Papa Osprey Has Returned And Is Waiting For His Mate To Arrive

The male Oprey has returned to the family nest at Terrain on the Post Rd.

The famed "Terrain Osprey" family that delights Westporters each year is again working on the nest, waiting for his mate to arrive and make some construction and decor changes no doubt (this is Westport after all) in preparation for what we hope will be another fine family a few months from now. According to the website Days At Dunrovin, Osprey are most often monogamous and tend to return to the same nest year after year. Usually the male arrives first followed by his mate a few weeks later both the male and female osprey update the nest with the latest and greatest materials. The lining of the nest is typically made of softer material, like grasses or seaweed. In addition to natural materials, ospreys have been known to use a variety of man-made materials in their nests. People have reported seeing plastic bags, flip flops, netting, sod, and other materials.

Osprey nests are large and quite conspicuous. Twigs and large sticks make up the majority of an osprey nest. Often, smaller bird species such as starlings or house sparrows live in the underside of the nest.  Osprey nests can be up to five feet in diameter and two to seven feet thick. In addition, osprey nests can weigh well over 300 pound

Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com