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March 24, 1977 - Ospreys ReturnMarch 24, 1977 focus on nature by Paul Stoutenburgh Ospreys Return On Sunday, March 20, Joyce and Orville Terry were erecting a new nesting platform when they heard their first osprey of the year. Both male and female returned to their nest Sunday morning. After probably spending the winter in Florida, these great birds move up the coast with the spring. Last year they were first seen atop Roy Latham's water tower. This year another pair visited Orville Terry's farm first. Ospreys, who mate for life, come back to the same nest each year. Last year this pair had the best reproduction of any osprey on the east end. Four young were reared successfully but we may not see any of these offspring for at least two or three years. The young never snow up the first year. This large brood is the most encouraging sign with respect to the future of our osprey population. We all know the problem this bird has had with its battle against pesticides and it now looks as if that battle might be swinging in the osprey's favor. Larger clutches and thicker shells are good signs that they are gaining. Orville Terry has done much to en- courage these birds by putting up solid nesting sites at both ends of his farm. "Hard work but well worth the effort," Orville said as we watched the new arrivals. These special nesting sites must be rugged to withstand the huge heavy nests that are built on them. Tin is usually put around the pole to prevent raccoons from climbing up and helping themselves to a dinner of eggs. All these features must be built into the sites or disaster could come at the critical times of hatching and rearing. This, by the way, was one of our big losses last year when the hurricane struck as the birds were ready to leave the nest. Many nests went down and so the special help the ospreys get from people like the late Elisha Haberman and now Orville Terry and his wife is much appreciated not only by the bird but by all of us who enjoy the graceful and stately flight of the osprey. OSPREYS RETURN TO THE NORTH FORK ... Joyce and Orville Terry of Orient were erecting a new nesting site on Sunday when they heard their first osprey of the year rather than saw this one photographed by Paul Stoutenburgh last vear.