The Birds: The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes
known as the "sea hawk", is a large fish-eating bird of prey. It
reaches 2 feet in length with 6 foot wingspan. The wings body are
mostly brown while the chest & head is white. The most
distinctive feature is the black eye patch. The word Osprey
originates from medieval Latin Avis Praedæ meaning "bird of prey"
and has long been used as a symbol for hunters, fishermen, nature
& professional football teams. They hunt during the day and are
one of the most adept fishers of the large raptors. They are unique
in that they have a second opposable talon that is used to hold a
fish after it has been snatched from the water. They will chose a
nest near a large body of water. In this case, the Osprey family
has chosen to fish on the Whale Creek which gets shallow leaving
the fish clearly visible to the Osprey's sharp eyes. When this was
published there was a mother & two young fledgling hunters.
They've occupied this nest since early spring and were hatched in
early June. Right now the parents are doing most of the hunting & feeding though the kids are
giving it their best. They'll be living with their parents until
September before setting off on their own. Later in the year they
will all migrate to South America covering as much as 300 miles a
day. In New Jersey the Ospreys nearly went extinct in the early
1970s when they were reduced from 500 nests to 50 by rampant use of
the pesticide DDT. They have been slowly recovering and man-made
platforms, like the one before you, have helped restore the
population to 400 nests though they are still listed as a
threatened species. Ospreys can live 20-25 years and can hatch
dozens of chicks through their life.
The Hide: This cache isn't about the hide, it's about the
Ospreys. This same family may return to this nest next year if the
hunting is good and they are not disturbed so try not to be too
disruptive. Have a seat on the bench and, if you are lucky, you'll
get to hear their cry and/or see some hunting action. While waiting
you can take care of finding the cache and signing the log. You are
looking for a black magnetic nano sized container. You'll need to
bring your own pen for this one. Happy hunting!
This cache is certified Central
Jersey!
