[Tweeters] Nesting platforms for Ospreys

[Tom Benedict via Tweeters]

I’ve wondered the same thing around here in not so affluent Burien we had Osprey nesting on a cell phone tower next to Highway 509 for a number of years, but I haven’t seen it for at least 10 years.

Tom Benedict
Seahurst, WA


> On Apr 11, 2024, at 17:05, via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> 

> Hello Tweeters,

>                 Today I drove over to a cell tower near Hwy 99, where, for the past number of years, Ospreys have had nests.  I have attached a photo showing a prospective parent on the tower with a bunch of sticks already on the tower.

> https://www.flickr.com/photos/29258421@N07/53648198239/in/dateposted-public/

>                 I have been pondering this question:  why is it that in eastern WA and probably other places in western WA there are lots of platforms erected for Ospreys to use during nesting season, yet around here in affluent Edmonds, for instance, we have none that I know of?  My understanding is that the cell tower owners may need to clean off the debris from the nest, possibly interrupting the nesting season for these birds.  I wish we had some platforms around here in Edmonds!  I think there are several pairs of Ospreys that nest here every year, but all on things like cell phone towers.  Eastern WA appears to be way ahead of us here.  I’d love to hear from some of you that are better informed than me about why this is the case.  Best regards, Charlotte  Byers, Edmonds


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20240411/4a6db2ad/attachment.html>