by Ginni Kitchen, SDRP volunteer

An osprey is a large, strikingly marked raptor that weighs 3-4.5 pounds and has a wingspan of 5-6 feet. Its diet is almost exclusively fish so it lives near rivers, lakes, and coastal marshes. In March 2014 the Del Mar fairgrounds had two osprey nesting platforms built in the dirt parking lot on the east side of Jimmy Durante Blvd, near the San Dieguito Lagoon Boardwalk. Two previously-established nests on light poles within the fairgrounds were then moved to the platforms.

A pair of ospreys fixed up the eastern nest almost immediately. A telescope mounted near a bench on the Boardwalk allowed up-close-and-personal views of the nesting birds. The male could often be seen diving talons-first into the river to provide for his family. One of two chicks -- a female -- survived to adulthood. Juveniles have a white edge to their wing feathers, which made it easy to distinguish her from the adults while the parents taught her to fish for herself.

Osprey juvenile (left) with mother on Grand Avenue Bridge, 2014

Recently a pair of ospreys began courting at the Lagoon Trail again. Female ospreys often have a "necklace" of brown feathers on the breast, but despite comparing 2014 photos to 2015 photos, I'm not sure if this is the same bird. Male ospreys usually have pure white breasts, making them impossible to tell apart. Their courtship lasted about three weeks, with the male providing fresh fish instead of roses.

Male osprey proving how well he can provide, 2015

This year they're using the western platform. The male brought most of the nesting material, which the female arranged to her satisfaction.
  

Male (with outstretched wings) landing with more nesting material, 2015

I think the first egg was laid on March 2nd. Eggs are tasty snacks for gulls and crows if they are not guarded, and the female has not left the area since then and is usually lying in the nest. The incubation period is 36-42 days, so the first chick should hatch sometime after April 7. It will be a while before we see little heads popping up, so this story is...to be continued!

Osprey family, Lagoon Trail, 2015

Join Conservancy Executive Director, Trish Boaz for a 10.4-mile hike on the Coast to Crest Trail at Del Dios Gorge and North Shore Lake Hodges to Del Dios Park and back.

Though the river's flow is minimal now, you can view the Lake Hodges dam, constructed in 1918, and the narrow canyon's riparian vegetation, which is complemented by coast live oak. The natural landscape here is made even more dramatic by the granite outcroppings covering the canyon floor.

Ongoing restoration efforts in Del Dios Gorge are improving nesting and foraging habitat for the federally-endangered least Bell's vireo and southwestern willow flycatcher. The historic Hodges Flume winds along the north slope of the gorge, partially on trestles. The flume transported water by gravity from Lake Hodges four miles west to the San Dieguito Reservoir until 2003.

Hikers will observe many species of resident and migratory birds at Lake Hodges, which was designated a globally "Important Bird Area" in 1999. The reservoir, created when the San Dieguito River was dammed in 1918, is now a critical stopover for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. The hillsides around the lake are dominated by coastal sage scrub and recognized as one of the largest strongholds of the federally-threatened California gnatcatcher.

When: Thursday, April 16th at 8:30 am

Where: Coast to Crest Trail trailhead at Santa Fe Valley -- directions here.

Distance: 10.4 miles, moderate 

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