Good morning, DMV. It’s Thursday, Oct. 1.
The osprey population in the Chesapeake Bay is plummeting. The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance advocacy group has a plan for you to help.
The Chesapeake Bay supports the largest osprey breeding population in the world, but based on current demographic and reproductive rates, researchers expect the population to decline 50 percent over the next decade, according to the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary in Virginia.
This year was the worst breeding season ever recorded, the center said in a news advisory last month.
“On a global scale, the annual breeding performance required to maintain a stable population ranges from 0.8 to 1.3 young/pair,” the center said. “Productivity in the Chesapeake has dropped … from 0.51 in 2024 to 0.35 in 2025 to 0.25 in 2026.”
(Photo by Richard Lee on Unsplash)
The factor driving widespread nesting failure in recent years is “food stress,” caused by reduced availability of Atlantic menhaden, silvery fish that are a key part of the osprey diet, the center said.
“The underlying causes of reduced availability of menhaden to osprey are not clear,” the center said, noting that possible factors include climate change and commercial harvesting.
Menhaden are used as fertilizer, animal feed, and bait for fisheries. They’re also a major source of omega-3 fatty acids used to develop human and animal supplements.
Regulators are considering lowering the cap on commercial menhaden harvests. The public is invited to submit comments by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 9.
On Monday night, the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance is hosting an online event about this issue, including a discussion on “how to submit an effective public comment.”
On Oct. 25, Climate Action NOW and the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance will host a free screening of “The Last Osprey,” about osprey chicks in the bay starving to death.
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📰 News around the DMV
Capital Weather says: Somewhat summerlike Thursday, with some morning clouds giving way to increasing sunshine, noticeable humidity and highs shooting for the mid-80s. Read the full forecast here.
🎨 Things to do
14 things to do in D.C. this weekend (The 51st)
Your guide to October in D.C. (City Cast DC)
📷 Your joy
(Anna Canizales)
“I took this Tuesday, September 22, in the middle of the rainy spell that actually didn't last as long as I thought it would,” wrote Anna Canizales, 27, a resident of Northwest D.C. “I like the rain because of how the flowers look covered in raindrops.”
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