A Devoted Mother Osprey Shelters Her Young From Blazing Sun
Screenshot from Milford Point Audubon Live Osprey Cam. Story by J.C. Martin
This dangerous heatwave continues to stress out people and animals alike. This mother Osprey at the Milford Point Audubon, Milford, CT is spreading her wings to shield her three juvenile offspring from the blazing sun, making herself hotter in the process. They are barely visible under her wings.Temps at 1:00 AM were already nearly 90º, ambient temperature with the actual temps in the sun even higher.
We can safely assume Westport's Osprey families located at Terrain/Fresh Market, Longshore and near Sherwood Island will be doing the same thing.
According to the Dyfi Osprey Project extreme heat can be highly dangerous for baby ospreys. Because nests are high up and completely exposed to the elements, prolonged high temperatures (especially over 90°F–100°F) can lead to severe heat stress, lethargy, and dehydration.
Adult ospreys work incredibly hard to shield their young from direct sunlight and hot weather. They adapt by:
- Shading: Spreading their wings outward like an umbrella or awning to create a "shade wall" that covers the chicks.
- Cooling: Panting to release body heat through evaporative cooling, or taking dips in nearby water sources and returning with wet feathers to act as natural air conditioners.
- Fanning: Raising their body feathers to increase airflow.
You can view the Milford Point Live Osprey Cam 24 hours a day and see these magnificent raptors up close.Her three chicks have grown quite a bit and will soon be ready to fledge, so make sure you see them while you can!
Presenting The Staples High School Class Of 2026!
Seniors take their last walk onto the football field as students. They will leave as graduates entering the next great phase of their lives.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples High School principal Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. leads VIP’s including town and school officials including Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice and First Selectman Kevin Christie onto the field.
As always, it was a very full house as excited parents shared in the joy of the moment with many parents no doubt remembering their own graduation ceremony and younger siblings possibly envisioning their own memorable moment to come.
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The audience in the east side bleachers had to spend a bit of time shielding their eyes from the sun on a nearly cloudless evening.
Some parents made sure their pride and enthusiasm was noted by their child and others in the audience.
After “Pomp and Circumstance” was played, the National Anthem was sung by the Staples Orphenians followed by “The Road Home” performed by Sonora, Choralaires and all senior choir students.
Above, Lauren Pine, Director of Choral Activities at Staples High School since 2023 conducts the choir.
Following the welcome address by Principal Thomas were the Valedictory Address by Isabel Sungloo Jo, left and right and the Salutatory Address by Uma Roy Choudhury, center.
Staples faculty created imaginative mortarboards to celebrate the occasion.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Students are called row by row to the stage to receive their diplomas. Two friends give each other a celebratory “high five”. Some smiling students took advantage of the time for calling of the more than 400 names to get their snaps.
Several mortarboards were created to express the sentiments of the student and others displayed their college destination including one student happily about to become a member of Husky Nation at the University Of Connecticut.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The class of 2026 was filled with high achievers including 37 members of the National Honor Society and several who were proudly wearing their Seal of Biliteracy, a prestigious academic honor awarded to graduating high school students who demonstrate high proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in two or more languages—one of which is English.
Finally, the grads are called and make their way to the stage to receive the diploma they have worked so hard for 4 years to achieve from Principal Thomas and receive congratulations from Superintendent Scarice and administration officials.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There were many high fives by students including Staples Girls Basketball stand-out Freya Harvey, above.
Diplomas firmly in hand, students proudly head over to have their official graduation photos taken against the Staples logo backdrop, indeed a time-consuming process which went off without a hitch.
At the conclusion of the ceremony and the moment arrives, Senior grads Kala Levine and Elijah Falkenstein announce the “Turning Of The Tassle”, a graduation tradition symbolizing the transition from a degree candidate to a graduate. Moving the tassel from the right side of the cap to the left represents closing one academic chapter and officially stepping into a new phase of life or professional career. Moving the tassel closer to the heart publicizes your hard-earned credentials and academic achievement.
The Final Seminal Moment - Caps In The Air!
The grads joyfully throw their caps into the air a classic celebratory tradition that symbolizes the end of a long academic journey and the transition into a new chapter of life!
The stands empty out as delighted parents seek to rendezvous with their children in the crowd on the field for hugs, kisses, photos, selfies and congratulations from friends and family.
The parents of “Molly”, below, were taking no chances on any delay in her finding her family in the crowd. They provided a giant poster wishing her “Gratulerer!”, which is congratulations in Norwegian.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Among the hundreds of happy families on this very special day in their lives is the family of Sam Clachko, Wreckers star basketball point guard who scored more than 1,000 points at Staples and will be playing for Division III school Connecticut college.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Lulu & Bianka share their joy in dramatic fashion when they find each other in the crowd.
