TIOF Photo Contest - An Osprey’s Life - 2022

The International Osprey Foundation’s first Photo Contest! Contest Theme: An Osprey’s Life!


Give us your best shots!

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18 Oct, 2023
View the 2023 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.
10 Mar, 2023
Did you know there is an International Osprey Foundation headquartered on Sanibel Island in Florida? Today, we speak with Kathryn Brintnall, president of the foundation, about ongoing efforts to protect the Osprey. We also discuss the effects of Hurricane Ian on Osprey populations. Go to the International Osprey Foundation at www.ospreys.com; go to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) at https://sccf.org/; go to the J.N. Ding Darling National Refuge website at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling; go to the Clinic For The Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) website at https://crowclinic.org. Join Catherine Greenleaf, a certified wildlife rehabilitator with 20 years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, for twice-monthly discussions about restoring native habitat and helping the birds in your backyard. Access the BIRD HUGGER Newsletter here: www.birdhuggerpodcast.com. Send your questions about birds and native gardening to birdhuggerpodcast@gmail.com. (PG-13) St. Dymphna Press, LLC.
10 Feb, 2023
For more information view / download the contest PDF and click on the links for details and to enter.
08 Nov, 2022
View the 2022 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.
29 Oct, 2022
The arrival of Hurricane Ian on our shores changed life as we know it on our islands for the foreseeable future. No one who has watched the news coverage of this event on TV, driven through our streets lined with debris or tried to walk the shores of our island communities will ever be the same after this. Unfortunately, this storm did not just happen to us. The wildlife displacement and environmental destruction of their habitats has been monumental. This has been especially true for Ospreys, our neighbors who nest on our highest trees, snags and nesting platforms. Southwest Florida, especially the island communities are some of the most significant osprey nesting areas in the western hemisphere. Florida native ospreys as well as a large migrating population of these fish-eating raptors make their homes on our islands each spring. Ospreys come back to the same nests every year. The birds are starting to return, but many will find no place to come home to. The International Osprey Foundation, whose monitors record nesting data for over 150+ nests in our local area, is concerned that most Osprey homes have been destroyed and that the birds will now be nesting anywhere they can, returning to inappropriate spots atop power lines and chimney tops and possibly increasing human/osprey conflict at an already stressful time for everyone. On behalf of the ospreys, for whom The International Osprey Foundation (TIOF) is their voice, we would like to ask everyone within the reach of this publication to let us know about the condition of osprey nests near you. TIOF needs to have information from the public about nesting sites, platforms and tree nests, in your neighborhoods as soon as possible, especially those that have been successful in the past. TIOF wants to know the exact location (street address or intersection) or GPS coordinates (obtainable with cell phone map apps). A description of the damage and a picture if possible, would be great! 
04 May, 2022
After a two year in-person hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions, Colonial Beach recently held its annual Osprey Festival. Mayor Robin Schick welcomed the enthusiastic crowd with a sincere and proud proclamation designating the osprey as the official bird of Colonial Beach. Mayor Schick also emphasized gratitude and collaboration as key to the festival’s success. “What Colonial Beach, along with Joanie and her team have done, is remarkable” stated Kathryn Brintnall, president of The International Osprey Foundation who traveled from Sanibel Island, Florida, to join in the festivities. “Putting on a successful festival of this magnitude is no easy task, hats off to Joanie (and her husband, Barry), the other co-chairs, Joyce Reimherr, Sally Adams and the many volunteers for a job well done” added Brintnall. Specifically, Mayor Schick and Brintnall were referring to Joanie Millward, volunteer co-chair of the event. “I can emphatically say that everyone genuinely had a great time,” said Millward. “It is because we have a strong volunteer base, great vendors and an impressive lineup of presenters. It’s a strong recipe. And we cannot wait for 2023,” concluded a giddy Millward. Dr. Alan Poole delivered the keynote presentation via Zoom. With an overflow capacity, the presentation was also streamed live at the local brewery with a sizeable crowd. A renowned author and leading osprey researcher at Cornell University, Poole gave an inspiring, motivational and informative presentation. He emphasized that the Chesapeake Bay region, to include Colonial Beach, supports the largest osprey breeding population in the world. While the widespread use of toxic pesticides pushed populations of the fish-eating raptor to an estimated low of 1,450 breeding pairs in the early 1970s, a 1972 ban on the pesticide DDT helped populations recover. By the mid-1990s, an estimated 3,500 breeding pairs were found on the bay and its tidal tributaries. Estimates from the Center for Conservation Biology place the bay’s current osprey population at 8,000 to 10,000 breeding pairs, with the world population at fewer than 100,000 birds. Similar population decline and recovery stories exist for bald eagles, brown pelicans and peregrine falcons. The amazing rebound of ospreys has exceeded the availability of natural nesting sites. Human-made nesting structures are rarely unoccupied, and ospreys are now nesting on cell towers and lighting structures. This can create conflicts with human values and needs. Poole urged conservation and co-existence awareness. Given this year’s success, festival goers are already looking forward to next year. “Sign me up, I will definitely be back,” said a happy Sharron and Bobby Shifflett. And who can blame them? Source: https://fredericksburg.com/lifestyles/announcements/osprey-enthusiasts-migrate-to-historic-colonial-beach-for-annual-festival/article_530d4f95-563a-52b6-ad21-a7d8bb2bb369.html Author: Sal Icaza
16 Mar, 2022
The Colonial Beach Osprey Festival 2022 in Colonial Beach, VA on April 9th.
22 Feb, 2022
The International Osprey Foundation (TIOF) invites you to attend this exciting presentation which will anchor its annual meeting on Monday, March 7 at 6:30 pm at The Community House. Presenting will be, recent TIOF Research Grant recipient, Michael Academia. Michael’s research brings him into close contact with nesting Ospreys, so he has a bird’s eye view into their nest life including the distinct roles for female and male ospreys, feeding behavior, chick growth and sibling hierarchy. A graduate student at The Center for Conservation Biology at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, Academia has combined his passion for these magnificent raptors and his background in fisheries science to study the relationship between food supply and osprey nesting success. While his research focuses on ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay as biomonitors of fisheries and aquatic health, there is applicability to the Southwest Florida osprey population, which is also vulnerable to various environmental challenges and who serve as sentinel species for the health of our local waters.  The Chesapeake Bay, which supports the largest osprey breeding population in the world, is the area of focus for Academia’s research. The osprey in this region are dependent on the nutrient-dense Atlantic menhaden fish. Commercial fishing in the Bay has reduced the menhaden fish population, impacting osprey provisioning rates and reproductive success. Michael’s research provides insight into how osprey behavior is altered by low fish availability and whether providing menhaden directly to the osprey in their nests can reverse food stress. He studies how the addition of fish into osprey nests impacts the ability of chicks to grow and take their first flight, which is the ultimate success story for ospreys. TIOF is fortunate to be able to share Michael Academia’s research with the osprey lovers of “the islands” and surrounding communities. Save the date and bring a friend! There is no charge to attend. Information on how to become a TIOF member and/or volunteer will be available at the meeting.
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