Our Osprey Garden
Greetings!
I am sorry to be so late on our newsletter this month! We have had lots happening here in Colonial Beach and beyond!
We are happy to report that some of our osprey have returned! Relying on reports here, possibly 5 or more have been spotted on nests. A pair was seen on one of our platforms!
Dominion has replaced one of our platforms here in town and three of our 6 newly constructed platforms have gone up on existing sites where platforms were damaged.
Our friend, Bill, replaced two platforms in Monroe Bay and one went up in Stafford County next to the Water Treatment plant. We also thank our friend, Buck for the construction of these nests! And again, Richmond Audubon for sponsoring these platforms.
We look forward to this Osprey season with hope!
By next newsletter there will be much more to report on our magnificent raptor!
Fun Fact – It is true that Osprey mate for life. However, it is the nesting site that draws them together, not each other. This phenomenon is called Nest Fidelity.
We recently bought materials to construct four monofilament fishing line disposal units. BSA Troop #255 constructed these units for us. As we know, entanglement from fishing line is an ever-present danger to our birds and other wildlife.
By providing receptacles for our fisherman to dispose of their used line, we hope to cut down on some of the line that ends up in the water or in trash where scavengers can still become entangled.
Once line is collected from these units, it is sent off to a company that recycles monofilament. It is a win-win for everyone.
February and March has been a busy month for our foundation.
In February, we were invited to talk with Kindergartners at the Chesapeake Academy in Irvington, VA. There were 12 students and they were a delight. They were very engaged during the presentation and had a lot of questions at the end. We presented their classroom with a book, Belle’s Journey. We hope to be able to do more of this in the future.
On March 2, we hosted an educational presentation on Oysters and their important role in our ecosystem. There were about 25 attendees, Sue Borra was our speaker. Did you know: Everyday one oyster filters 50 gallons of water? Look for more of these pop-up educational events in the future.
What topics would you be interested in? Let us know your thoughts!
Our Foundation was invited to the Colonial Beach Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) to present on Ospreys. What a great group of folks! Later that day, we also presented to the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance via Zoom, there were over 100 attendees. We were thankful for the opportunity to share our knowledge about Osprey. Part of our mission is to foster a sustainable environment through community engagement and education. We look forward to future engagement.
Our festival is one short month away! We are busy with last minute preparations and I am thankful to all of our sponsors, advertisers, friends, and every donation! The many volunteers that you will see throughout the day, the vendors and exhibitors, they are the ones that pull it all together. I venture to say, they are the best of the best. They are what makes the festival what it is!
Once again, we will be leading a children’s bird walk at the festival. This was very well received last year and we are excited to offer it again. We ask that you sign up in advance, it is limited to 15 children and must be accompanied by an adult. Please sign up here. Your child is guaranteed to have a wonderful experience. We provide a monocular for each child to use during the walk. You do not want to miss out.
We are offering bird walks on Sunday, April 13, at James Monroe’s Birthplace. We encourage you to sign up online. The bird walk is led by a Northern Neck Master Naturalist. This is for everyone! You will be in for a real treat! You can sign up here!
Tickets to the festival are on sale now. We urge you to purchase them in advance as their cost will increase by at the gate. You can purchase your tickets here.
Dates to Remember
SAVE THE DATE
7th Annual Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach
April 12, 2025
April 13, 2025 - Guided Birdwalks
