Sydney

By Sydney

Osprey nest

Dreadful photo I know, it was raining quite hard that morning, but I wanted to document the osprey nest on top of one of the light standards that illuminates the track and football field at our high school. It has been there for 4 years and baby osprey fledge each year. Our school district has placed a camera that peeks into the nest so we can watch the progress of the babies throughout the nesting season up close. My classroom is quite near the nest so we are lucky to see the babies standing on the edge, stretching their wings and to have the parents soar over us as they hunt for food. We hear the babies crying from the nest until the parents return, which reminds us that we, too, are hungry so we go in for snack. The island I live on is home to a large number of bald eagles but this is the only osprey nest that I have heard of here. Such an odd place to choose I would think, though the heat from the lights might be nice, but the speakers blaring for hours, belting out the scores and commentary must be outrageously loud! I am sure it makes the pole vibrate, maybe they think that's fun. Couldn't be worse than the wind I suppose. The football field is next to the school bus parking lot between 4 schools and it always strikes me as both a miracle and a travesty of encroachment that these beautiful raptors have made their home here. I am pleased because they seem to be thriving and I am fortunate to observe them but of course, they should be no where near all these fumes and noise, that cannot be a healthy environment in which to raise young. Hmmm...we raise our young amidst these toxins too.

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