OSPREY NESTS ON GARDINER'S ISLAND 



By William T. Davis 





THE osprey or fish hawk, which arrives in the vicinity of New York 

 about March 20, usually builds its huge nest in trees, as illustrated 

 in the group on the third floor of the American Museum near the 

 members' room. The nest is often placed in a wayside tree, some- 

 times close to a railroad where it is 

 always of interest to the traveler. 

 Not far back from the sea in parts 

 of New Jersey, a state in which 

 these birds have been protected by 

 law since 1900, osprey tree nests 

 stand like beacon lights along a 

 coast. 



That ospreys may build low 

 nests however is proved in that 

 Eden of theirs on (Gardiner's Island 

 near the eastern end of Long Is- 

 land, where is the largest osprey 

 colony within one hundred miles 

 of New York City. There one 

 ma3' see many nests on the groimfl 

 along the shore, on boulders in the 

 rolling fields, or high in trees 

 according to the usual habit. For 

 there are large trees on (lardiner's 

 Island, in fact a sufficient ninnber 

 in the almost original forest that 

 still stands on parts of the island, 

 so that all of the birds there could 

 easily Iniild in trees as they do on 

 the mainland of New Jersey, were 

 it necessary. 



These ground nests have been 

 brought about by the isolation of 

 the birds and the al)sence of ene- 

 mies that might destroy the eggs; 

 and they are therefore of unusual 

 interest as indicating a vohuitary 



change of habit correlated with v - v . 



new conditions in the environment. --^*^^*Xj^«" 



Csprey nest 

 on the beach 



On a rock 

 l;i the .sea 



O n t h 6 



ground with 

 no attemi;t at 

 nest builriinK 



115 



