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Heeeeeeeere’s Carson (Rachel)!

Spring time is right around the corner (or so I hope) and with the change comes migrating birds of course!

One of my favorite sites is a female osprey tending her nest on an uplifted platform.

Each time I see one I am so grateful for Rachel Carson who had the courage and gumption to write Silent Spring. The book was published in 1962 as the launching pad for the environmental movement. The subject matter was the basis to ban the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, in 1972. Ms. Carson was able to link DDT to a decrease in the thickness of the eggs of large birds of prey, such as the bald eagle and osprey. This led to very few bald eagles and ospreys being born.

Although, sometimes I feel a lot of distress being an environmentalist one major success is the increase in numbers of mating pairs of ospreys since the ban on DDT. I am proud to say that prior the the ban there was fewer than 8,000 pairs and almost thirty years there are approximately 16,000 pairs. This is yet, another reason to say “Go Ospreys!” other than the fact that they are my college mascot.

Image (c) Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Comments

  1. >>One of my favorite sites is a female osprey tending her nest on an uplifted platform.<<

    Me too. I shot this a few days ago. Hi from Atlanta.

  2. WE have a new nest that is very close to our lake front home! WE are all excited and have the telescope set up to watch the beauties. but there are no eggs yet. They mate and have been nesting for several weeks but when they are on they nest they don’t settle down. Is this normal for first timers?

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