Dave, Good question. To help ospreys repopulate the NE, we need to supply them with ample nesting platforms. How many platforms should be built? In my opinion, the short answer is as many as the ospreys need. Cayuga Lake is large enough to support a number of osprey populations concentrated at the shallow north and south ends and in areas where there is a shallow shelf extending into the lake, as in Lansing. They are semi-colonial and will nest near other osprey provided there is enough fish.
BTW Paul Paradine is the NYSEG's regional forester you referred to. How do you define the "south end" of the lake? The Stewart Park and marina area or are you including Lansing? I think the shallow south end of the lake can support at least one if not more osprey platforms in addition to the one at Case Park. There's a good supply of salmon, rainbow trout, brook trout, lake trout, and northern pike in the spring and ample panfish in the summer, and ospreys tolerate a fair amount of human activities near their nests. However, the platforms would have to be placed a distance from any fireworks displays and not be situated in the midst of the festival grounds. (The ospreys at Salt Point last year were not perturbed by weekly music nights or the Lansing Harborfest celebration held across Salmon Creek in Myers Park.) The Lansing area, with its shallow offshore shelf and many feeder streams, is another area capable of sustaining an osprey population. There is ample food and habitat to support three nests and at least a few more along the shelf heading north. I just saw Robyn's post as I was typing and I echo her sentiments--let's welcome as many ospreys, eagles, and great horned owls that will put up with us silly humans. Candace On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 12:48 PM, Candace Cornell <[email protected]> wrote: > Dave, > > Good question. To help ospreys repopulate the NE, we need to supply them > with ample nesting platforms. How many platforms should be built? In my > opinion, the short answer is as many as the ospreys need. Cayuga Lake is > large enough to support a number of osprey populations concentrated at the > shallow north and south ends and in areas where there is a shallow shelf > extending into the lake, as in Lansing. They are semi-colonial and will > nest near other osprey provided there is enough fish. > > BTW Paul Paradine is the NYSEG's regional forester you referred to. > > How do you define the "south end" of the lake? The Stewart Park and marina > area or are you including Lansing? I think the shallow south end of the > lake can support at least one if not more osprey platforms in addition to > the one at Case Park. There's a good supply of salmon, rainbow trout, brook > trout, lake trout, and northern pike in the spring and ample panfish in the > summer, and ospreys tolerate a fair amount of human activities near their > nests. However, the platforms would have to be placed a distance from any > fireworks displays and not be situated in the midst of the festival > grounds. (The ospreys at Salt Point last year were not perturbed by weekly > music nights or the Lansing Harborfest celebration held across Salmon Creek > in Myers Park.) > > The Lansing area, with its shallow offshore shelf and many feeder streams, > is another area capable of sustaining an osprey population. There is ample > food and habitat to support three nests and at least a few more along the > shelf heading north. > > I just saw Robyn's post as I was typing and I echo her sentiments--let's > welcome as many ospreys, eagles, and great horned owls that will put up > with us silly humans. > Candace > > > > On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 9:18 AM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I noticed that an Osprey platform has been installed on the hill above >> Myers Point. There are already two nests in the area, the first on a pole >> within the Cargill mining complex at Portland Point, which Robin Bailey's >> husband Paul (whose last name I forget, sorry), who works with NYSEG, >> provided with a platform after the nest sticks touched live wires and >> caused a fire. The second is at Salt Point, on a platform and pole >> installed for the purpose. They are about a mile apart, and this new >> platform is midway between them. >> >> At the south end of the lake, in Allan H Treman State Marine Park in the >> field east of the Hog Hole, there is another Osprey platform and pole. It >> took a few years to become occupied, but since has produced young multiple >> years. >> >> I just got word from Rick Manning, "Friends of Stewart Park was just >> notified by Jeanne Grace, city forester, that NYSEG wants to install an >> osprey nest or two in the park." >> I'm wondering what people's thought are about how many Osprey platforms >> would be appropriate at the south end of the lake and where? By the way, >> I've seen a young Bald Eagle perch on the platform at Treman a couple >> times, but it was skittish and left when it noticed me. I wonder whether >> Bald Eagles are likely to take over Osprey platforms the way they did on >> the power pylon by Mud Lock for several years. If so, it would be good to >> have a place for those Ospreys to go. >> >> --Dave Nutter >> >> -- >> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> >> Subscribe, Configuration and >> Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> *Archives:* >> The Mail >> Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >> BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> >> *Please submit your observations to eBird >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* >> -- >> > > -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
