Town Highway, Wildlife Rescue, and School District Collaborate on Baby Osprey Rescue in Hampton Bays • Southampton, NY

The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, Southampton Town Highway Department, and Hampton Bays School District successfully collaborated this week to return a fallen baby osprey to its 55-foot-high nest at the Hampton Bays High School football field.

On Tuesday morning, July 14, a baby osprey fell from its nest atop a 55-foot light pole at the high school football field. A good Samaritan called the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center to report the distressed bird. One of their rescuers responded, brought the young osprey back to the Center, where it was determined it was a healthy fledgling that simply needed to be reunited with its family.

Reaching the nest presented a major obstacle due to its extreme height. Fortunately, Southampton Town Highway Department was nearby conducting tree work.  Larry Luce, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations at Hampton Bays Schools approached Dan Rodriguez, a Highway Department bucket truck operator and Hampton Bays High School graduate, to enlist his help. Highway Deputy Superintendent Marc Braeger quickly greenlit the mission, allowing Dan to perform the re-nesting.

The baby osprey was named ‘Bubba’ in honor of Michael DeRosa, a beloved community member who recently passed away. Bubba was transported back to the high school, wrapped safely like a baby package delivered by a stork, and given to Dan.  Operating the bucket with one hand while securing the bird in the other, Dan ascended 55-feet in the air where the mother osprey was watching anxiously.   Mama left the nest to allow Dan the room to approach and he placed the bundle on the nest, and “unwrapped” the baby. As soon as the bucket moved back away from the nest, the mother osprey flew back and joined her offspring. Bubba will now be watching over the Hampton Bays sports fields for many years to come.

Kathleen Mulcahy, Executive Director of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, commented post the re-nesting, “This is a perfect example of “It takes a Village”, although in this case a Town, to help a family in distress.  This baby needed to go back, and the Center, the school administration and the Town didn’t let a 55-foot obstacle get in the way of re-uniting the young osprey with its parents.”

“This is a true community success story and I want to thank everyone involved,” said Councilman Bill Pell. “Your fast action ensured a happy ending for our local osprey family. It is great to see our town department, local wildlife center, and school administration work so well together so well.”

The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, NY rescues, rehabilitates and releases thousands of animals on the East End every year.  Already this season, 1284 animals have been admitted at the Center, including ten Ospreys with five of those, including Bubba, having been released or re-nested this season.

Jessica Chiarello, Hospital Supervisor, cautions that ospreys typically do not do well in any type of captivity, and that in the case of a juvenile “we need to do everything in our power to get them back to the nest as quickly as we can so they can learn to be a healthy fish-hunting raptor.”

The Center is open 365 days a year and has a 24-hour hotline for injured animals – 631-728-WILD (9453).