Hi Tweets.
When I was visiting a neighborhood forested marsh/small lake on Orcas
Island last Thursday (Feb 9), where I am keeping track of of wintering
trumpeters, I saw a large raptor circle around several times, checking
out the marsh. I cannot imagine what it could have been except an
osprey, tho I didn't have my binoculars and was looking into the
(unaccustomed!) sun, and therefore didn't see definitive markings. By
size, flying style, wing shape, color of back/dorsal surface of wings
it was an osprey. I was amazed and a bit suspicious of my
identification--it seems much too early in the year.
The checklist in Lewis and Sharpe's Birding in the San Juan Islands
shows ospreys arriving by the beginning of April, with only a small
number arriving mid-March.
Is anyone else seeing ospreys back in their breeding areas?
Thanks,
Alice Swan
Orcas Island
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