Eastbayri.com

Though fewer young ospreys fledged here in 2011, Audubon Society monitors remain encouraged by the general osprey population trends in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

In Rhode Island, 159 ospreys fledged in 2011, down a bit from the 171 fledged in 2010 (the most recorded since the 30-year recovery trend began).

In the East Bay towns of East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Portsmouth and Little Compton, 64 young ospreys were raised.

Barrington claimed a best-in-state total of 30 ospreys fledged in 14 active nests (the second most active nests in the state to South Kingston, which had 17).

One remarkable pair at Johannis Farm (north) produced four young ospreys, the most of any in the state.

Warren saw 15 ospreys fledge from nine active nests. Of these, two nests produced three fledglings each — one off Market Street, the other near the Swansea Golf Club.

In East Providence, nine ospreys fledged from six active nests; one on Mobil Tank Farm property produced three youngsters.

Bristol had just three nests but all were productive; one on Mill Gut had three fledglings.

Prudence Island saw three ospreys fledged, two of them from the nest at Potter’s Cove.

In Portsmouth, two ospreys fledged from one active next (seven nests were inactive).

An osprey pair built a nest atop a crane on the Portsmouth side of Tiverton Basin but a biologist took the nest apart before eggs were laid in hopes that they would nest elsewhere. It is not known how that turned out.

All three known nests in Tiverton were inactive during 2011.

Given the healthy rate of young ospreys produced per nest, experts are optimistic that good numbers will continue.

To sustain population numbers, it is estimated that between 0.8 and 1.0 osprey need to fledge per active nest. In 2011, that number was 1.49 birds per nest.

Westport osprey

In Westport, where a dedicated crew continues the osprey work pioneered by Gil and Josephine Fernandez, 72 chicks fledged successfully on the East and West branches of the Westport River. Another half-dozen fledged at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary (on the Westport/Dartmouth line) for a grand total of 78 in that general area, according to figures released last week by Massachusetts Audubon at Allens Pond.

That 78-bird total is down from the recent high of 96 fledges in the banner year of 2010.

As most years, the West Branch was most productive with 44 chicks fledging at a rate of 1.5 chicks fledged per successful pair.

East Branch birds were less productive, with 28 fledges for a rate of 1.1 fledged chicks per resident pair.

Allens Pond birds averaged just one fledged chick per pair.

Mass. Audubon’s Gina Purtell said the West Branch generally has the edge over the East Branch in fledgling rates, and not just because there are more nesting platforms there.

“Although people have theories, it’s not entirely clear why West Branch nests are more productive,” she said.

The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology is using the dense Westport osprey population for a study of hatchling sex ratios.

Preliminary indications are that the first chick to hatch tends to be male and that first chicks also have the best survival odds.

Bristol Pistols prevail

The Bristol Pistols won the Vanguard 15 team racing championship at the class’s Midwinter and Team Racing Regattas sailed Jan. 1-3 on the Indian River in Jensen Beach, Fla.

The Rhode Island team amassed a 25-2 record in the 10-team fleet racing competition (three boats racing per team). Each team sailed 27 races in two days.

The regatta featured balmy weather (one day hit 80 degrees) but winds that turned light and then vanished.

A Long Island team won the Midwinter Regatta.

Sailing for the Bristol Pistols were:

• Boat A — Ben Spiller and Anna Miniutti, both of Quincy, Mass.

• Boat B — Colin Merrick of Portsmouth and Alyssa Seifert of Duxbury, Mass.

• Boat C — Mark Dineen of Milton, Mass., and Kimberly Dempsey of Stamford, Conn.

Around in 45 days!

In its second attempt, the 131-foot maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V has entered the record by taking the Jules Verne Trophy for fastest circumnavigation — 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes, 53 seconds.

By crossing the start/finish line between Ushant (France) and Lizard Point (England) on Friday, Jan. 6, Loick Peyron and 13 crew members covered 29,002 miles at a remarkable average speed of 26.51 knots.

The old record of 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds had been held since March 2010 by Franck Cammas and Groupama 3.