In the upper Tidal Potomac, early March means the return of hundreds of ospreys to their seasonal nesting sites. Today, the osprey platform at Belle Haven Marina, bustling with the activity of two surviving fledglings last year, is still empty, save for some leftover debris from last year's nest.
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A sure sign of spring in the DC area: the male osprey has returned to the Belle Haven Marina nesting platform! In the short time I spent there today, I never saw him actually go to the nest, but he defended his territory and used his favorite hangout trees around the parking lot. The osprey's return to this particular nest is more than a week earlier than last year.
Now we wait for a mate...
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Our osprey comes home with a pretty large fish. Unfortunately, it got the attention of a passing bald eagle, and he never got to enjoy his meal.
Tags: alexandria virginia fairfax county belle haven marina potomac river george washington memorial parkway national park service nps nature birds osprey Pandion haliaetus bird of prey raptor dcist
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An eagle decides to chase our osprey for his fish, which he dropped into the river. The eagle bully swooped down and picked up the fish, prompting the osprey to give chase. Unfortunately, he came back to his territory empty-handed.
Along the Tidal Potomac, both the eagle and osprey populations continue to grow...and confrontations between the two species may increase as well.
Tags: alexandria virginia fairfax county belle haven marina potomac river george washington memorial parkway national park service nps nature birds osprey Pandion haliaetus bird of prey bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus raptor dcist
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The still mate-less osprey drops a stick off on his nest. Unlike last year, the nest already had some leftover sticks and gunk in it, so the ospreys have a head start to building their nursery this time around.
Tags: alexandria virginia fairfax county belle haven marina potomac river george washington memorial parkway national park service nps nature birds osprey Pandion haliaetus bird of prey raptor nest dcist
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