Osprey nests a platform for mystery

By David Horst  sandhill7@gmail.com
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Pat Fisher is concerned about ospreys. Actually, she cares about all large birds, but this year ospreys have her very concerned.

Baby ospreys are disappearing from their nests.

An osprey chick is prepared to be weighed.

The New London bird rehabilitator tracks osprey reproduction in Waupaca, Outagamie and part of Winnebago counties. She counts how many young are in each nest, checks their general health and bands their legs for future tracking.

That’s what we were doing recently when I tagged along with Fisher and her crew and two guys from We Energies with a bucket truck.

Ospreys are bigger than a crow, smaller than an eagle. They are mostly white underneath but the tops of their wings are brown. A substantial brown stripe swooshes across each eye. To identify them in the air, look for wings that are slightly arched.