Everyone who lives near the water or gets out on a boat is probably familiar with the plaintive chirp of the osprey and its gull-like profile soaring above lakes and rivers.

Recall the last time you passed a day beacon. If it was topped with a large pile of sticks, it was most likely occupied by a nesting pair of osprey (the birds are partial to the signal's red hue).

Osprey, also known as sea hawks, are fish-eating birds of prey, which can grow large enough to accommodate a 6-foot wingspan. They have adapted well to the changes imposed on them by the profusion of boats, marinas and houses that today crowd their erstwhile habitats. So well, in fact, that if you're not careful, you might find your boat or dock the unwitting springtime host to love-struck birds, as I recently found my Catalina 34, Ukiyo.