[SEMCO] The Lives of Ospreys--A Satellite's-eye View

[Charles Gerrior]

The Lives of Ospreys--a Satellite's-eye View

On Thursday, May 6th at 7:00pm, Rob Bierregaard, an east coast osprey
expert, will be at Westport Public Library to share his experiences tracking
these birds in Westport and around the globe. Satellite telemetry has opened
a fascinating window into the lives of many species of birds--Ospreys
included. This new technology enables us to study migration routes and
timing as never before, as well as insights into how Ospreys learn their
migration routes and where they are most vulnerable on their 6, 000+ mile
round-trip between the breeding grounds and their winter hide-outs. The
recent upgrade of the technology to include GPS accuracy now enables us to
follow the Ospreys' hunting behavior and reveals the not-too-surprising fact
that each Osprey fisherman has his favorite fishing holes.  Mr. Bierregaard
led a team to install these transmitters on three Osprey from the Westport
River and Allens Pond area last May and will be installing two of those
transmitters on new male adults this May.  He will discuss what we have
learned from the travels of these local birds.  This event is cosponsored by
Mass Audubon's Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary and the Westport River
Watershed Alliance. This is a free event. Location: Westport Public Library,
408 Old County Rd., Westport, MA 02790. For more information visit:
www.westportosprey.org.