Those poor ospreys

For years, I have been watching the Ospreys at Chambers Creek Properties. They are back, but it's been a lot different. They are trying to relocate the Ospreys to a new nesting platform. There are several things that have really bothered me about how this transition has been handled.


For starters, they were late. My first Osprey sighting of the year happened to be the same day that they removed the nesting platform. While it's possible that I overlooked the platform on several different walks, I didn't notice it until roughly one week later.

They have also been reactive in informing the public about what they are doing. When I first saw their nesting deterrents, I had to search to find information. The News Tribune put up a story days after they removed the platform. Nothing has been up front.

Then the deterrents didn't work. I had a gap between visits. On Thursday, the Ospreys tried to build around the wires. They continued on Friday. More than likely, they were building before Thursday.

If they could justify getting back up to the nest, they needed to remove the deterrent for the sake of the Ospreys. Their view was the exact opposite of mine. They put tarps over the nest, effectively destroying the nest.

Even if they want to ensure that the nest doesn't get established, why did they wait until days of building effort from the Ospreys? I would still be mad at them if they would have been quick, but it wouldn't be as bad.

The biggest thing that I don't understand is why they insist that the old dock is removed during the summer. Would it really be that bad for them to wait until the Ospreys leave in October? I try to keep an open mind. Why don't they explain the timing. I'm certainly willing to listen.

Despite all of this, the Ospreys were still relying on the dock today. Maybe they will give up on nesting. Maybe they will find another location that they're not supposed to use. Only time will tell. Personally, I would prefer that they move to the new platform. This would reduce the harassment provided by us humans while providing a home that I feel would be more suitable than a location full of wires.

As far as I'm concerned, they are 0-for-1. We are still waiting on the Purple Martins' reaction to their new home. Oddly, they left a box on the dock where they nested last year. The box bears a striking resemblance to the new nesting boxes that they have installed (but metal instead of wood). I'm not an expert. Perhaps the greater isolation and height are reliable for relocating them. I just don't want to assume that it's enough. After their failure to deter one species from nesting, it seems odd to me that they don't seem to have any deterrents for another.

I might edit this post in the future as more information appears. Specifically, how will the Ospreys respond to the disturbance to nesting? Also, how do the Martins respond? Feel free to come back for more information.

Update: Ospreys have been building their nest on the so-called swing set. This is the old concrete structure that can be found at the Central Meadow. I have also seen my first Martins of the year. Since I got some pictures to explain how they might go 0-2, I have posted to my photo blog.