of 5 & 20. I didn't go to Armstrong Rd. to check on that nest. No ospreys were visible on the 2 old nests along the canal at May's. Saw no birds on the Gravel Rd. nest. Maybe John VanNiel knows for sure. Anyone else know of nests at the north end of the lake?? This seems to be an amazing increase of ospreys in the last 5 yrs.. Just as I got to Becky's house on Ridge Rd. at 6 p.m. on Fri. I saw 2 SANDHILL CRANES heading NE. 70 degrees & very, very windy. We've had some sunshine after a nasty a.m.. but clouds are coming in again. Gas is $3.75.9 in Union Springs. Wish the Creamery was closer!! Happy Easter to all, Fritzie -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
