The ospreys have returned to Shelter Island

A sure sign of the change of season is the return of the ospreys to Shelter Island. This homecoming usually coincides with the beginning of spring, and the beautiful fish hawk pictured above was home and taking in the sights at the Ram Island Causeway on Saturday.

Males often are the first to return to stake their claims to nests, while females don’t seem to have the same attachment to the nesting sites. But the females often do mate with the same male from year-to-year.

While the older ospreys fly south to Florida each winter, young ospreys have been known to migrate to the Caribbean and South America.

Most tend to stay on the Island here until August, with a few remaining as late as October. Cold winter temperatures interfere with the food supply here, urging the birds to southern climes. Welcome home to all.