Another Successful Osprey Breeding Season

Annie and Squam, the stars of Greenbelt’s OspreyCam since 2018, wrapped up another successful breeding season late this summer atop their nest on a wooden platform in the salt marsh behind Lobsta Land Restaurant in Gloucester. This year, the pair laid three eggs in April, two of which hatched in June. The chicks, affectionately named Kate and Ed in honor of former Greenbelt presidents Kate Bowditch and Ed Becker, were banded in July and grew into thriving fledglings by August. Matriarch Annie departed for warmer climates in August, leaving Squam to watch over the fledglings until he followed her in early September. Kate and Ed were last seen at the nest on September 8. All four Ospreys are now migrating south independently, potentially as far as South America.

“This was a fairly typical year for the Osprey Program, with no major changes or new trends,” says Dave Rimmer, who directs the program. A total of 92 breeding pairs were documented north of Boston — up from 90 last year — producing 115 fledglings overall. More than 40 dedicated volunteer citizen scientists submitted over 2,000 online reports on Osprey activity. In addition, three new nesting platforms were installed to further support the population’s growth.

Once an endangered species across North America, Ospreys have made a remarkable comeback over the last half century, particularly in Essex County over the past 15 years, thanks in part to conservation efforts like Greenbelt’s Osprey Program.

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