Friends of Lake Algonquin

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Osprey Facts

Ospreys are a bird of prey, considered raptors, and are native to the Adirondack region of New York. The Adirondack Mountains are home to one of their main breeding regions due to the prevalence of lakes, wetlands, and rivers, though they tend to breed along coastlines. Ospreys hunt for their own meals and are adept at fishing, using their talons to scoop unsuspecting fish out of water. According to NYS DEC, Osprey are now listed as “special concern,” a serious improvement from their “endangered” listing in 1976 due to eggshell thinning from the widespread use of DDT.

When in flight, ospreys are differentiated from other birds by the size and shape of their wings. Ospreys are large hawks, approximately the same size as a goose or larger, with a wingspan of 4 to 6 feet. Their wings have a noticeably sharp bend in them when seen flying overhead. They are mostly white on the underside but have dark brown backs. Their heads are also white with a brown band across their eye line.

Ospreys prefer to nest along bodies of water, utilizing both natural and manmade structures to build their large nests on. They will typically build stick nests anywhere between 20 to 100 feet in height. They will nest over water, or quite high to avoid predators.

Source: Hamilton County

2022 Annual Report

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About Us

In the summer of 2019, a small group of people first started meeting to discuss how we might work together to make positive improvements to the condition and ecology of Lake Algonquin. At that time we wanted to keep it simple and informal, but as time went on, we realized we needed to become a nonprofit organization so that we could seek grant monies for future projects. So in July 2019, we met with the Piseco Lake Association to learn about their experiences as a nonprofit. In addition, committees were formed and work was begun. Over the past year, Friends of Lake Algonquin have been busy! In September, we hosted our first educational program, “Love Your Lake”, presented by Caitlin Stewart of Hamilton County Soil and Water. The program was well received by all who attended. Next, we took a survey (Survey Monkey) of the township resident’s greatest concerns.

The top concerns were:
● Lake Sedimentation Project Leader: Mark Ellis
● Eurasian Milfoil Project Leader: John Hoekstra
● Lake Debris Project Leader: Mark Hodgkins
● Geese Control 

In October 2019, we hosted a meeting to share the results of our survey with town residents, and planning began on how to address these issues.

See our How We Help page for more information.

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