FREEPORT

Wolfe’s Neck State Park is without osprey chicks, after an apparent attack on the birds by a bald eagle.

Ospreys contend with predators including raccoons, along with other birds of prey such as great horned owls and eagle.

At the beginning of the season, when the first male and female arrived in Freeport capping of their annual migration, “the male looked very bedraggled,” Park Manager Andy Hutchinson said.

“He was probably getting pretty old and just didn’t make it, we think. Soon after the migration he disappeared. We think he probably passed and they had already mated and laid eggs, so without both of them it didn’t work,” Hutchinson said.

The new mate that the mother took was much younger, but could not provide enough fish for her while she protected the eggs. The pair still lives on Googins Island, but do not have any chicks.

A short walk from the park’s parking lot is the second primary nest in the park. This nest was far more successful until last week.

Two chicks had hatched, and in eight weeks were beginning to grow larger feathers that would allow them to learn how to fly.

“ Unfortunately bald eagles know that, and know that the young osprey haven’t fledged yet and they go around to different areas and different birds that are vulnerable, and they came to this osprey nest … and we think they got one of the juveniles before we knew anything about it,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson said a park visitor saw “some weird things going on at the osprey nest.”

“ They saw two ospreys and a bald eagle entangled with each other,” said Hutchinson.

Rangers are almost positive a bald eagle attacked the nest and took one of the chicks away, confirming so after finding the remains. The eagle continued to come back to be confronted by the mother, who scared the eagle enough to drop the remaining chick onto a tree a few hundred feet away, later to be found and rescued by Hutchinson.

After contacting Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation center, the park “made the tough decision” to bring it to the center to be raised and released during migration season at full health to insure no risk of another attack, said Hutchinson.

“We have an empty nest right now, but that doesn’t mean they’re not around. There is the one in the marsh and there is the one on Googins Island, that’s the one that’s been here the longest. It’s been here for as long as people can remember, and that’s where we have been doing osprey watches for over 30 years here.” said Hutchinson.

The third known nest is on the Harraseeket River and is going to be inspected for use. Future osprey watches may be hosted there.

The osprey is an adaptable bird with a six- foot wingspan and a diet of primarily fish. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are found on both inland waters and along the coast. On Maine’s coastline osprey are returning earlier than they used to due to climate change. They are coming back in late March or early April which is two weeks earlier than what was tracked 30 years ago.

“ Now we are without baby ospreys in the park, but at least that one will have a chance to survive, get to South America and then make its way back to this area to find a nest. We gave it its best chance that way. Regardless, we will still continue doing osprey watches every Tuesday into August,” said Hutchinson.

After two months of flight from South America, osprey mates retire to the same Maine nests each year. Numerous osprey nests stretch across the rocky coast of Casco Bay. Three are known to be located on the 245 acres of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park property.

The osprey return is almost trackable to an exact date, according to Hutchinson.

The birds arrive in May and stay around the area fishing and raising their young through end of August.

Hutchinson has been employed at the park for more than 30 years and has become avid viewer and caretaker of the osprey. He has seen many hardships come of these birds but seen them get through them and return the next spring.

Historically, osprey of Maine have been subject to hunting, put at extreme risk due to pesticide DDT exposure causing thinning of egg shells and sharply reduced numbers by shoreline deterioration. After the 10 years that osprey needed to recover from DDT pollution the numbers of osprey began to look up and they were removed from the endangered species list.

“ Their numbers are actually doing quite well now” said Hutchinson, “they’re actually a species of least concern now, that’s their designation with Fish and Wildlife be cause they’re doing so well they don’t even count them.”