Where The Osprey Nest

Hillary Gonzalez, the author, writes "In the Chesapeake Bay, we are blessed to have the highest population of nesting ospreys in the world-but that's changing. In the Chesapeake, watching the return of the ospreys is one of the first signs that spring has arrived. They come back, year after year, circling overhead, calling to one another with their fluting, musical chirping calls. They are without a doubt, my favorite bird. There are nesting boxes I visit every year, to watch the next generation of ospreys born.

My delight quickly turned to concern a few years ago. I would watch the adults return, yet some boxes-which would otherwise have one-two chicks born, remained empty, or suddenly, the only chick to be born from a clutch of eggs, would disappear. Predation I can understand. That's a part of nature. Snakes and other birds prey on fledglings. It hurts, but it's also a part of life I can accept.

What I can't accept, was the findings study after study began to confirm. Overfishing from one fishing company off the coast of Virginia, is decimating the osprey populations along the Chesapeake and Delmarva.

You see, other states have regulations against overfishing. Virginia does not. Ospreys are a keystone species. The health of our keystone species in the Chesapeake and Delmarva, indicates the health of the entire ecosystem. If they are being so badly affected, that means the ecosystem is collapsing beneath them.

We humans must realize, we are part of nature too. We cannot continue to take as we have been, without causing real harm to the environment, and eventually ourselves. There is so much we can do to help, but first, we must wake up.

If you also love ospreys, please take the call to action at the end of this book. I have provided an email template you can send to the Virginia Governor-urging her to act before it's too late."