[cayugabirds-l] NYSEG seeks help restoring Portland Point Osprey nest site

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:13:11 -0800

Thanks for the news. What a great opportunity!  Please help if you have knowledge or contacts. 

I can understand NYSEG not liking fires atop their poles, especially with transformers, and Cargill not liking operations to be interrupted by flaming nests. Would they be interested in a platform higher on the same pole to separate the nest better from the wires, or are they considering putting up a separate pole in the vicinity with a nest platform? I suspect that the closer the new platform is to the original nest site, the more likely it is to be used. From a public relations and birding standpoint, it would be good if the nest were visible from the public road in a place where people can pull over in a car and not be in the way of Cargill's trucks. The previous site worked fairly well, I thought, but I was mostly there on weekends when there were no trucks, and Cargill may have a different opinion. They might like to have a small gravel pull-off on the shoulder for one or two cars for the public to see their operations - an amazing sight in itself - and the Osprey nest in the middle of it. 

I don't know what types of Osprey nest platforms are most successful - I've seen many go unused for unknown reasons.  I believe the pole and platform at Treman Marine Park, which saw some Osprey interest last year after several initial barren years, was coordinated by Bill Evans (who I think is on this list) and Ronda Roaring (who may not be).  Perhaps Bard Prentiss (also on this list?) knows about or was involved in putting up a platform at Dryden Lake.  Perhaps Steve Kress (cc) has contacts or info, too.  I hope they or others among the many people at the Lab with related experience, expertise, or contacts step forward.  

This should be figured out pronto. The Ospreys will return in late March, and the first thing they are likely to do is start putting sticks atop that same pole unless there's a more attractive alternative close by.

--Dave Nutter



On Jan 17, 2012, at 12:19 PM, Robyn Bailey <[email protected]> wrote:

I spoke to the NYSEG lead forester for the Ithaca region (my fiancĂ©) about the Osprey nest. I have a vested interest because this Cargill property abuts our own, meaning I could have Osprey on my yard list. J  So, here is the scoop.

 

This past fall, the nest made contact with the lines and sparked a fire. The fire department and line crews responded appropriately to put out the fire, but sadly the nest could not be saved. NYSEG is willing to provide a riser and possibly the bucket trucks/necessary equipment to install it in a safer area so that the nest would be up off of the lines. They are aware that Osprey often return to the same locations year after year to nest. They are asking that someone from the birding/CLO community with expertise on providing nesting platforms please work with them by providing input and feedback on such a project. The timeline for this being done before Spring 2012 is on the table. We just need a volunteer to work with the crews to help advise on best practices.

 

If someone is willing to rise to the challenge, that would be great. This is a big company, but they are reasonably agile on things that benefit a community, in my experience. Feel free to reply all if you would like to work with me and NYSEG on this or if you just want to share ideas with us all.

 

Thanks Dave for bringing this to my attention.

 

Regards,

Robyn Bailey

Lansing

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dave Nutter
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:37 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Portland Point Osprey nest gone

 

Today while birding with Ann Mitchell on Portland Point Rd I noticed that the power pole in the Cargill mine complex which for the past couple years held Tompkins County's only Osprey nest of which I'm aware now only holds the intended trio of transformers and crossbar with insulators and wires.  Does anyone know when (and how?) it came down?  Be on the look-out for Ospreys with sticks around the southern part of Cayuga Lake come March and April.  Maybe this year they'll make a more serious effort atop the platform at Treman Marine Park. 

 

We saw neither Red-necked Grebes nor Northern Shrikes from Portland Point Rd, but we did see at least four NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS. 

 

We also went to Aurora to try to find the Eared Grebe.  Even though the water was still flat we only saw 5 HORNED GREBES from the Wells College boathouse, plus some expected waterfowl: CANADA GEESE, 2 SNOW GEESE (1 adult with 1 immature), MALLARDS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, 5 BUFFLEHEAD, singles of COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, distant flying small REDHEAD flocks, plus a few of the usual RING-BILLED, HERRING, and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS.

 

--Dave Nutter 

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