At Abbott's Mill and Slaughter Beach, the first Osprey platform was erected in 2015, and a pair now nests here every summer; a second platform was erected on the northern end of the Preserve in 2019. Osprey arrive in March and April, eat fish almost exclusively, mate for life, return to the same nest yearly, raise one to three young each year, and migrate south in September and October. The Delaware Bayshore is globally recognized as an Important Bird Area, with more than 100 species occurring here throughout the year. In summer, nesting Willets fly about calling "Pill - Will - Willett." In winter, northern harriers and short-eared owls glide low over the marsh at dusk and dawn. Red-winged Blackbirds are present year-round, and each May Delaware Bay marshes and beaches serve as a critical stopover for many species of shorebirds and other waterbirds, including Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, and Laughing Gulls.