This nest is named for the village of Bricksboro, presently a neighborhood, but at one time a thriving enclave. The village was situated across from where the platform now stands. The town was the namesake of its founder Joshua Brick. There were sundries and ship stores and it was an active little community. It was Jack Lawrence who asked that we put the structure there. He also lent his boat to the construction project. Jack and his neighbor Mary Lou Barbose are vigilant in watching this nest and report osprey arrivals and any problems. At this nest, we had one of the most unusual occurrences take place. In 2003, we found an adult female dead on top of two live chicks and one dead one. We turned in the carcass for necropsy and the band number to the USGS service. We were concerned because it was a cold, wet, dismal spring for osprey and we were finding chicks starved in the nest. From the band it was determined the adult was an eight-year-old female who had choked to death. The bird had also been fledged a few watersheds northwest in Canton by a colleague, Ted Nichols of NJ Fish and Wildlife. When we later returned to band the chicks, as they were too young for banding on the previous visit, we found the male had raised two healthy chicks that subsequently fledged, thus showing it is possible for an adult osprey to raise the chicks on its own. However, it could not have been an easy task and would take an experienced bird. Had the chicks been one week younger they would likely have perished from exposure. A clutch of three can consume six pounds of fish a day! In fact, the dead chick died of starvation. Chicks are fed in the order in which they are born and as such, the youngest chick is fed when the oldest has had its fill. Thus, it is not uncommon for the youngest to starve if food is in short supply.

Three chicks about the same age, but one is starved to death, first laid is first fed

Closest River Reach: Brickboro

http://www.cumauriceriver.org/reaches/pg/narratives.cfm?sku=31

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