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Maurice River Recollections Project
Osprey Nest Anecdotes
Chaos Nest
The name of this nest comes from the chaos an osprey caused before we accommodated him with a brand new home. This is one of those nests that the birds told us they needed, by persistently trying to place sticks on top of a bank of purple martin gourds. In fact, we would remove the sticks and he would be right back at it the next day. The crosspieces atop the martin gourds really did not support the sticks, and the martins did not think much of the building process either. The entire area was truly in chaos. We normally travel the river looking for opportunities like this to know where to place the next platform. Build it and they will come is sometimes effective, but build it where they are – REALLY works best! In this case, the birds came to us, for the martin house is on the end our dock. So we decided to place a platform directly across the river. We took bets on how many minutes it would take after we left the construction site for the birds to begin using the nest. And those who guessed less than 10 were the winners. Yes, build it where they ARE or want to be. The only thing these birds did not do was knock on the front door with floor plans.
Crew puts predator guard on Chaos; note purple martin houses on opposite side of river.
Before providing osprey platform, bird continues to try to get sticks to stay on top of purple martin gourds.
Sticks lace purple martin gourds.
Closest River Reach - Haley?s Gravel http://www.cumauriceriver.org/reaches/pg/narratives.cfm?sku=14
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Osprey Colony Project
Introduction Welcome to Citizens United's River Recollections Project. These stories are but a few of my memories associated to osprey nesting structures along the Maurice River and its tributaries. It is part of a larger project including an interactive map of the of river reach lore, live campfire recollection events, documentaries, presentations and archives held by the organization. I believe the greatest connection that people have to a river is the sharing of their bond to it through the telling of stories. These stories are accurate accounts from my perspective the truth, as I know it. The stories are designed to give you insight into some life history of the osprey but are primarily designed to give you a flavor for being an osprey volunteer. Over 150 volunteers have been involved in the construction of the osprey platforms. Sincerely,
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If you enjoy these stories or have a love of history, you may find visiting our interactive River Reach Map, which allows you to explore cultural aspects of the Maurice River's tidal reaches, simply click on buoys to begin your voyage.