Not only do the good guys win occasionally but this time there were more of the good guys than I originally thought there were.
- Note: This is a detailed and convoluted story that I can only summarize here.
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
In late April of this year I received a stressed email from friend and blog follower Jerry Ellison. He had been watching this pair of Osprey nesting on a power pole in Summit County, Utah for some time but on one Friday afternoon…
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
linemen from Rocky Mountain Power appeared at the nest pole and destroyed the nest (there were no eggs or chicks present).
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
This is the power pole after the nest had been removed. Jerry reports that the Osprey pair was visibly upset during the destruction process…
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
but almost immediately they began to rebuild.
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
Here the male is delivering nesting material as the female waits on the beginnings of the new nest. It only took them two weeks to rebuild the nest.
Jerry was very upset about what he’d witnessed and so was I when I heard about it so I decided to investigate. At the time I fully expected Rocky Mountain Power would turn out to be the villain in this story but I was wrong. With the help of good friend and raptor expert Jerry Liquori I was able to contact his wife Sherry Liguori who just happens to be the Avian Program Manager for Rocky Mountain Power. Below are the basics of what I found out over a period of weeks, even months.
- Rocky Mountain Power simply had no choice but to destroy the nest. When nests get this large the nesting material can bridge across conductors, potentially causing fires that destroy nests (and any eggs or chicks), create brush fires, damage property and/or cause power outages. The potential for these hazards increases in wet (spring) weather. Power companies can and do legally remove nests from poles as long as they don’t contain eggs or chicks.
- To the credit of RMP they had every intention of immediately erecting a nesting platform in the vicinity of this power pole (at their own expense) but the landowner was reluctant to give permission for it to be done.
- Some time afterward I received an email from Sherry saying that because of the delay in erecting the nesting pole and platform RMP had redesigned that section of line so that the nesting pole could be temporarily “de-engergized” which would allow the birds to complete the nesting season at this site.
Until recently I’d heard nothing more about these birds but in the back of my mind I was doubtful that with their nesting season interrupted they’d be able to raise a family this year.
Copyright Jerry Ellison – Image used by permission
But three days ago I received a jubilant email with this photo attached from Jerry Ellison, which I quote below:
“FYI…Ron, this is the nest site at the Summit County complex that we saved this spring…the pair of Osprey rebuilt the nest in less than two weeks after the RMP crew destroyed it and raised a family of 4..count-em beautiful Osprey!! This picture shows the four young and both parents taken in August. Sometimes good things happen. Thanks to you and your many friends…we won one. Feel free to forward this to any you may want to share with! Your friend…Jer”
Kudos to Jerry Ellison, Sherry and Jerry Liquori and especially to Rocky Mountain Power. It took a huge effort by many people to chalk this one up in the win column. And let’s not forget the persistence and hard work of the Osprey pair themselves to rebuild that huge nest in time for a successful nesting season. And four chicks – that’s amazing!
I’ve checked on this nest sporadically over the past eight years and after all this drama I can’t even begin to tell you how delighted I was to see this last photo…
Ron
Thank you to all who assisted these wonderful birds. Love the Ospreys.
I’m wondering for instances where you have a persistent pair would an option be to build a platform box a few feet above the top of existing pole? That way persistent pair could rebuild safely inside contained area where it would be less likely to drape into transformer? Obviously this would be last resort after all else has failed. Major kudos and applause for this power company and their sensitivity to wildlife. This post was sharec on an Osprey group’s FB page showing there are caring companies willing to work toward positive outcome.
Anne, that has been tried with some limited success. However, they will still use the crossarms below the platform for landing, loafing, and feeding. With their tremendous wingspan, and the likelihood that those wings may be wet, they can easily create a short circuit that blows out transformers, damages power lines, interrupts power delivery…and I don’t have to tell you that the effect on the bird is anything but pleasant. That is why it is now standard practice to install the alternate platform away from the power line, generally in a spot with even better views and higher, if possible. With additional perching/loafing beams on the platform, the adults then have little motivation to go back to the power line. A few years back, I helped locate a replacement platform a quarter mile away from a powerline in the Black Hills but in spitting distance of several large ponderosa pines with excellent dead branches for loafing/feeding. Come spring, the pair came back from South or Central America and promptly fell in love with the new location!
I had the privilege of spending three summers monitoring 17 osprey nests here in the Black Hills and loved every dad-gummed minute of it!
Thank you. We rode through the Black Hills in ’08 when we visited Mt. Rushmore. Wish I knew then what I know now about all these nests….and yes, I do envy you.
Yes, this is just great. I watch Osprey on web cams in Montana. Have had bad luck the past few years with loosing a mate and or the baby chicks. I also watch the Eagle cams in Iowa. I would hope the land owner will change their minds about a platform later on.
This is such a wonderful story. Ospreys are such wonderful birds and great parents. That must have been terrible for them. If they have to do this they should wait until nesting season is over. April is when all the Osprey come home to get ready for the eggs. And thank you Ron for helping to find a solution to the problem.
Kudos to all involved, including those tenacious osprey. Those are some adorable babies!
RMP is to be commended. Rerouting any utility lines without affecting service is no easy feat. It’s nice to hear a good utility company story.
WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL news.
Thank you to all the players who made it happen.
