Ospreys are magnificent birds of prey with wing spans up to six feet, that eat almost exclusively fish. They are close relatives of the larger Bald Eagle; but unlike the Bald Eagle which occurs only in North America, Ospreys are found world-wide … but we almost lost both species during the 20th Century.

 

DDT was the first modern synthetic pesticide. Developed in the 1940s, it was pro-

jected to save humanity from malaria, typhus, yellow fever and dozens of other

diseases. It would prevent termite attacks on wooden structures, and it would

liberate farmers from insect predation that has plagued them since time immemorial.

Its use quickly became widespread; in the U.S. alone, more than 1.3 billion pounds

were used over about 30 years.

 

Initially DDT was very effective, but many insect species soon developed resistance.

And DDT was an indiscriminate killer -- not only “bad bugs,” but also bees and other

pollinators essential to agriculture were lost.

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Many birds were also victims, especially those atop the food chain like eagles and ospreys. DDT built up in birds’ bodies, caused their eggshells to become thin and so weak that they broke during incubation. Populations plummeted worldwide. By the 1960s, the Bald Eagle was on the brink of extinction. Ospreys -- one of most widely distributed raptors on earth -- suffered a population decline of more than 90% between 1950 and 1970.

 

In 1962 Rachel Carson published her influential book Silent Spring. It foretold a springtime that would be silent because no insects would be chirping and no birds would be singing, because of the overuse of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides, particularly DDT. Her book caught the imagination of the American people. A broad, grassroots movement emerged, concerned not only with pesticides, but with all forms of environmental pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970, and immediately took on DDT. In 1972 EPA banned almost all uses of the pesticide. The ban was upheld by the Supreme Court the following year.

 

DDT is classified as a probable human carcinogen, and it is a likely endocrine disruptor. It is very persistent in the environment and bio-accumulates in fatty tissues.

 

At the time of Silent Spring, the Bald eagle was on the brink of extinction with only 487 nesting pairs remaining. By 2023 there were 71,467 nesting pairs, and an estimated 316,000 Bald eagles – including several that can often be seen around Little Neck Bay!

 

Ospreys were also on edge of extinction, but today ospreys are resurgent with large, healthy populations – not only in the U.S. but around the globe. The Udalls Cove Preservation Committee erected two Osprey nesting platforms – one in 1997 on the west side of Douglaston, and the other in 2004 on the Udalls Cove shoreline east of Douglaston. Both nests have been occupied ever since, with chicks hatching almost every year; and there are now at least six active nests around Little Neck Bay.