At 10:32 AM 5/29/96 -0700, Ed Shulz wrote:
>
>Last Saturday Mike Patrick and I did a quick search of the Everett
>waterfront to count the osprey nests that are active this season. We came
>up with 12 nests, most of which are visible from the overlook at Legion Park.
>Last year there were about 15.

In 1984, when the Department of Wildlife attempted a comprehensive,
statewide survey of osprey nests, there were no known nests on the Everett
waterfront. I think that there may have been two active nests in 1989 when
a 5-year follow-up survey was completed. The increase here is substantial.
Why are bald eagles and ospreys increasing in our region? Increases in
their prey are not readily apparent. The favorite explanations are:

1) It's a response to the ban on the sale of DDT.
2) It's a response to a decrease in shooting of predators.
3) It's a response to the combination of 1 and 2.

Kelly McAllister