Banding Ospreys

During the last week of June, Team Gateway assisted Resources Manager Jeanne McArthur-Heuser in banding ospreys and collecting bird banding data. The Team went to about ten nesting sites along the Sandy Hook peninsula. They hoisted a ladder up to the osprey nests which were situated on 20ft high, manmade posts. The osprey nests were more than five feet in diameter and consisted of various materials, such as sticks, plastic bags, and fishing lines, one of which was wrapped around a juvenile osprey’s neck! The number of juvenile ospreys found in each nest ranged from none to three. The aluminum bands applied to the osprey's legs will be used to collect information on its migration patterns, life span, and population growth. Furthermore, a feather sample was taken from the ospreys for chemical analysis. Besides being ladder boys, corps members John, Mason, and Bobby got a chance to band the baby ospreys and give them names! Overall they were very grateful for this new and different project which offered a much needed break from invasive plant removal.