It seems you can’t sling a dead cat without hitting an osprey nest here in Northeast Florida these days, which I happen to think is a wonderful thing. Just a few short years ago, they were a rare occurrence indeed. From where I sit on the drawbridge where I work, I can see 4 nests. They all seem to be occupied and thriving, but I am worried about one of them.
You see, ospreys couldn’t care less about the agendas of mere humans. They choose a nesting site that appeals to them, gives them a great view of the surrounding landscape and allows for easy access to fishing grounds. Once they have chosen a location, they become very attached to it. The nest in question is perched quite prettily on the traffic light that is on my drawbridge. Normally we would tolerate this sort of thing, provided the traffic light doesn’t get obscured, but this bridge is in the early stages of a much needed rehabilitation, and one of the things that will be replaced is, you guessed it, the traffic lights. This places the Florida Department of Transportation in the unfortunate position of waging war against this pair of ospreys.
Never fear, there has been no foul play in this battle of wits. It’s been strictly by the book. The FDOT has gotten a permit from the US Department of Fish and Wildlife. This permit allows them to disassemble the nest provided there are no eggs present. So for weeks now, FDOT has been taking a cherry picker up the bridge and taking down the nest, only to find it rebuilt by this determined pair of raptors the following day. It must be quite confusing, exhausting and frustrating for these birds. They are, after all, only doing what birds do.
Yesterday the birds accelerated this conflict. I saw them mating in the nest all morning. Surely eggs will not be far behind. I hope that FDOT will continue to play fair, and that my nightmares about some unscrupulous person pitching the eggs into the river will not come to pass. I’m rooting for the birds. Once the eggs are laid, it will be 45 days until they hatch, and then another two months before the babies are ready to fly the coop. If we just give them that little gift of time, nature can take its course and then we can have our traffic light back. It seems like a worthy sacrifice to me.
Update 4/10/13: It appears that the birds may have won the war! Apparently someone contacted fish and wildlife and told them they saw the workmen knock an egg on the ground (I’ve seen no evidence of this, and I hope it isn’t true), so now the workmen will no longer touch the nest, and our birds have already constructed quite a beautiful home. Go birds!
The View from a Drawbridge 
A bridge-tender guardian of osprey sounds like a Carl Hiaasen character.
Well, I do love his books, so he can interview me for background research any time. 🙂
See bottom of the post for an update!
Did you read my post long ago about pigeons and poop and banana slugs, where I came up with a way to feed the homless involving… oh, look it up, it’s too long…
Okay, yeah, that’s worth some investigation for sure.
My whole blog is worth some investigation!
I can’t deny it.
Something for everybody. And the new theme makes browsing a breeze… ha!
See bottom of the post for an update!
Oh… the update? Well, chalk one up for the birds.
I’m so excited! I feel like a godparent or something.
Way to take a stand.
Are the Osprey still on the nest?
I haven’t worked on that bridge in a week or so, but they were still there last i looked. I’ll be working there again next week. I’ll be sure to keep you posted. 🙂
Thanks! I’d love to take some photos of the birds on the nest, particularly after the chicks hatch, when the adults are bringing fish in for breakfast. A pair tried to nest on a traffic light over a drawbridge on Longboat Key last year, but the DOT removed the nest before they laid their eggs. Have to wonder how often they beat the clock and clutch successfully in that situation.
More often than we’d like to think, I’m sure. You’d need a mighty long lens. Right now, these Ospreys fly off the nest the minute someone approaches on foot. Of course, their behavior may have to change once the chicks hatch. I’ll let you know. I’d love a copy of any pics you take. I’d love to post them here.
I do use a long lens for all of my bird photography. If your pair are typical, they should settle down as they get further into the nesting season. I’ll be happy to provide some pics for you to post when/if I get them. I’ll wait until after the chicks hatch before trying. Incubation is normally between 32 and 43 days. Then there is a window of 48 to 59 days before the chicks fledge.
Please let me know which bridge the nest is located on. If you aren’t comfortable posting the location here, feel free to email me directly at birdingbrian@gmail.com.
Actually, I misspoke. I meant “Not as often as we’d like to think.”