Osprey Platform

Osprey nest; photo by Micah Bochart

Mid-March of each year brings the return of the Osprey, a fish-eating hawk that thrives in Jamaica Bay's wetlands. Here, with the marsh as a happy medium between water and land, they can fish while staying close to their nest, which they build themselves and return to each year. The Osprey was one of the many bird populations that was devastated by the use of DDT, a pesticide that caused birds to lay thin-shelled eggs that broke during incubation. However, when DDT was banned in 1972, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was one of the first places in New York City to witness the return of nesting ospreys. For decades, an Osprey sighting was a rare and joyous occasion; today, they are one of spring's most reliable marvels and serve as a reminder of nature's resiliency.