March 2018Sanibel Island, Florida • www.ospreys.com

March 2018 - The International Osprey Foundation 1

Hurricane Irma in September 2017 took a toll on some osprey nests on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Florida, keeping Jim

Griffith, TIOF President, busy with repairing and

replacing damaged nesting platforms. Platform maintenance is ongoing even

without hurricanes. In March 2017 Griffith installed or repaired 6 nesting platforms.

TIOF Repairs Osprey Nests And Platforms Damaged By Hurricane Irma

TIOF Annual Meeting March 18 Features Noted Ornithologist Dr. Jerome Jackson

The Annual Meeting of The International

Osprey Foundation (TIOF) will take place on Sunday evening, March 18, and will feature Dr. Jerome J. Jackson, professor emeritus at Florida Gulf Coast University and Mississippi State University. Dr. Jackson is also an author and broadcaster.

He will discuss the wonders of fish-eating avians, including our magnificent osprey, other raptors and the swallow-tailed kite, which has nested on Sanibel in recent years.

The meeting takes place in the center room at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. The doors will open at 6 p.m. The program starts at 7 p.m. with a short business meeting and updates.

Admission to the annual meeting is free for TIOF member and $3 for non-members.

Up they go and Griffith adds some sticks to the platform to encourage some new occupants

Griffith chats with a crew from Lee County Electric Co-op helping him mount the platform on the pole

Jim Griffith constructing a new nest platform in his Sanibel garage

Osprey Chick Numbers ReboundSanibel ospreys produced 97 chicks in 2017,

up from 54 the previous year. The number is still well below the peak years of 2011 and

2012, when more then 120 ospreys fledged. Six groups of nest monitors checked 113

osprey nests and two eagle nests every two weeks January through April or May collecting data. This has been done by TIOF on Sanibel for more than 30 years.

continued on page 2

Dr. Jerome Jackson

March 2018 - The International Osprey Foundation2

Injured Osprey Receives Treatment At Wildlife Clinic

By Bob Petcher, The Island Sun, Sanibel

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a fish-eating raptor often found near water. It used to be classified with other hawks,

but now occupies a categorization by itself, although it is referred to as a sea hawk, river hawk or fish hawk around certain circles.

The osprey is often confused for an eagle when viewed from afar. Ospreys are actually smaller and lighter-bodied than the eagle. The bird of prey sports a white crown and throat with a distinctive dark brown stripe through its eyes like a mask. It has a sharply hooked black bill, and its body is slender carrying long, narrow wings and long legs. One can witness ospreys perched on the Sanibel Bridge when driving or biking across the spans. Their unique chirping, whistling calls can be heard overhead as they take flight or stand on their huge stick nests, channel markers or dead trees near or over water. Prior the early 1970s, ospreys faced serious endangerment due to the effects of DDT and pesticides. After the chemicals were banned in 1972, they have shown a strong comeback.

At CROW, an adult osprey was admitted to the clinic from Cape Coral last week. Clinic officials said the bird was found struggling

in the water of a canal. Upon examination during intake, crepitus – a grating sound or sensation produced by friction between bone and cartilage or the fractured parts of a bone – was noted in the bird’s right radius, indicating a possible fracture. X-rays confirmed a fracture.

“On physical exam, each wing is palpated for any evidence of swelling, wounds or instability in the bones. In this case, the site of the tissue had palpable soft tissue swelling, and the bone in that area was unstable (and) freely movable. A subtle grating sound can be heard when the two fractured bone fragments move against each other,” said Dr. Robin Bast, CROW veterinary intern. “The diagnosis was confirmed with radiographs.” The patient was given and pain medication and then placed in a figure 8 wrap to immobilize the wing.

Dr. Bast explained the differences between the wrap utilized and a body wrap. “Both are types of wraps used to temporarily immobilize parts of the wing to aid in healing,” she said. “A body wrap is used to stabilize the entire wing, such as for humerus fractures or shoulder girdle injuries, whereas a figure 8 wrap is used to stabilize the distal wing, (for) fractures involving the radius/ulna or metacarpals. As fractures of

the distal wing begin to heal, the figure 8 wrap can be changed to a body wrap to help prevent contracture of the soft tissues which, if occurs, would result in decreased range of motion.” During last weekend, the patient received a switch in wraps. Dr. Bast stated the body wrap will be on for three weeks. It is being removed every three days so physical therapy can be performed. “Radiographs will be taken weekly to assess if the bone remains well-aligned and healing appropriately,” said Dr. Bast. “If we become concerned it is not healing appropriately, then surgery may be indicated at that time. After three weeks in a body wrap, it will be removed, and the patient will remain inside the hospital for one week strict cage rest and then be moved outside to an extended care enclosure for more physical therapy and flight strength training, as muscles can atrophy from disuse.”

