2004 NH Breeding Status
To: Natural resource managers, landowners, other cooperators, and volunteer monitors of breeding Ospreys in New Hampshire
Subject: 2004 New Hampshire Osprey Breeding Season Final Update
From: Chris Martin, Senior Biologist, Audubon Society of New Hampshire
Date: August 17, 2004
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The following is a summary of the final results of the 2004 osprey breeding season in NH. Ospreys continued their dramatic population rebound and the 2004 breeding season turned out to be just as good as last year's record-setting year. New record highs were set in 2004 for number of active nests and number of successful nests. Nesting pairs are now distributed broadly across four of five major New Hampshire watersheds, with the Merrimack River watershed leading the way (for the first time) with them most fledglings, followed by the Great Bay/Seacoast area, the Androscoggin River, and the Connecticut River.
NH Osprey breeding season totals in 2004:
Known nest structures (used or unused) = 72
Occupied nests (at least one osprey present) = 42 (NH record high is 44 set in 2003)
Active nests (incubation) = 34 (new NH high, previous high was 30 set in 2003)
Successful nests = 26 (new NH high, previous high was 23 set in 2003)
Young fledged = 53 (NH record high was 54 set in 2003)
Broken down by watershed, the numbers are as follows:
Androscoggin River had 12 active nests, 7 successful nests, 14 young fledged
Connecticut River had 5 active nests, 4 successful nests, 8 young fledged
Great Bay/Seacoast area had 9 active nests, 8 successful nests, 14 young fledged
Merrimack River had 8 active nests, 7 successful nests, 17 young fledged
New Hampshire's breeding osprey population is monitored and managed through a long-standing partnership involving the staff and volunteers for the NH Fish & Game Department's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program and from the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. For the past five years, Public Service of New Hampshire has played a key role by actively participated in these efforts and by funding PROJECT OSPREY. Other cooperators include the NH Fish & Game Department's Sandy Point Discovery Center, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the New Hampshire Division of Parks, BioDiversity Research Institute, a number of private landowners, and others.
Thank you all for your continued support and interest in monitoring and management of this NH state-listed threatened species!
-- Chris Martin, NH Audubon 603/224-9909, x317 cmartin@nhaudubon.org