Every year, in late August and early September, the osprey begin their migration to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean and South America. Their piercing calls- the wild, carrying soundtrack of Chesapeake summers- falls silent as they wing away for another year. This fall, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has created an osprey tracking map, so lovers of the “fish hawk” can watch the progress of two birds, Quinn and Nick, as they make their way to a warmer climate: http://www.cbf.org/ospreymap Though the birds are still in the Chesapeake at the time of this posting, no doubt the colder weather soon to come will encourage them to leave their summer nest and head south.

An osprey family at the approach to Poplar Island. Photo by author.