Jennifer Alexandra Londono is one of four Staples Grads who have opted to serve their country in the United States Military. Jennifer will be joined by Finn Joseph Martens in serving in the US Navy. Rhodes Edison Redd will serve in the Marine Corps and joining the US Army is Alessio Zhy’mier Ramirez.
Above, left, Board of Finance member Danielle Dobin snapping pics of her son Jonathan and their family.
Westport Local Press offers our heartfelt congratulations to the 139th graduating class of Staples High School.
We look forward to your continued success and contributions as you continue to pursue your education and careers!
CAUTION: Osprey Construction Zone
Ospreys Love Westport! And Westport Loves Our Ospreys!
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Osprey platform located in the parking lot of Fresh Market next to Terrain on the Post Rd. has had a nesting pair for many years. This year is no exception and the pair was preparing the "nursery" last month. Osprey generally return to the same nest each year with the male arriving in March to begin rebuilding the nest from the prior year with the female to follow.
Ospreys migrate south for the winter to find ice-free water and abundant fish. Depending on where they breed, North American ospreys travel thousands of miles to warmer climates in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America (as far south as Brazil and Argentina), while some western populations overwinter in Mexico.
Coming in for a landing at the Terrain platform, this beauty displays the 5’ to 6’ wingspan which makes it so striking.
The Terrain Osprey as they are commonly referred to are a fixture in town with many admirers among both Terrain customers and staff who enjoy seeing these magnificent raptors and love to watch as they bring fish to feed their hungry hatchlings which should soon be visible if past years are any indication.
When we took these photos the male was delivering construction materials to his mate which will do the actual construction. They work together, each with its own role in the process.
The Male's Role: The male is the gatherer. He collects almost all of the nesting materials, which include sticks, sod, vines, and algae. He will break dead branches off trees while flying or snatch them up from the ground.
The Female's Role: The female is the architect. She takes all the materials the male brings back and arranges, shapes, and distributes them into a sturdy, bowl-shaped structure.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
In past years, Westport utility crews have had to carefully relocate nests from active power lines to safer platforms to prevent outages and protect the birds. This platform was erected several years ago when crew discover Osprey were building a nest on a utility pole across the Post Rd.
Across Connecticut, the osprey population has seen a massive rebound, growing from just nine active nests in 1974 to over 726 recently. Westport currently hosts roughly 20 active nests monitored by citizen scientists through The Osprey Nation Project. This CT Audubon site has great info and photos on these spectacular raptors.
The Interactive Nest Map on the site shows the locations of nests and reports by volunteers who monitor them.
Fishing the Saugatuck at low tide. This pair might be from the Terrain nest before the female laid her eggs.
This platform near Lot F at Longshore park also has a nesting pair. Below, the male surveys Grey’s creek from a tall tree on the golf course.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.comclick on an image below to enlarge and open gallery.
CT Audubon, thanks to donations, has installed an Osprey Cam at their Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point.
This live camera shows the Osprey family live, 24/7. It is well worth the visit and with a little luck you may see the male bring his family a fresh fish
Westport Pride: Prouder Than Ever!
Sixth Annual Celebration Featured Broadway Performer, Community Entertainers, and Remarks from State and Local Officials
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Westport's annual Pride Day reached a milestone this weekend, drawing more participants than any previous year to Jesup Green for its sixth consecutive celebration of the LGBTQAI+ community. Ideal weather and a packed program of performances and speakers contributed to what many in attendance described as the event's most memorable edition.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal joined 1st Selectman Kevin Christie and other state and local elected officials on stage to affirm Westport's commitment to welcoming all residents. Their remarks struck themes of love, belonging, and the strength that comes from an inclusive community.
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Among the day's highlights was a performance and personal reflection by Jamie Martin Mann, a Westport native who has gone on to a career on Broadway. Mann spoke about his formative years growing up in town, paying tribute to several local educators and arts mentors. Students from Staples Players (all wearing Players Pride tees) contributed a rousing number from the musical Les Misérables, while dancer Van Goldberg captivated onlookers with an energetic solo routine.
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Cassandra Fiore gave a powerful speech about a friend who had recently passed, followed by a call to action for the community to provide safe spaces for our queer youth. And then, of course, there was a fantastic performance from the celebrated drag performer. Ending the program, there was an energetic performance from the band “The Splits”, preceded by some playful crowd banter.
Beyond the entertainment, Jesup Green hosted a wide array of community organizations — nonprofits, religious congregations, and civic groups among them — reflecting the depth of support the event has built across Westport over the years. There were therapy pups, including one called Oakley, who entranced attendees. Another highlight included the freshly made (and complimentary) rainbow challah bread offered by Temple Israel.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Westport Pride would like to express warm gratitude to all of the sponsors, vendors and food trucks who contributed to the celebration.
Next up for Westport Pride: The community is invited to continue the festivities at Westport Pride's next Happy Hour, July 2nd at Yuzu Restaurant on Main Street.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
