Ospreys in London
The rivers and reservoirs around London attract and sustain these majestic black and white raptors that feed almost entirely on fish. You may have seen an Osprey suddenly dive feet and head forward into water, lift off, and fly away with a fish in its talons. The good news is that the fishing must be excellent as Osprey numbers are increasing in London.
I am indebted to Ric Symmes for mentoring me about Ospreys in London. His report on Ospreys for 2021 is on Nature London’s website. http://www.naturelondon.com/london-ospreys-are-thriving/
Walking around the trails at Harris Park for the first time last January, I saw an empty Osprey nest on top of Labatt Park’s third base lights. This year, the “Labatt” Ospreys returned to London at the end of March and had two very large and active offspring by July. Of course, baseball fans are distracted when they see an Osprey fly over the field. You might see an Osprey perching on one of the lighting towers or eating a fish on the raised platform in the field behind the third base bleachers. These offspring are still dependent on adults for food, but spend much of the day away from Labatt’s Park.
It is not too late to see Ospreys before they leave. A great place to see them is Greenway Park. The two “Greenway” offspring have just started to flap their wings. You can see them flying or at least trying to fly. On July 26, I photographed the mother and two juveniles. The father was in a nearby tree, but I missed seeing him deliver fish to the nest.
If the juveniles are crying, they are probably hungry. But if the mother is crying, she is in distress over an unwelcome bird in the sky or people too close to the nest. Given the height of the nest platform, the roadway into the treatment plant is a bit too close. Please stand no closer than the pathway to the nest.