Great story. Thank you Jerry E, Jerry L, Sherry, RMP and Ron for making a positive difference. Good news!
Thanks for all the comments and feedback everyone. I’ve been out shooting all morning and haven’t had the opportunity to respond like I usually do.
At least you’re not culling!!!
I finally finished my culling yesterday or I would be!
Hi Ron, What a wonderful story!! I hope this story goes viral!! Linda
How nice to see a happy ending, for a change!!! Congratulations and thanks to all involved. I don’t understand the homeowner’s reluctance…I’d be thrilled out of my cotton-picking mind to have nesting ospreys on my property….
Guess I already said that…one more senior moment…..
What a heartwarming story!
An amazing, heart-thumping story with a fabulous outcome — thanks for sharing it and all the pics, especially of the happy Osprey family!
What a happy ending for a much yearned for and appreciated change!!! All involved are to be congratulated and thanked! Reluctant homeowner is hard to understand…I’d be thrilled out of my mind to have osprey nesting on my property!!!
I’m with you, Patty! Despite that I’d never get ANYTHING done (nothing whatsoever), I’d be delighted. Oh yeah, I never get anything done during nesting season anyway–I’m on the Cornell redtail hawk cam and watching the ospreys here and there and other nests. So, no problem. But if they were on my property, I’d have to put the computer in front of the window. LOL! Yep, no problem with that at all. I’ve got a lifetime supply of Depends and frozen microwave dinners socked away already. I’m good 😉
Thank you to all involved! And for sharing the saga!
What a wonderful post ! I really needed to hear some GOOD NEWS this particular morning, and you provided it complete with wonderful photos……..thanks!
Oh that’s just wonderful! I hope the landowner allows them access to erect a nest platform. The same thing happened here near Cornell University. In between nestings, the Cornell cam chatters raised the money to build a nest platform, the adults returned and raised their family on the safer site. Just love osprey.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wonderful story. I had no idea that nests could cause fire problems, and I’d rather see a nest destroyed by humans rather than have the chicks die a horrible death. It seems like power companies in many places are doing things for Ospreys and other pole-nesting birds. I know that in North Carolina, when the power company put up new power poles near the Wright Memorial Bridge (the crossing to the Outer Banks), they not only left the old poles, but also put up square frames to assist the Ospreys in nest building. If I remember correctly, this summer we saw at least 4 nests on those old poles. It’s always a special experience to see Ospreys nesting. And to have a happy ending for a story like this one.
Yeah!!!! ( My) powerpole ospreys aren’t so successful. Every time wind blows part of nest falls. One year entire nest with 3 chicks fell. Last year half the nest fell with one chick. So my ospreys successfully raised one chick in 2 yrs. This year they actually raised two. And that is just one pole. I do not know how the others fare. I just monitor one. . the local Audubon club here put up a osprey platform on one of its ponds. They are successful every year. Being a large box type platform the wind doesn’t hurt this nest. . I have ospreys still hanging around there. Surprised they haven’t migrated yet. . Any suggestions how I can get someone to erect a platform on that powerpole where nest keeps blowing down. ?????
what a wonderful heart lifting story with which to begin the day.
Thanks for the story and education to all on the RMP program and procedures. Another success story occurred this spring in Huntsville within the Ogden Valley. RMP was notified of a nest identical to the one you pictured just south of Pineview Reservoir. They inspected the nest and wanted to remove it as there were no eggs but wanted to have an alternative available before doing so. A few calls and email were made and the Ogden valley Land Trust was able to get permission to have them put up a nest pole a few hundred yards to the north. Within 10 days the pole was in place, the original nest was removed and the Osprey’s rebuilt their home at the new location. Very quick response and solution by RMP!
One more note on nests on nest poles. Every 2 to 3 years RMP will/may remove the nest in late autumn or early winter. They do this to prevent geese, which return earlier to the area then Osprey, from adopting/stealing the nest and preventing the Osprey from utilizing the nest pole. Yes it is more work for the Osprey but according to the Environmental Analyst from RMP the best outcome for the Osprey.
The Osprey population is doing well in the Ogden Valley and Causey reservoir area.
“Yes it is more work for the Osprey but according to the Environmental Analyst from RMP the best outcome for the Osprey.”
I’m glad you included that sentence in your comment, Ron. It makes me feel significantly better about them removing the nests.
Thanks to you Ron…you told this story much better than I ever could and also to the Liquoris as well as the all the others who took part!
You deserve more thanks than I do, Jerry. You started the ball rolling and kept at it over the long haul.
OK. Curious. I count five chicks (which I have never seen before with osprey). Where is my error? Thanks!
Ah! I see it now. Head to the far right is the second parent (yellow eye).
That’s right, Richard. The bird on the far right is the adult male.
Fantastic!! Chalk one up for all concerned. This is definitely a win win!
Do you know whether the land owner can be talked into allowing a nest platform to be erected on his property?
He could get some very positive publicity!
Dick, No, I’m unaware if the landowner has become more cooperative. Or not…
This is great, but I hope they will be able to build a platform in the future to alleviate the threat.
Me too, Tana.
Cool! A wonderful outcome for everyone. Around Townsend they have those platforms and they’ve solved a lot of problems. RMP went above and beyond on this one. 🙂
They sure did, Judy. RMP has quite a program set up to ethically deal with raptor issues.