Our Osprey Garden
Greetings!
Our Osprey Season is basically over. I saw today that one lone osprey was in the area, could be ours or could be one heading south on its migration. This has been a very difficult season for our birds here in Colonial Beach and in the Chesapeake Bay. We are not certain, but we believe to have only fledged possibly 5 chicks this year. Last year we successfully fledged 55. We hope next year these birds will come back and thrive as they have in the past. We have relayed all of our data onto the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary where research continues.
A story: Ollie the Osprey, a Colonial Beach Osprey Story
Ollie the Osprey was found in a pool in Colonial Beach, with the help of rescuer/transporter, Mike, a resident of Colonial Beach, he was taken to Deb, a rehabilitator in New Kent. He came into care and was emaciated, unable to fly, and unable to feed himself. I will note, Ospreys are very difficult birds to rehabilitate, they often do not do well in captivity. With Deb’s knowledge and expertise, Ollie has made slow but steady progress. He can now fly about 20 feet and he eats large minnows and small fish. He is not strong enough to make the migration this year. Deb will keep him over the winter to be released back in Colonial Beach this spring. The challenge with this is securing the fish for him to eat. Remember, 99% of an Osprey’s diet is fish. If there are any fisherman that can donate small fish as in minnows, or menhaden, small perch, and donate, we will package and freeze and make sure they get to Deb. If needed, we can also purchase the fish. We plan to keep Ollie and Deb in fish throughout the winter. We are so thankful for Deb and her skills in keeping one of our little ones safe.
Our committee has been working hard on our festival for 2025. As you have become accustomed to, we will have live raptors, trolley and golf cart nest tours, our ever popular “Nestlings Corner’”, expert speakers, top notch exhibitors, amazing artisan craft vendors and as always, delicious food. The weekend begins on Friday night with our Art Walk hosted by the Artist Guild and Downtown Colonial Beach will host its’ Sip N’ Stroll so you can enjoy your favorite beverage while strolling downtown Colonial Beach. On Saturday, the festival takes place and Saturday Night offers the Grand Ol’ Osprey at Colonial Beach Brewing. Sunday we will offer guided bird walks at selected parks led by the Northern Neck Audubon Society. You won’t want to miss the afternoon with “Fly Like an Osprey” kite flying on the beach. This will be a full weekend of fun!
A shout out to our Platinum Sponsor, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources! Thank you for your continued support throughout the years!!
Our Osprey Foundation has been busy sharing the disastrous season our ospreys had in Colonial Beach this season to the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the Colonial Beach Town Council, and The Stafford/Spotsylvania/Fredericksburg newspaper, the Free Lance Star. Our goal, to spread awareness to a large audience. We are hopeful that this will encourage the public to contact their respective legislators.
We are also thrilled to be invited to teach a class about osprey migration to a first grade class in King George! Children are the key to our future!
Until next month, enjoy our fall weather and be safe!
SAVE THE DATE
7th Annual Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach
April 12, 2025
Featuring
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Mark Smith
