Osprey Shot in Palm Harbor

On April 23, a resident found an adult male osprey dead on a sidewalk in a pool of blood in Palm Harbor's Cobb's Landing subdivision. Cobb's Landing is located on the west side of Lake Tarpon at the south end of the lake. One single hole and the amount of blood raised suspicions, so the osprey was taken to a wildlife vet and x-rayed.  The x-ray showed metal fragments consistent with being shot.

The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible stands at $720.  Additional reward money is available through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Alert . The rest of the funds are pledges by private individuals and Clearwater and St. Petersburg Audubon Chapters. The FWC accepts tips from the public on their Wildlife Alert number at 888-404-3922.  If you wish to add to the reward email barbibird@tampabay.rr.com. Ospreys are protected by Florida Statute and Federal Law.

The male osprey is from a nest in that neighborhood.  Last year, the nest fell and three chicks were rescued. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and the Clearwater Audubon Society managed to get a specially made platform up in a nearby tree to reunite the parents and the chicks. One chick fledged. After the osprey fledged, the Home Owner's Association applied for a Migratory Nest Removal Permit and the tree and nest were legally removed. 

This year, the ospreys re-nested in a live pine near the neighborhood's tennis courts. There are two young in the nest.  Volunteers are monitoring it to see if the chicks survive or perish.