Learn about ospreys July 28 in Lewes
Osprey expert Richard Bierregaard
2:47 p.m., July 17, 2008--The life and journey of ospreys is the feature of the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies' (CMES') next Ocean Currents Lecture at 7 p.m., Monday, July 28, on the Hugh R. Sharp Campus on Pilottown Road in Lewes.

Richard “Rob” Bierregaard, assistant professor of biology at the University of North Carolina, will present the lecture. Bierregaard has studied birds of prey around the world, including throughout the United States and in the Amazon and Mexico. He began studying the osprey population on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., in 1969.

In recent years, Bierregaard has begun using satellite transmitters to track annual migration of ospreys from their breeding grounds to wintering areas in the Caribbean and Central and South America. These efforts have included several birds from coastal Delaware.

“Birds of prey have always fascinated me,” he said.

His lecture will highlight the life of the species when they are young. It also will explore the natural history of ospreys, their migration, the dangers they face, conservation efforts and the various tools, including satellite transmitters, used to study the birds.

“Everybody loves ospreys, and people get really attached to them,” he said. “Learning about ospreys and increasing people's understanding of them makes them more devoted to protecting the species and their environment.”

To learn more about Bierregaard's research, visit [www.bioweb.uncc.edu/bierregaard].

Light refreshments will be provided at the event, which is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended.

For reservations or to check dates, times, and topics of upcoming lectures, contact CMES' Peggy Conlon at [peggy@udel.edu] or (302) 645-4279, or go to [www.ocean.udel.edu] and click on Workshop, Seminar, Lecture, and Event Schedules.

The final Ocean Currents Lecture this year is slated for Thursday, Aug. 21. It will cover scientific exploration with ships and submersible robots. Visit [www.ocean.udel.edu] for details.

Article by Robin Cebula
Photo by Dick Jennings