Osprey nest towers above Mountlake Terrace High School

Mountlake Terrace High School is Home of the Hawks, but a new breed of hawk has been spotted on campus: a family of four ospreys.

For the second year in a row, a pair of adult ospreys has nested on top of a light fixture on the west side of the sports fields. Last year, two young birds fledged in August and it looks like this year’s two nestlings are on track for a similarly successful launch next month.

It’s likely that the parents are the same pair that raised two young in the same nest last year, as this species is known for its “nest site fidelity” – in other words, use of the same nest year after year. Speaking of fidelity, this species – like many raptors – tends to mate for life.

Keep your eyes upward and your ears on alert while on campus over the next few weeks – you might spot a feathered MLT hawk!

You can hear the osprey’s calls here.

Osprey facts:

• Osprey (Latin name: Pandion haliaetus) are expert fish hunters, thanks to their exceptional eyesight and rough-surfaced talons designed to readily grasp their slippery and unfortunate prey.
• Adults add branches to the nest every year; they can become more than 7feet wide and over 5 feet deep. The MLT ospreys have primarily used branches from nearby cottonwood trees – some up to 5 feet in length.
• The female lays two to four eggs. Both parents incubate them for approximately 40 days. Young stay in the nest for six to eight weeks, during which time the male does most of the fishing.
• They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Ospreys in our region migrate thousands of miles twice a year, traveling as far south as Argentina for the winter months.

To learn more about this majestic bird, check out: www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/osprey and www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/overview.