The fish are Menhaden. I believe the problem is overfishing for use as fish
meal and or fish oil.
Judy Sinn
On Thu, Dec 18, 2025, 3:49 PM Grove, Gregory William <gwg2...> wrote:
> I read that on one part of the Delmarva, Osprey nests were mostly failing
> coincident with a big decrease in a species of fish (the name escapes me at
> the moment) that the adults depend on heavily to feed nestlings.
>
> Altho obviously mostly circumstantial, it's easy to imagine the Bald Eagle
> explosion is a factor.
>
> The Osprey decrease is apparent at other watches in PA. Numbers at Hawk Mt
> in recent years are roughly 50% of numbers 15+ years ago.
>
>
> Greg Grove
> eBird reviewer: Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin
> PBA Ridge and Valley Coordinator
> Stone Mt. Hawk Watch, Winter Raptor Survey
> Huntingdon, PA.
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Gyekis, Joseph Peter <jpg186...>
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:03 PM
> *To:* <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>; Grove, Gregory
> William <gwg2...>
> *Subject:* cancel Arb owl walk and Re: Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Two things, first the owl walk at the Arboretum for 6 pm on Friday is
> cancelled due to predicted 20 mph winds.
>
> Second, thanks Greg for the interesting summary.
>
> The Osprey decline is interesting. It's quite patchy on the eBird trends
> map.
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.ebird.org%2Fen%2Fstatus-and-trends%2Fspecies%2Fosprey%2Ftrends-map&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C24de56a86d6a4296361708de3e78c06b%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639016885576836744%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MuQWl6lIAxlUqVYfW6a%2FSO4Uw%2BfzXAUvClvYOhEK6RY%3D&reserved=0 > <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.ebird.org%2Fen%2Fstatus-and-trends%2Fspecies%2Fosprey%2Ftrends-map&data=05%7C02%<7CSCBIRDCL...>%7C24de56a86d6a4296361708de3e78c06b%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C639016885576872874%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rtZltRuYm7mUmjuqwmD7WHDUIRYk%2FLk0G6f6KnB31KQ%3D&reserved=0> >
> My experience in Cape Cod and the Everglades lines up with the strong
> increases shown there (they were super abundant, nests everywhere), and
> I've heard from locals in Maryland about the severe decline of nesting
> Osprey in the Chesapeake (how much this has to do with the absurd density
> of Bald Eagles there, I don't know, but there were very few eagles in Cape
> Cod where the Osprey were shining).
>
> The thing I hadn't known about and am not sure if the data is dense enough
> to verify is the downward trend in Osprey in the Canadian interior (note
> the pale red wash across Ontario and Quebec in the link above). I wonder
> why. Again I wonder if Bald Eagles have anything to do with it.
>
> Joe
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf
> of Grove, Gregory William <gwg2...>
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 18, 2025 12:32 PM
> *To:* <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
> *Subject:* Stone Mt Hawk Watch summary 2025
>
> *2025 season Stone Mt summary : *Records since 1995.
>
> Stone Mt. is on the Huntingdon/Mifflin border, between McAlevys Fort and
> Allensville.
>
>
> 2025:*The Good*: Another big year for *Bald Eagles. *Above avg. (over 31
> years) for *Broad-wings and Golden Eagles*.
>
> A *Swainson's Hawk* - seen two days:Oct 14 (Nick Bolgiano, Pedro Miranda)
> and Oct 15 (Jen Lee, Connor Schmitt)
>
>
> *The Bad*: Record Low #s for FIVE species despite above avg. coverage.
> Considering 31 years of data, five record lows is astounding IMO. I blame
> some of it on frequent unfavorable wind, but one must wonder about
> declining numbers, for Osprey and Kestrel in particular.
>
> Osprey, Sharp-shins, Cooper's*, *Red-shoulders,, Kestrels. - record lows
>
>
> *Averages below are TEN-YEAR RUNNING average*
>
>
> *Hours of observation – 479; avg = 485*
>
>
> *Osprey* – 30; avg = 50 Record low
>
> Best day - 5 Aug 29
>
>
>
> *Bald Eagle* –294; Avg = 217 Second highest
>
> High day 19 on 9/7
>
> By month: Aug - 14, Sept - 78, Oct - 85, Nov - 113, Dec - 4
>
>
>
> *Northern Harrier* – 36; avg = 43. (18th straight year below long term
> 31 year avg).
>
>
>
> *Sharp-shinned Hawk* – 389; Avg = 702. Record low
>
> Best day was 43 on Oct 10
>
>
>
> *Cooper’s hawk* – 47; Avg = 80. Record low
>
>
>
> *N Goshawk*. – 0; Avg = 2. Fourth straight year with zero. (endangered
> in PA).
>
>
>
> *Red-shouldered Hawk* – 16; Avg = 44. Record low
>
>
>
> *Broad–winged Hawk* - 2410. Avg= 2750.
>
> High days 675 (9/17), 612 (9/12)
>
>
>
> *Red-tailed Hawk* – 371; avg = 515. (second lowest ever)
>
> Best day 32 on 10/27 ( a remarkably poor "high-day" count)
>
>
>
> *Rough-legged Hawk* - 0; Avg = 1.
>
>
>
> *Golden Eagle* - 126*; *Avg= 145
>
> Best days- 12 on 11/16 and 11/27
>
>
> *American Kestrel*– 29; Avg= 71. Record low
>
> High day - 5 on 10/8
>
>
> *Merlin* – 19; Avg = 35.
>
>
>
> *Peregrine Falcon* – 14; Avg = 26.
>
> Unidentified = 22
>
> Turkey Vulture - 301
>
> Black Vulture – 11
>
>
>
> *Total raptors excluding vultures* = 3806; Avg = 4705
>
>
>
> Greg Grove (compiler), Pedro Mirana, David and Trudy Kyler, Nick Bolgiano,
> Jen Lee, Ron Crandall, Connor Schmitt, , Jon Kauffman, Doug Wentzel, Jen
> Anderson, Josh Potter, and staff from Shavers Creek.
>
>
>
>
> Greg Grove
> eBird reviewer: Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin
> PBA Regional Coordinator
> Stone Mt. Hawk Watch, Winter Raptor Survey
> Huntingdon, PA.
> ------------------------------
>
>
