It's that time of the year, the long wait is over and the Osprey babies have shown themselves! A few of our local nests have been very productive, in fact two of the nests in the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve had three fledglings in 2017, that's 100% success in a pretty harsh environment.
There are so many challenges for these babies to make it out of the nest, juvenile Bald Eagles have been out and about for a few weeks now, and they sometimes prey on Osprey babies.
The most important thing for all boaters and jet ski operators to practice is to maintain at least 100 feet from these nests, that is a Florida Sate law. If the parents feel threatened they me leaver the nest and abandon the defenseless babies leaving them to be an easy target for avian predators like Bald Eagles.
Don't forget to give these beautiful birds the respect they deserve, 100 feet sounds like a lot, but in reality you can see the babies just fine without getting too close. Remember, we are not active law enforcement officers, but we can offer suggestions to boaters and jet ski operators on how to view these nests in an ethical manor, and continue to teach our visitors how important it is that we all follow the guidelines from FWC.
Have a great day everyone - see you on the water!!
