At the base of the Lake Nepessing cell tower, Skyline Services climbers Brad Leach (hooking on to the safety cable) and Steve Cirelli get ready for their second assent of the day.
Those large bolts sticking out from the tower are where you place your hands and feet. Its really hard on the knees because your legs are splayed so far apart.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
As soon as mother osprey heard the climbers, she was off her nest, looking down at them, and cussing them out for being on "her" tower.
The whole time they were on the tower, she was flying overhead protesting loudly!
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
Within minutes of the climbers reaching the top platform, the first two chicks were in their towel covered canvas buckets headed for the ground.
A single line doubled back on itself is used to raise and lower the buckets.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
With the chicks safely on the ground, Dave Clevinger of Skyline Services sneaks a peak in the bucket being held by Tom Schneider, Curator of Birds at the Detroit Zoo.
Dave was the person handling the line on the ground for all of the transfers at both sites.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
After a chick is examined and banded, a small sample of blood is drawn for DNA analysis and to test for blood-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
Tom Schneider is examining the second chick before it is banded.
This chick is typical of the size of all three chicks and is estimated to be about 5 weeks old. Chicks this size are much easier to handle than those the size of the chicks at Acme.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
It's a bit hard to see in this picture, but as Brad begins his climb down the tower, Steve is reaching for the point and shoot camera in his canvas tote bag. He took some pictures of the chicks back in their nest after being banded and before climbing down himself.
Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
Here are the three Lake Nepessing chicks. We knew there were at least two from an earlier visit. Discovering there was an additional chick in this nests was amazing!
With the four known nests in southeast Michigan each having three chicks, a full dozen chicks will most likely fledge.
This is truly a milestone for the osprey reintroduction program!
Steve Cirelli/Jim Kortge photo; used with permission
At the base of the Lake Nepessing cell tower, Skyline Services climbers Brad Leach (hooking on to the safety cable) and Steve Cirelli get ready for their second assent of the day.
As soon as mother osprey heard the climbers, she was off her nest, looking down at them, and cussing them out for being on "her" tower.
Within minutes of the climbers reaching the top platform, the first two chicks were in their towel covered canvas buckets headed for the ground. 
With the chicks safely on the ground, Dave Clevinger of Skyline Services sneaks a peak in the bucket being held by Tom Schneider, Curator of Birds at the Detroit Zoo.
After a chick is examined and banded, a small sample of blood is drawn for DNA analysis and to test for blood-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus.
Tom Schneider is examining the second chick before it is banded.
It's a bit hard to see in this picture, but as Brad begins his climb down the tower, Steve is reaching for the point and shoot camera in his canvas tote bag. He took some pictures of the chicks back in their nest after being banded and before climbing down himself.
Here are the three Lake Nepessing chicks. We knew there were at least two from an earlier visit. Discovering there was an additional chick in this nests was amazing!