Osprey's Garden
August 14, 2010
Photographer: Peg Riemer
Summary Authors: Peg Reimer; Jim Foster
Record-setting rains soaked the Midwest U.S. this past July. Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for instance, received 10.92 inches (277 mm) in the first 27 days of the month compared to a normal 3.58 inches (91 mm). The adage, "Make hay while the Sun shines" was a bit of a challenge for farmers raising forage crops. Nonetheless, some localized crops (see photo) did rather well under these extreme conditions. This osprey and its mate, nesting on a 60 foot (18 m) pole just north of the village of Scandinavia, Wisconsin, managed to not only raise two chicks but a modest corn crop too. Evidently, the mud and field detritus that they brought to build the nest in the spring had a few embedded corn kernels. Despite having only a mesh substrate and unfavorable weather, the corn seems to be doing nicely. Photo taken on August 3, 2010.
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