An Osprey survey of the Gig Harbor peninsula and environs was undertaken July 20 and 21 by Diane Yorgason-Quinn and Adam Trent. *********************** 1. The brand new nest at Victor on North Bay (Mason County) has 3 chicks in it, all of which are busy stretching their wings. This is a brand new artificial platform erected as mitigation for the removal of the power towers in the water of North Bay between Victor and Allyn which had hosted 2 Osprey nests and a small heronry of perhaps 8 nests in recent times. The Osprey at first didn’t like the new platform, but needing to nest, one couple took it. The heron nests were not mitigated. *********************** 2. The Osprey nest on the power tower at the Purdy spit has young, and both parents were seen. Unknown how many young. *********************** 3. The cell tower nest on Peacock Hill Blvd around 156th sounds like it has young in it. One bird was seen perched above the nest. Eagles didn’t get this nest this year! *********************** 4. This is the Wollochet Bay nest which was originally constructed by the Osprey on a TV antenna mounted high in an evergreen, but last year was repaired and outfitted with a camera which refreshes every 12 seconds: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/ospreycam/still_image.html. There are 3 large young well seen from the ground as well as on the cam. An adult was in the nest with them when we visited. ************************ 5. The Inn at Gig Harbor has screaming young in the cell tower nest, but impossible to count them because of the angle. An adult was seen. ************************ 6. While we were at the Inn, a patron of the restaurant across the street (Tanglewood) where we were standing informed us that he enjoys seeing the Osprey nest at the Little League field. I asked him whether he had seen this nest this year, since it had burnt up last year and killed the nestlings (thanks to Melissa Sherwood for the news report at that time). He said he’d seen it recently, so we headed over there, but saw no nests, no Osprey. It must have been a long time since he went to a game there. ************************* 7. Seen fleetingly from the freeway (W16) just north of the cemetery and city center, there is a cell tower behind the sculptor’s site and Budget Truck Rental. I drove in there and observed 2 adult Osprey and heard lots of begging noise from the yard at JMS Wood Sculptures. Again too tall to peer into. ************************* Photo 7/21/2014 from the JMS Wood Sculpture yard off of W16 north of city center (click to enlarge):
Diane has asked me to post my observations on the nest at 156TH ST. I believe the nest on the cell tower at 156TH ST NW is a ” Frustration Eyrie “, a term I learned from googling failed Osprey nests. To make a long story short, this nest is at the end of my street and I keep an eye on it. The Osprey had a successful nest for many years until 2011 when a pair of eagles took it over and raised a chick. The Osprey built another nest north east of my house, which I have never located, but is within earshot of my house. The eagles abandoned the nest the next year and it seemed that a pair of Osprey had begun to make a nest when the phone company did some work on the tower (the last day they could legally do so) and the Osprey did not return. This year I could hear the Osprey on the new nest. Recently a pair (I’m sure it is the same pair) have been on the cell tower. I have seen the male on the tower with the female in the nest calling loudly. I’ve spent enough time and had good enough looks to be pretty certain there are no juveniles in the nest. This evening there were no Osprey on the cell tower, but I could hear them calling from the new nest.