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March 31, 1983 - Ospreys Slowly GainingPage 14 The Suffolk Times March 31,1983 Ospreys Slowly Gaining By PAULSTOUTENBURGH On the opposite side of our country in California, an important date is when the swallows come back to Capistrano. Here on the east end of Long Island, our important date is when the ospreys come back from their southern wintering grounds. Some we know stay in the southern United States as reported by our returning winter vacationers, yet others are more adventuresome, going far into South America. There along the many rivers and streams they feed on the fish of the area until that inner urge sends them northward once again to nest. You can pretty well expect to see ospreys when you hear that the flounders are starting to run. The osprey can be assured that when the flounders are out there will be an ample food supply for them. This, of course, means that the water temperature has risen high enough for the flounders, eels and most important the small killies and other small organisms. It is these small bait fish the flounders feed upon. We should all be familiar with the workings of a food chain which is in the forefront of much of our environmental discussion these days. The small organisms and decaying matter in the water feed the killies, who in turn are food for the flounder, who in turn are food for the osprey and, of course, also man. It's this chain, in one form or another, that's found throughout our natural world. Years ago when I was a kid, there was an osprey's nest just about everywhere you looked. Even inland, as far away as Riverhead, in old trees you could spot their bulky nests. Those were the times when the menhaden or bunkers filled our bays with huge dark masses as they ffoQ�� afl MOMTq swam open- mouthed through the nutrient -rich waters around our island. These fish lived on the tiny organisms that make up the "nutrient soup" of our bays and creeks. Because of their filter - feeding habit, they were never taken on hook and line. They were relentlessly tracked down by the great bunker boats whose huge nets were strung out around the schools and then drawn in and literally pumped aboard. It was shortly after World War II that these great masses of fish started to decline. Also at that time the world had thought it had found a miracle pesticide called DDT. It was used liberally almost everywhere, particularly in our marshes to kill mosquitoes. But like so many things that have not been thoroughly researched and had the test of time, it created a nightmare of problems. The DDT was picked up by those very same tiny micro - organisims in our creeks, passed on to the killies and then to the flounders and then to the ospreys, resulting in a marked decrease in egg shell thickness to such an extent that when the bird sat on her eggs to incubate they would crack and the embryo would be lost. Other more subtle problems arose, but this along with the decrease in the peregrine falcon because of DDT brought about nationwide changes and eventually the banning of DDT. With the Announcing the formation of our new Eastern European Travel Department... which can give you expert advice on POLAN Mrs. Helena Kotynski who speaks Polish and heads this department is well versed in all services and is in position to assist in: — All Travel Arrangements, Regular scheduled air, Charters, Sightseeing tours. Individual and groups. -- Group Bus tours, 1 -3 day trips for groups and individuals Sponsoring friends and relatives from Poland. — Sending food packages and other merchandise to Poland. — Sending packages of your own packing at 40c lb. Air Mail from $1.70 lb. — Visa and Passport applications. — Translation from English to Polish - Polish to English — Notary Public. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU. DZIEKUJE. *4 •''Ali II OPEN SATURDAYS Rte. 58 - Ostrander Avenue 369-1188 869 Old Country Rd., Riverhead OSPREY - -March 21 is the usual target date for these handsome birds to return from as far away as South America to nest in our area. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh result of that banning, today we find the ospreys slowly working out the effect of this silent destroyer. A Slow Comeback Slowly the ospreys are coming back but I venture to say they will never reach the numbers they were years ago when the bunkers schooled in our bays and our area was less developed. In those days, eastern Long Island and its offshore islands were the largest stronghold for ospreys on the eastern seaboard. Besides the lack of bunkers, the general area on the mainland of Long Island has changed vastly since the early days. Most of our creeks and bayfronts have homes along them -- with man's many activities. Even the big old trees that once were found housing the big nests year after year seem to be missing. That is why we are putting up osprey platforms in areas where man's activities are minimal -- out on marshes, sandspits and other unsettled spots. All the work and material for these osprey platforms are donated. This year we added a platform to Richmond's Creek and one in Corey Creek. Hopefully, some day there will be at least one osprey family in every creek. March 21 is the target date I've always associated with the return of the osprey, give or take a couple of days. Danny Latham and his daughter and Jim McLaughlin from Orient spotted the first one on the North Shore on March 20. Shortly after, Ralph Tuthill reported the pair back on Nature Conservancy's Husing Pond in Mattituck. Let's hope our weather will hold out so we get good production this year. Last year was a disaster because of the cold and rain. We lost almost all the young. The problem was the adult birds just could not keep the eggs or the young warm through the wet cold spell. Perhaps some good has come from the ospreys' unfortunate brush with DDT. Perhaps now we will look into man's activities and ventures with an eye not only on today but what is down the road, whether it be a pesticide, a new road or a new condominium. The long view must be considered. Only then will we be doing justice to the present generation and the generations to come. Community Calendar -- Who, What, Where and When IS YOUR BUSINESS RUNNING OUT OF STORAGE SPACE? PUT INVENTORIES, RECORDS AND EXTRA FURNITURE IN ONE OF OUR WESTHAMPTON SELF STORAGE UNITS SIZED, TO FIT YOUR NEEDS. 1600 CUBIC FT. STORE IT U -TAKE KEY 9x16 LARGER UNITS AVAILABLE • PERSONAL ITEMS •CAMPERS •PAR � V .� " NMI. CONTACT: EDW/N RsHEL Tucc /O 727_6644 313 West Main Street, Riverhead, N.Y. nom® (1 CONTACT: EDW/N RsHEL Tucc /O 727_6644 313 West Main Street, Riverhead, N.Y.