CROW medical personnel are monitoring the situation closely. “The patient is doing well over the weekend,” Dr. Bast added. “It tolerates physical therapy sessions well and has started to eat fish on its own.”

CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc.) is a non-profit wildlife hospital providing veterinary care for native and migratory wildlife from our local area. The hospital accepts patients seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mail donations to P.O. Box 150, Sanibel, FL 33957. Call 472-3644 or visit crowclinic.org.

Credit: photo and article, The Island Sun, Sanibel

The injured osprey during treatment at CROW in October 2017.Photo by Brian Bohlman

Osprey and chick in nest, drawing by Alessandro Troisi, Italy

2017 Nest Watch ResultsSanibel

Fort Myers Beach

201138

201224

201348

201434

201537

200879

2009104

2010100

2011122

201654

201572

2012125

201462

201397

201632

201797

2017N/A

March 2018 - The International Osprey Foundation 3

Anyone Recognize This Band?submitted by Jack Spruill,

TIOF member

At our home, outside Wilmington, NC, for over three hours mid-

day, four of us have been treated to watching the only banded osprey we have ever seen. It came to a dead oak in our yard with a relatively large sea mullet/Virginia mullet which was still alive when it landed.

After a few minutes of watching the osprey with the flopping fish, I realized that it was banded. We watched from about 75 yards away with a spotting scope mostly set on 60 X.

I am relatively certain it is a mature male. Since we regularly watch our “local” nesting osprey and have never seen a banded one, we assume this is a migratory bird.

The band is a relatively heavy weight and seems to be aluminium. It is a crimped band on its right leg.

This is how much of the band we have been able to read: Beginning at the crimp and reading left to right it is 1088. I haven’t been able to see the next series of numbers of letters. The last number or letter in the string before the crimp at the right is an 8 or a B. During all of our watching, the osprey has been facing into the fresh breeze and has not changed its footing much to allow us better views of the band.

Above the numbers 1088 and in smaller font is the word, Call. We assume a phone number follows that word, but we cannot read any number.

Could you possibly help connect us with anyone who may have any information about this banding?

The bird finally finished its fish, cleaned its beak, rested and flew at about 1:30. We will keep watching for additional viewing of this bird and will share anything else we observe.

Send any info me at spruill544@gmail.com.

Banded osprey.

2017 Research Grants Total $7,000The TIOF board voted unanimously to approve

four internationally-focused research grants in 2017 for a total of $7,000:

Avian Research and Conservation Institute — Re-establishing Magnificent Frigatebird Breeding Colonies in the Florida Keys — $2,000

Alan Poole, internationally renowned osprey authority — Publication costs for a new book to be paid through his 501(c)3 — $2,000

Fundacion Migres — Supporting Measures

for Re-introduction of Osprey in Spain — $1,500Ghana Wildlife Society — Research on the

Current Population of Ospreys on and along the Volta Lake, Ghana — $1,500.

News From CaliforniaCharlotte Harbeson of Bishop, California, a

TIOF member, reports 11 successful nests with 22 banded fledglings in 2017. She

said ospreys have been nesting around Mono Lake since the early 1990s.

PRESIDENT - Jim GriffithVICE PRESIDENT & NEWSLETTER EDITOR - Anne MitchellTREASURER - Susan TuckerSECRETARY - Carol GestwickiVOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - Debbie FriedlundBOARD MEMBER - Inge Glissman

*John and Martha Wolf, Sanibel - $500*Peter Koury, Captiva - $1,000

*Ann and Kent Nelson, Sanibel - $500Mr. and Mrs. Porter Goss Dr. Eugene Majerowicz

Harvey Rothstein Charles Rubright

Jim Fowler, San-Cap Nature Calendar Ms. Margaret Smith

Mrs. Carmen Sanchez Mr. and Mrs. William Alquist

Dwight Anderson Mr. and Mrs. David Ladd

James and Martha Kannry Robert and Rita Southern

RJW Foundation Brenda and Sam Tischler

Don Scott Tim and Carol Gardner

David Loveland Dick Preservati

Dr. Jorge and Sofija Galante Nancy Clark

Dianna Andrews Jim Griffith

John Dubuque Gary Pokrant

Judy Samelson Bill Schawpol

LIFE MEMBERS(DONATION OF $500 OR MORE)

* DENOTES NEW MEMBERS

TIOF BOARD

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