A hike for ospreys spotting

• Entry: Off Route 138 in West Kingston, head west on Liberty Lane at an indication for Nice Swamp. Comply with the highway for a few miles previous the DEM upkeep buildings and a capturing vary to a barred gateway.
• Parking: Out there in a big lot.
• Canines: Allowed, however have to be leashed.
• Issue: Straightforward, principally flat roads.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Two ospreys took flight from their nest on high of an influence line tower and soared excessive into the clouds above Nice Swamp.

With wings unfold broad, they caught the wind and rose virtually out of sight earlier than swooping down throughout the water, looking. 

On earlier hikes, I’ve seen the ospreys spot prey, dive ft first into the water and emerge with a fish hooked of their talons earlier than flying again to their nest. However on this stroll at noon, the ospreys simply soared and glided majestically excessive above the swamp.

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I discovered the ospreys on the far finish of a loop path within the Nice Swamp Administration Space, which is managed by the Rhode Island Division of Environmental Administration. Alongside the way in which, the path additionally passes the stays of a  World Conflict II-era seaplane hangar, indicators of beaver exercise and dense stands of oak and maple bushes combined with tall holly bushes.

From a trailhead off Nice Neck Street, a number of buddies and I got down to see the ospreys on my first group hike since earlier than the pandemic. It felt good to share tales and hearken to what caught the curiosity of my fellow hikers as we walked alongside.

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We began out on a raised gravel highway by way of a swampy space lined with inexperienced brier vines, bushes and small bushes. At one level, a 12-inch garter snake slithered throughout our path and into the comb. Farther on, we noticed gnawed tree stumps the place beavers had been at work. The beavers had additionally tried to clog drains below the highway with sticks and dust to again up giant swimming pools of water the place they dwell.

Off within the distance, we heard the rumble of Amtrak trains on tracks that run west of the protect, a counterpoint to the pure world round us. 

The highway quickly reached a fork with a stone marker with a small identify plate honoring Dr. John Mulleedy, a late mountain climbing membership chief. We went left and handed a number of shiny, green-leafed holly bushes, which stood out from different bushes which have but to open their leaves. After passing below a string of  energy transmission traces, we famous a big subject overgrown with bushes on the suitable. I realized later that it had been cleared of bushes and allowed to fill in with shrubs to create a pure habitat for cottontail rabbits, which at one time confronted extinction.

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We walked to a different fork with a stone pillar and plate marked for George McCahey, one other distinguished hiker. The left fork heads right down to the northern lip of Worden Pond, a 1,000-acre pure glacial lake. Prior to now, I’ve tried to take a aspect path off that highway to Stony Level, however was turned again by dense mountain laurel, brier bushes and a bathroom. You can too see the stays of a cement basis for a seaplane hangar alongside that highway, in addition to a brief channel that was dug to enter the secluded cove.

However we handed up that stroll and stayed proper on the highway to stay to our mission: to see if the ospreys had returned on their annual migration after spending the winter in Central and South America.

We hiked up a brief hill to the very best level (182 ft) of the three,349-acre protect after which walked down the opposite aspect by a subject. The highway led to the southern tip of the Nice Swamp, which the state acquired in 1950.

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Alongside the trail, a walker was sitting by a phone pole in a pure stone chair, peering by way of binoculars and looking out the swamp. He reported that he had noticed an osprey, and we continued on to attempt to get look.

The highway runs throughout the highest of a mile-long dike that circles half the swamp and was constructed within the Nineteen Fifties to create a wildlife marsh. Alongside the curving impoundment, jungle-like progress and the headwaters of the Pawcatuck River, together with Chickasheen Brook, mislead the west. The expansive 138-acre swamp is to the east.

We handed a water depth gauge simply off the financial institution and a round metal and aluminum construction which will have included an underground gate to regulate the water ranges. I’ve seen DEM staff driving alongside the impoundment to patrol the world up to now.

Simply off the trail, a number of geese swam within the shallow water. 

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The path took us below an extended, straight line of transmission towers that carry energy traces over the swamp and stretch far to the northeast and southwest. Two rows of rotted pilings within the water as soon as supported a boardwalk that ran out to the ability traces within the swamp, however the wooden is lengthy gone.

We noticed the stays of an previous osprey nest, constructed of sticks, twigs and grasses, on a tower about 50 yards offshore and a cumbersome nest on a tower south of the dike.

However the true attraction was on high of one other tower 150 yards offshore, the place we noticed two ospreys in a big, 3-foot nest in the midst of a horizontal plank on high of the towers. The ospreys return every spring to breed they usually keep till August.

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Whereas we watched, the fish-eating hawks took off and flew excessive over the west aspect of the swamp, staying distant from us. We might see that the ospreys have darkish brown feathers on their again, and white beneath. The pinnacle is white with a darkish face stripe. They will weigh 3 to 4 kilos and their wingspan can attain as much as 6 ft.

Ospreys have rebounded in RI  after dealing with extinction 

The ospreys as soon as confronted extinction, and from 1940 to 1970 the variety of lively nests between New York Metropolis and Boston decreased by 85%. A rely in Rhode Island in 1967 discovered solely two nests.

However after ospreys have been positioned on the endangered species listing and DDT and different pesticides have been banned, their inhabitants grew, and reviews present that there are actually greater than 150 nests within the state.

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I’ve seen osprey nests on hikes at Osamequin Nature Protect in Barrington and Napatree Level in Westerly. Different hikers have not too long ago reported that ospreys have returned to nests on the Slim River. For a webcam view of an osprey on its nest, go to narrowriver.org/ospreycam.

After learning the flight of the 2 ospreys, we continued alongside the dike, which bent to the north. All of the land in and across the swamp was as soon as inhabited by Native Individuals. The location of the Nice Swamp Bloodbath, the place fighters from a number of colonies killed many Narragansetts in December 1675 throughout King Philip’s Conflict, is simply to the west on the opposite aspect of the railroad tracks.

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We continued alongside the dike and walked rigorously round two turtles sunning on the dry path. Simply off the financial institution, we inspected a number of giant beaver lodges constructed of branches, twigs and dust. A lot of wooden duck packing containers stood on posts within the water.

We additionally famous two tube-like canisters close to the highest of phone poles that lined the dike and puzzled in the event that they is likely to be bat packing containers.

The highway led to the top of the swamp and ran up a brief hill, below the ability traces and to the junction the place we had famous the Mulleedy marker on the way in which in. We handed a solo hiker in an orange vest who stated he had been to the Saugatucket River that morning and watched ospreys spearing herring. He was now headed for a take a look at the ospreys at Nice Swamp.

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From there, it was only a brief stroll to the place we had parked.

In all, we hiked 4.5 miles for slightly over two hours.

There are various distinctive sightings on the paths in Rhode Island. However one of the fascinating is the ospreys and their nests at Nice Swamp.

It’s at all times encouraging to me that they return each spring. And it appears to me that if they will make the lengthy flight again each April, I ought to be capable to take a brief stroll to revisit them yearly.

Rhode Island Mountaineering Path Tip

Throughout looking season, all customers of state administration areas are required to put on a minimal of 200 sq. inches of stable fluorescent orange, resembling a hat or vest, from April 16 to Could 31. Violators are topic to a $100 effective.

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John Kostrzewa, a former assistant managing editor at The Windfall Journal, welcomes e mail at johnekostrzewa@gmail.com.