OspreyTrak launched in the spring of 2013 when CCB tagged 3 adult male Osprey in Southeastern Virginia. We tagged 1 Osprey on the James River associated with the VCU Rice Center and 2 Osprey on the Lynnhaven River in collaboration with the Virginia Aquarium.  To find out more about our program objectives, please visit the OspreyTrak project page.

RICE

Rice the Osprey was fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter on the James River, Virginia.

The male at the Rice osprey nest was caught and tagged on April 16 2013. He wears a purple band on his left leg with the letters XK. His mate was banded in 2011 at this same nest and wears the purple band DC. The nest is located on an old dock piling adjacent to the Rock Tenn paper mill approximately 5km upstream from the VCU Rice Center. Live tracking maps at wildlifetracking.org.

Breeding territory for the Rice osprey nest in 2013.

JETT

Adult male Osprey nicknamed “Jett”. Photo by Reese Lukei, Jr.

Jett is an adult male who was trapped with his mate on the Lynnhaven River near Virginia Beach, VA in March 2013. He was banded with a purple band XZ. Jett foraged mainly off the shoreline of Fort Story and also within the Lynnhaven River. Jett and his mate raised 1 young to fledging age. The chick was attacked by a Bald Eagle while standing in the nest and died of its injuries. Jett foraged on the Lynnhaven and the ocean front of Virginia Beach with one exploratory trip to the Eastern Shore. Live tracking maps at wildlifetracking.org.

Breeding home range for the Jett osprey in 2013.

THURSTON

Osprey nicknamed “Thurston”. Photo by Libby Mojica.

This male nested on a channel marker on the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven River near Thurston Point. The male is banded with a purple band with the characters 45 over A. The female is banded with 44 over A. The nest was documented with eggs in April 2013 when we caught both adults. Within a few weeks the nest failed, likely because of repeated disturbance from recreational water skiiers who were photographed repeatedly circling the nest. The adults maintained their breeding territory throughout the spring and summer but did not attempt to breed again in 2013. Thurston foraged on the Lynnhaven River, Broad Bay, and in the ocean off of Fort Story. Live tracking maps at wildlifetracking.org.

2013 Home range for the adult male at the Thurston nest.