Woodbury County- NW Iowa Port Neal/Brown's Lake osprey nest was removed this past year. The birds have been trying to rebuild. I thought I had found a new nest location across the road, but today I realized it was not an osprey on the nest I found, but a hawk- probably RTHawk-- so I turned 180 degrees to the cell tower in time to see one bird leave the tower with a fish in it's grasp. At least the fishing is good.
A second bird stooped down from the tower to the adjacent farm field. In flight s/he snatched a branch from a fence row tree and pumped back up to the top of the tower. When the bird tried to position the branch, I saw two branches fall from the tower. After scooping out New Lake, I returned to the tower to see the pair again take off, this time towards Brown's Lake. One bird snatched a branch in flight and returned to the tower. I saw the branch plummet down to the ground from the tower. They've been trying to rebuild this nest for 2 weeks, and they've gotten nowhere. My heart aches for them. I fear they will not be successful this year. See the results of two weeks of effort here: Picassa Osprey Album.<https://picasaweb.google.com/101418172590111100208/Osprey2013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIe80dKAh4WbwQE&feat=directlink%20%20> https://picasaweb.google.com/101418172590111100208/Osprey2013?authuser=0authkey=Gv1sRgCIe80dKAh4WbwQE&feat=directlink <https://picasaweb.google.com/101418172590111100208/Osprey2013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIe80dKAh4WbwQE&feat=directlink%20%20> Nest-site fidelity has its pros & cons... -- helen harvey Sioux City* ~~~~~~~~~~~ In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught. Baba Dioum, Senegal * --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
