2006 NH Breeding Results
Hello osprey-watching volunteers -
Final numbers are in, and despite some wet weather challenges during the months of May and June, the 2006 osprey breeding season in New Hampshire has turned out to be quite successful and nearly a repeat of the record-breaking year we experienced in 2005!
In my estimation, the most encouraging statistic is that 2006 was the second consecutive year that we tallied 50 or more territorial pairs of ospreys present across the Granite State. For some historical perspective, we first had 10 territorial pairs in 1981, 20+ territorial pairs in 1989, 30+ territorial pairs in 1994, and 40+ territorial pairs in 2003. Twenty years ago, all of our osprey pairs were located in the Androscoggin River watershed, but now breeding pairs are broadly distributed across four of state's five major watersheds (Androscoggin, Connecticut, Great Bay/Seacoast, and Merrimack). If current trends continue, it appears increasingly likely that ospreys may be among the first (if not THE first) species removed from the NH List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife by virtue of their population recovery. Now that would be something to celebrate!
In 2006, New Hampshire's state-listed threatened osprey population established new post-DDT era record high levels in the following categories:
Number of territorial pairs (54)
Number of active nests (45)
Total number of young produced (62), which matched the 2005 record high
With 32 successful nests statewide, we missed equalling 2005's record of 33 successful nests by just one nest.
Failure of incubating pairs to hatch eggs and losses of already hatched chicks later in the breeding season both were factors that held down the average number of young fledged per active nest (1.38 young/active nest) and per successful nest (1.94 young/successful nest). On the up side, the total output of young ospreys in the Merrimack River watershed increased by nearly 50% in 2006 (22 in 2006 compared with 15 in 2005). On the down side, the Great Bay/Seacoast area experienced its poorest average reproductive success since 1999 (1.1 young/active nest in 2006). A complete accounting of the 2006 osprey breeding season, watershed by watershed, is included below.
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 NH Audubon. Currently, this work is carried out by NH Audubon under a monitoring and conservation planning contract with the NH Fish & Game Department. Prior to this, from 2000-2004, this work was supported financially by Public Service of New Hampshire through 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, a number of private landowners, and many citizen volunteers.
The image files attached to this message are all photos taken during the 2006 osprey breeding season by employees of the various electric utilities with whom we work frequently. The Landing Road nest in Hampton, owned by Unitil, was modified with insulation in 2005 to prevent power interruptions while safeguarding the birds. The Rte 110-A platform in Dummer, owned by Brookfield Power, was erected in May 2006 to get the birds off the adjacent electrified pole. The Ayers Island Dam platform, owned by PSNH, was modified in 2004 to get the birds off the superstructure of the dam, and a live video cam internet link became operational in 2006 (click on https://www.psnh.com/Osprey/default.asp#news ).
In addition, the Great Bay Osprey Stewards (GBOS) web site, actively maintained on a volunteer basis by Dick Hughes, continues to have extensive photos and detailed information about ospreys at Great Bay, statewide, and beyond. Visit the GBOS web site, by clicking on http://ourworld-top.cs.com/projosprstewards/ .
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NH Osprey breeding population season totals for 2006:
82 known nest structures (used or unused); NH record is 87 in 2005
54 territorial pairs (may maintain >1 nest); previous NH record was 50 in 2005
60 occupied nests (at least one osprey regularly present); previous NH record was 54 in 2005
45 active nests (incubation behavior noted); previous NH record was 43 in 2005
62 young fledged; ties previous NH record set in 2005
Of NH's 45 active nests, 6 (13%) fledged 3 young, 18 (40%) fledged 2 young, 8 (18%) fledged 1 young, and 13 (29%) failed to fledge any young.
Broken down by watershed, the numbers were as follows:
Androscoggin River: 30 known structures, 20 territorial pairs, 25 occupied nests, 14 active nests, 9 successful nests, 17 young fledged, 64% success rate for active nests, 1.21 young/active nest
Connecticut River: 11 known structures, 8 territorial pairs, 8 occupied nests, 8 active nests, 6 successful nests, 12 young fledged, 75% success rate for active nests, 1.50 young/active nest
Great Bay/Seacoast area: 21 known structures, 12 territorial pairs, 12 occupied nests, 10 active nests, 6 successful nests, 11 young fledged, 60% success rate for active nests, 1.10 young/active nest
Merrimack River: 20 known structures, 14 territorial pairs, 15 occupied nests, 13 active nests, 11 successful nests, 22 young fledged, 85% success rate for active nests, 1.69 young/active nest
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Thank you all for your continued support and interest in osprey monitoring and management in NH!
- Chris