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29 April 2013
Dave Southward had an absolutely fantastic update on the Camden Osprey. Recall that this pair had begun building a nest on a power pole near the corner of Sampson and Rice Roads, and it had caused a power outage. It was a definite possibility that the nest would have to be knocked down as the US FWS had okayed doing so due to the electrical switching equipment on that pole. Then the local Boy Scout troup got wind of it. Andrew Renwand, a member of the troup used this dilemma as an opportunity to demonstrate the leadership skills necessary to complete his Eagle Rank by heading up a group of fellow scouts in constructing a new nest platform. Consumers Energy installed it. (Consumers Energy rocks!) Andrew did a nice job on the platform, and some pictures will be included very soon. Dave later reported success. He found evidence of the Osprey being in the area, and a neighbor reported seeing the Osprey sitting on the pole over the weekend.
Jim Kortge had some bad news. He “stopped by the Hilton Road nest this morning, and there isn’t any nest and no birds. [He] counted maybe 8-10 sticks total strewn about the upper catwalk of the tower but nothing that even remotely resembles a nest. ... [He is] going to show it on the Sighting Map as “Failed.” It looks like “the cell tower crew did a terrific job of driving this pair off of the tower by destroying their nest” in the process of working on the tower.
Barb Jensen provided this “update on the new Newport nest on the power pole near Pte Mouilee/Estral Beach area. Originally, DTE was going to install a platform directly above the nest using some posts that extend above the top of the cross arms and wires. They’d then place the platform with the original nesting material on those uprights and hope the birds would find it attractive and that would solve the problem of power outages, fried Ospreys, etc. However, due to some electrical issues that option was scratched. Soooo, Option B was to place it on the next pole down the line, and the birds would most likely move to it. Deflectors would then be placed on the poles on either side. Problem solved... or at least Jason [from DTE Energy] thought so until he heard from the DTE supervisor... Soooo, looking like Option C is the only answer, which is really the best one if the land owner agrees to it. The Ospreys are so lucky to have Jason and others at DTE advocating on their behalf. Stay tuned for the next installment of this interesting story.”
Jane Purslow sent in some nice photos of the female Osprey from the Kensington MetroPark nest taking a bath.
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BATH TIME! From halfway immersed to a good shaking out.
Jane Purslow photo, used with permission
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27 April 2013
Jim Kortge relayed a report from Jean in Bath, Michigan of sighting an Osprey at the Eagle Eye and Hawk Hollow Golf Courses. She has seen this Osprey catch three fish, which Jim regards as a very positive indication that there is a nest nearby. The next map update will include Jean’s Osprey sighting.
Don Henise reported on the UMICH List observing the Osprey pair apparently “building a nest on the lower platform of the cell tower to the west of Gilletts Lake and east of East Jackson High School.”
Barb Jensen was observing the Kensington nest with Jane Purslow. Barb said, “The male not only chased off the rogue female, he also took on two different pairs of geese and chased each out of the bay area. The incredible part of the goose chase was those Canada birds weren’t anywhere near the nest. They were on the far side of the river near the Farm Center. I think that he was just trying to impress his mate. :)” Jane’s totally awesome sequence of photos of the Interloper female and the Kensington pair will be posted here very soon!
26 April 2013
Sergej Postupalsky had this about the new nest on the power pole at Turnpike Road: “We can’t a priori assume that this is a ‘half-hearted’ attempt [to nest]... Some pairs do lay eggs and successfully raise young on their first attempt. If we wait until it becomes clear whether or not this is a serious attempt with eggs, etc., it will be too late to do anything. Therefore, my recommendation is that an ‘Estral Beach type’ platform be erected near the site and the present nest removed from the pole.” Stay tuned for more information on this nest.
25 April 2013
Per Barb Jensen, there is “another pair of suicidal Ospreys building a nest on a power pole across from Pte. Moo, on Turnpike Rd., south of Labo Rd. and north of Port Sunlight Rd.” More on this soon.
