June 6, 2016 – As the number of Osprey nests continues to increase throughout all parts of the state, the Connecticut Audubon Society is in serious need of more volunteers to monitor nests and has put out a call for new participants in its Osprey Nation citizen science program.
"We don't want to fall behind on the amount of information we are collecting through this valuable program," said Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon's senior director of science and conservation. "Ospreys eat only fish and therefore are excellent indicators of environmental health, so we need good data to keep track of how these birds are doing."
The 2016 Osprey Nation map pinpoints 575 nest locations, up from 515 last year; 293 of those are being monitored and at least 42 are inactive.
That means as many as 240 active nests are not being monitored. Those nests are spread throughout the state, in large concentrations in the towns along the lower Connecticut River, and the shore of Long Island Sound from Milford to Westbrook, as well as Groton, Norwalk and Greenwich; and even in isolated inland locations in Canterbury, Thompson, Plainfield, and Brooklyn.
To volunteer or to learn more, email osprey@ctaudubon.org.
