Post to NH Birds list-serve on 4-22-2025 by Kirk Elwell.
I was just at the NH Audubon’s Brookside Wildlife Sanctuary in South Hampton and found that the Osprey’s nest and supporting tree have collapsed into the pond. The two adults are perched up nearby staring at the remains. I suspect the recent high winds finally toppled the huge nest on a very slender, very dead tree. It was very emotional for me since I’ve watched these two and their forebears in this pond for many years. From the structural engineering side, the slenderness ratio of the tree compared to the huge, wet nest predicted a sure collapse at some point, so this shouldn’t have been surprising. Hopefully, they will rebuild. On a positive note, I believe I have found another pair in South Hampton over on the Powwow River!
Ed. Note: Good news! Kirk reported in eBird on 5-28-2025 that he saw the Osprey at Brookside, one on a new nest and the other standing guard a few feet away.
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Spring 2025!
- A Tailless Red-winged Blackbird Named Bob by Len Medlock
- Garter Snake Eats a Wilson’s Warbler by Cole Parks
- Osprey Nesting Tree Collapses by Kirk Elwell
- Spiderwebs are Useful! (for hummingbirds, at least) by Kathryn Frieden
- White-faced Song Sparrow by Jim Sparrell
- The Fate of a “White Dove” by Kathryn Frieden
- Woodcock Distraction Display by Milton Trimitsis
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