A recent report from Audubon Society of Rhode Island recorded the highest number of osprey fledglings throughout the state since monitoring of the species began in 1977.

In 2016, as a part of the Audubon Osprey Monitoring Program, more than 100 volunteers recorded 297 fledglings. That's up from 239 in 2015 and up from just eight in 1977.
Jon Scoones, director of volunteer services at Audubon and author of the report, said since 98 percent of the bird's diet is fish, the steady increase in fledglings could be due to the state's waterways being opened.

"The removal of the dams in several of the rivers make it so the fish can go further upstream, and if the fish can go further upstream, that means the osprey can follow them upstream, they can have access to those fish now spread out a little bit more throughout Rhode Island," Scoones said.

Scoones said more access to fish means ospreys can feed all of their young instead of just one or two.

More at: http://ripr.org/post/ri-audubon-society-records-nearly-300-young-ospreys-largest-number-40-years#stream/0