I remember seeing my first osprey dive into a holding pond at a local fish hatchery, impale a 12-inch trout, lift off from the pond's surface and then get shot by a hatchery worker before it even got 50 feet away. I was impressed by the bird's skill and saddened by the end result. I believe that was 1963 when the osprey population was already in decline. Over the next 10 years the population would plummet.

Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" would spur researchers to pinpoint the problem. Pesticides, in particular DDT, were "building up" in fish-eating birds of prey, causing them to lay thin-shelled eggs. This resulted in almost no eggs hatching and obviously no young to sustain the population. Fortunately, DDT use in the U.S. was banned in 1972, and slowly the osprey, bald eagle, brown pelican and peregrine falcon populations rebounded.Ospreys reach about 2 feet and have a wingspan of 6 feet. They have a primarily white head, but unlike the bald eagle, have a white belly as well. From a distance, in flight or perched on a snag, an inexperienced birder could mistake the osprey for the larger bald eagle.Many ospreys migrate along our Blue Mountain, and local waterways near that ridge allow the ospreys to feed while making the trip. The ospreys we regularly see in April and again in September nest mostly in Canada and make an amazing migration as far as South America. I, and other hawk watchers at Bake Oven Knob, have observed some ospreys carrying fish as they migrate along the ridge. This is the osprey's version of a bagged lunch to go.The osprey, a bit smaller than a bald eagle, selects smaller fish. Uniquely though, to make flight more efficient, the osprey carries the fish headfirst. (Less resistance in flight) It also catches fish differently from the bigger eagle. It hovers over the water using great eyesight to locate its prey near the water's surface. It then dives rapidly, feet first into the water, and its extremely long, sharp talons grab a fish.The osprey has a "double jointed" toe, allowing it to have two forward and two rear-facing talons. This along with scaly feet pads allows them to grip and hold on to slippery fish.Some ospreys nest in Pennsylvania and their numbers are increasing. My college zoology professor, Dr. Larry Rymon, began a program of bringing Chesapeake fledglings to hacking towers in the Poconos to reintroduce them. Ospreys were never very common here, but by 1979 there were no nests. Today about 200 pairs can be found. They nest in a variety of sites, but telephone poles, channel markers, or large trees are favorites. They fortunately readily accept man-made nesting platforms, too.Ospreys build stick nests, generally lay three eggs, and incubate them about 40 days. The young ospreys after leaving the nests usually spend the next two or three years in Central or South America until returning north as mature breeding birds.Remember, the only way to really appreciate what's around us is to get out there and keep those eyes and ears open.Last week's quiz answer: Of the snakes listed, only the black rat snake coils around its prey, suffocating it before swallowing it whole. A garter snake will grab and then swallow its prey head first while still alive.Test Your Knowledge: Birds have adapted in many ways to reduce weight in order to fly. Which of these have birds utilized as a weight-reducing factor? A. Hollow bones, B. No heavy teeth and jaws, C. No urinary bladder, D. All of these are correct.Contact Barry Reed at

breed71@gmail.com.