New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff
Spotted an osprey on the Suncook River last evening. Nest?
Saturday 07/24/2004
I took a nice long hike into part of Bear Brook State Park just before sunset last evening with Rick Hamlett. I have been wanting to get down there for a look at the two controlled burns the state's "burn team" did this May. Even though it is just over a mile from my house I haven't taken the time to walk through the burn to see what was regrowing. I have biked by it but I really wanted to study it in more detail. That was my main goal last evening.
The hard rain of the night before into the morning had pretty much erased any tracks. We didn't even see any fresh deer tracks. I had hoped to see turkey tracks, coyote or fox or try to figure out something.
It was the smells of last evening that really drew my attention, especially with the lack of other "sign". BY dark the air was heavy with moisture and scents. I waked by a stub and wafted the pungent odor of mushrooms. I confirmed their presence when I touched the tree and it shredded in my fingers. Fungus was devouring it from the inside out and was not visible. Just scentable.
We walked along the edge of the Suncook River right at the Alllenstown/Epsom town line. We stood at the rivers edge no more than a couple of minutes when an adult osprey flew by mid river carrying a large cylindrical fish and called as it passed. This had me immediately wondering if there might not be a nest upriver from here. Rick lives less than a half mile upriver and the osprey has not been going by there. If there is a nest then it is somewhere near. I'll do some checking soon on this with a canoe or kayak paddle on the river. If it wasn't taking this fish to a nest then I would have though it would catch it and eat it right off. This one clearly had a destination on it's mind when it went by.
There is a record number of osprey nests in NH this year. 50 I think. Could there be 51? I'm eager to check.
I do head to Canada this Saturday morning for a week of fishing. I'm not sure I'll be able to file a note from there. If not count on an update on August 9th.
