Osprey are conspicuous birds and fun to watch, and recently, I enjoyed some time with this industrious returning pair. Osprey nests are amongst the largest bird nests known - with long established nests reaching 3-6 feet in diameter and up to 13 feet deep! They will typically reuse a nest site over many years, improving it with each season. The male returns well before the female, and will claim the nest site immediately. He is also almost solely responsible for building the nest, bringing materials for the female to accept or reject - and then she will use them to form and line the nest. The thickest material is placed on the bottom of the platform, with materials getting thinner and shorter as they go up. The top of the nest is a cup lined with fine nesting material that includes grasses, seaweed, moss, and pieces of plastic, cardboard, fabric, and other materials that the nesting pair considers adequate soft material to line the center area where eggs are laid.
This male returned repeatedly with bits of trash, including bait bags, fish nets, and even a fast food take out bag. Some of the presented items were accepted by the female and incorporated into the nest. Others, however, were rejected. If she didn't like something the male brought, she would wait until he went off for more, and then would toss it over the rim of the nest. The ground below was littered with a colorful array of trash, grasses, and broken bits of sticks.