Associate Professor of Biology Memuna Khan bands osprey nestlings

Associate Professor of Biology Memuna Khan and Tom Schultz, from the Green Lake Association, banded two osprey nestlings in downtown Green Lake Friday. They nest on a light pole in the ballpark off of Lake Street.

The event is the result of cooperation between Ripon College, the Green Lake Association and Alliant Energy, who brought the nestlings down from their high perch and returned them when the banding was done.

Khan says the nestlings hatched about June 5. “Osprey are special birds in so many ways,” she says. “They are the only raptor that has a diet made exclusively of fish. Their fish addiction can provide key information about the health of our aquatic ecosystems.

“They are also migratory, wintering along the coasts of Mexico, Central and into South America. By marking these birds, we are contributing to a national database about osprey reproduction, survival and movement. Like a message in a bottle, I hope that the coming years, someone will see our nestlings and we will know their fate.”

Photos courtesy of Cindy Pokorny. More photos by Cindy and others are posted on Facebook.