Power line crew moves osprey nest to safety near Pritchard
Adult osprey returns to nest to care for eggs within 15 minutes of work by crews
Earlier this week, material from an osprey nest near Pritchard ignited a fire on a power pole. A BC Hydro crew extinguished the fire and relocated the osprey nest, which was not damaged, to a new, safer location.
Ospreys, a protected species in B.C., build bulky stick nests on top of trees, tall structures and platforms, and utility poles. The birds often find power poles an attractive option because of their height.
Building nests on top of poles can cause power outages and fires. If the dangling material from osprey nests comes into contact with energized lines, it can create a safety hazard for the birds, BC Hydro customers and line crews.
The nest, which is about four feet wide, was successfully lifted off the pole and set on a new platform just a few feet away. To move the nest, power line technicians first cut the power to the lines and grounded them. The crew then pushed grounding rods underneath the nest and created a rope cradle to provide the support needed to keep the nest in one piece during the move. The crew used a BC Hydro truck with a bucket attached to sling the nest to the nesting platform and carefully lowered it into place.
The new nesting platform is 60 feet tall. The higher pole will attract the osprey as they prefer to roost at the highest point.
BC Hydro crews will only relocate an active nest if there is an imminent threat as there was in this case. Immediately prior to relocating the nest, three eggs were removed and kept in a safe environment to ensure they were not damaged during the move. Once the nest was stabilized in its new location, the eggs were returned. The adult osprey returned to the nest to care for its eggs within 15 minutes of crews completing the work.
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