This is C22, a male osprey from the Kensington hacking project. He fledged in 2000 and has been nesting on the Acme cell tower since 2003.

He often perches on this post so he can watch his mate and their chicks in the nest that is in the direction he is currently looking.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

This is C22 and mates nest on the west point of the upper antenna array on the Acme cell tower. If you are driving down US23 toward Ann Arbor, this nest can be seen from the expressway. It is about 1.5 miles south of the Lee Rd. exit.

When we went to band on July 7th, we knew there was at least one chick in this nest as we could see the female feeding. The number of chicks was unknown until the climbers reached this upper platform.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

While the climbing crew was getting their equipment ready, Julie Oakes, DNR Wildlife Biologist, was preparing some of the colored class bands that would be used.

These yellow bands signify that the chicks were born in 2006.

She is nipping off the ends of the bands so that they will be easier to apply to the chicks left leg.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

When the two climbers reached the top platform, Brad Leach took some pictures of the nest contents with a small point and shoot camera supplied by Jim Kortge.

While this was happening, the other climber, Steve Cirelli was making final preparations for sending down the chicks in the canvas buckets being used.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

Here is what the climbers saw when they reached the top of the tower. Three, really big (probably 7 weeks old) chicks hunkered down in their nest. This is an osprey chicks defensive posture, leaned at a very young age, to protect itself from intruders.

You can see old US23 and the US23 expressway running off to the north in this photo.

Brad Leach/Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

These two canvas buckets being carried by Jerry Hawkins (of Skyline Services) were used to ferry the chicks from the top tower platform to the ground and back up again after they were banded.

A bath towel was placed over the bucket mouth after the chick was placed in it to keep the chick calm.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

This is the second chick. It has received its class bands on the left leg and Julie is crimping the US Fish and Wildlife (Federal) band on the right leg.

The chick in the bucket has already been banded and is waiting to go back up to the nest.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission

This is the third chick. It has yet to be examined, banded, and blood sample drawn.

That unhappy expression didn't improve while all of those tasks were being done!

Each of the chicks was banded without incident and was out of its nest less than 30 minutes.

From the Acme cell tower, we journeyed to the Lake Nepessing cell tower to band those chicks. The next photo album has those pictures.

Jim Kortge photo; used with permission