24 April 2013
Dave Southward reported that he “found out where the Camden Osprey moved to. They started building another nest near the corner of Sampson and Rice Road. This new nest caused a power outage about 02:30. This nest is in a precarious location from a power pole stand point. [There is] some switching equipment on the pole they are building on. [Dave] contacted the Federal Wildlife Service and received a written document to knock the nest down, but [he is] working with [his] management to install a nesting platform ASAP so they don’t just build in another pole location.” Jim Kortge had some suggestions to add “some kind of nest platform above the current pole or [to set] a higher pole nearby with a platform on it ASAP.” Jim said that “the fact that the male seems to like power poles makes one wonder if he isn’t from the Skuse Road nest from a prior year and has a ‘power pole’ nesting imprint! :-)”
22 April 2013
Anna from Hartland posted this on the UMICH Birders List. “This morning on my walk up here in Livingston County, Cullen Road near Brophy about 08:30 I could barely see through the trees, two birds flying rather low and heading my way. As they got closer, I saw the first bird was an Osprey with a good size fish, the second a second year Bald Eagle in hot pursuit. The Eagle snatched the fish away from the Osprey, then went down into the field at the corner of Brophy and Cullen. The Osprey circled once then flew west and out of sight. I watched until the Eagle came up out of the field, and it flew out of sight to the north. About 08:45, I saw an Osprey with a fish flying west - ?same Osprey? Then about 09:05, I spotted a mature Bald Eagle flying in a distance over the tree line, heading north. Pretty exciting morning with several [First of Year] species!!!!! Is birding not the exciting hobby?!!!!!!!”
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While this photo was not taken of Anna’s Eagle/Osprey chase, it does depict an immature Bald Eagle and Osprey encounter. Look at the difference in size. This photo was taken on 05 April 2013 at Kensington MetroPark by Jane Purslow. In this case, the Osprey had a nest to protect, and the Eagle left the area.
Jane Purslow photo, used with permission
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21 April 2013
Another birdwatcher posting to the UMICH Birders List saw an Osprey at Lake St. Clair MetroPark along with several other cool birds.
Steve Kovacs had a couple of interesting observations:
- The Skuse Road female Osprey is being a good mother and sitting on her nest when checked today
- The power pole on M-49 south of Camden Road looks to Jim Kortge like it hosts a complete nest, which looks deep enough that the female could be incubating and one would not even see the top of her head. Jim hopes that CMS Energy will pay the site a visit and look at the nest. He said it brings to mind an incident “at a Ford Warehouse facility a few years ago [where the nest] got wet during the fall and caught on fire, destroying the nest, cross arms on the power pole, and the top of the pole. The active pole was replaced and another higher pole was set by DTE with a nesting platform on top, and the Ospreys are reported to be using it this year.”
20 April 2013
There were a number of sightings reported on the UMICH Birder’s List:
- “A pair (male and female) Osprey flew over the park at Vandercook Lake today” in Jackson County.
- A Belleville observer wrote that she “just had an Osprey fly over my horse pasture, land in a tree, and fly across the pasture again and call.”
- Another birdwatcher noted that “Pontiac SRA had a lone Osprey.”
Jim Kortge received a report of at least two Osprey nesting in the cell tower near the cross streets of Clyde Road/ Milford Road/ Harvey Lake. Jim said that “there is a rather good size nest on the cell tower” but does not know if there are Osprey nesting there now or if the sticks are there from earlier periods in time. Stay tuned for more information and cross your fingers!
19 April 2013
Jim Kortge witnessed a “changing of the guard” at the Ferris State nest, noting now that there are TWO eggs in the nest.
From Barb Jensen, “This just in... Very encouraging news. Jim and MaryAnn Ridley stopped moments ago and reported that there were a pair of Ospreys bringing in nesting materials and a fish [to the Old US 23/Hilton cell tower]. Two additional Ospreys appeared, and three began circling and one remained on the nest. Stay tuned... It appears there is more action to come. Maybe this nesting pair won’t be lost this year after all.
Wayne and Frank were watching the Kensington MetroPark nest on Thursday. At that time, the female was not down deep in the nest. However, today was a different story. She was down around noon when Jane Purslow and her friend Jenn first took a look. They checked again at 16:00, and the female was in the same position in the nest. EGG and INCUBATING! The male just couldn’t control himself...typical. (Sorry guys!) Anyway, incubation is about 35 days so the first chick should hatch on or about 23 May. Barb Jensen notes that it was 18 April last year when she recorded her incubating for the first time so she says that it looks like they are right on schedule.
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From the upper left and going clockwise, Jane Purslow captured this sequence of Osprey incubmating, a tongue-in-cheek name for the incubating and mating.
Jane Purslow photos, used with permission
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18 April 2013
There is possibly a nest in Camden. This will be checked out soon.
Barb Jensen reported seeing an EGG in the Ferris State University nest as viewed via their Osprey Cam. See our Interesting Links page.
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