Ayers Island Osprey Doing Just Fine

Three osprey chicks were hatched and are being raised at the nest adjacent to the PSNH Ayers Island hydroelectric facility. The birds can be viewed on a streaming web camera.

This season marks the ninth year we’ve been watching the ospreys at Ayers Island. They first arrived in 2004 and, after getting settled in the first year, successfully raised the first two Ayers Island ospreys in 2005. Since then, a total of 16 ospreys have been born, making it one of the most productive nests in the Lakes Region.

According to Iain MacLeod, executive director of the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, all three chicks have successfully “fledged,” meaning they have successfully flown from the nest, testing their wings. This summer MacLeod hopes to tag all three of the Ayers chicks, as well as another chick at a separate nest, with equipment that allows researchers to track the birds’ migration and return.

“It’s been a great year so far—very successful,” says MacLeod. “We’ll try to deploy four transmitters by tagging the chicks. If successful, we’ll be able to follow the birds on their migrations.”

Typically, the birds will migrate south in late August or September, with the adults returning next spring to produce another family.

PSNH has worked for years with and MacLeod of Science Center, with NH Audubon, as well as staff of the NH Fish and Game department in support of efforts to increase New Hampshire’s osprey population.

For more on Project Osprey Track, check out this video from last year's tagging: