Osprey VS Eagle

Cape Cod seasonal resident versus year-round resident

During the winter, eagles took over an osprey’s nest though they haven’t laid eggs in it. It’s more like their second home.

An osprey, a snowbird¹, returns from Florida or even farther south to find a squatter in their nest.

The osprey conducts attack maneuvers that seem aimed at intimidating the eagle so they’ll vacate the nest. Last I heard, it seemed to be working. The eagles haven’t been seen in the nest for a few weeks.

This type of conflict seems to happen a lot on the Cape.

• “They winter where they summer”² versus the snowbirds

• The single homed versus the multiple-home owners

• Renters versus owners

• Vacationers versus year-round residents

• Cape Codders versus washashores (people who move to the Cape)

I live off a dirt road and each winter we are surrounded by seven empty houses. When our neighbors leave for the year, I feel abandoned. It feels scary to have no one living close by. During the winter my sense of ownership expands. These empty houses seem to sit on my land. When my neighbors come back in the late spring, I feel like intruders are trespassing. During the summer, I am happy to have such wonderful people around.

Transitions are hard. Ownership is an illusion. Be kind to your neighbors.

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For the latest scoop on the battle and to learn about birds on Cape Cod, listen to Mark Faherty’s weekly bird report on WCAI.

1. Snowbird like a person who spends the winter in a warmer clime, not a bird who likes snow.

2. Adapted from Fran Lebowitz’s quote, “Generally speaking, the poorer person summers where he winters.”