The ospreys have returned to Sandy Run Park in Kitty Hawk. That may not have quite the panache of the Swallows of Capistrano, but for those of us who live here, it’s a wonderful and reassuring sight.
Last year seemed like a tough year for the osprey couple. There’s good reason to believe the female laid eggs, but we never did see any fledgling osprey taking flight as we did in 2021.
It’s almost impossible to say what happened. Predation is certainly a problem. There are a lot of raccoons living at Sandy Run Park. Osprey can fight off a lot of animals—they even stand a reasonable chance against an eagle. But a raccoon? It’s doubtful if they could stop a determined raccoon from either stealing eggs or even a chick.
There are other possibilities as well. Disease, diet, accident. Whatever the case may have been, there were no baby ospreys last year.
The ospreys are just one sign of spring. Of course the weather has not been very springlike, but if the forecast is to be believed, there is a springlike warming trend in the offing.
Whatever we may think of the temperatures, the trees seem intent on treating the change of seasons like any other. Dogwood is beginning to bloom, buds are appearing on tress, and there are flowers everywhere in the forests.
It’s an interesting time of the year. A lot of the wintering birds are still here. The yellow-rumped warbler is everywhere. It’s a small member of the warbler family but in a few weeks or maybe a month, they’ll be off on a 1000 mile or so journey to northern breeding areas.
The seasonal transitions on the Outer Banks are fascinating times. Come and see what life is like as winter gives way to spring. Reserve your Brindley Beach Vacations home today.