PURDY SPIT: Long-time use of power towers by Osprey has come to an end as the towers are now being dismantled after 2 years of Osprey discouragement (see red spikes). A new pole/platform has been erected at the corner of Purdy Drive and Goodrich, but the Osprey have ignored it completely. Maybe the discouragement protocol will make the entire area unfriendly to them. Very sad for me, as this was my “home” nest for 30 years.
8-7-18 – Purdy Spit towers about to be taken down
PURDY DRIVE: The pole erected around 25 years ago to offer the Osprey an alternative to power towers, and which had been roundly ignored by them in favor of the towers, has been retrofitted to new guidelines, which the birds apparently did not write themselves. It now resembles the new pole put up on the spit (which the birds have ignored for the one season it has been in place) as well as the new pole put up 3 or 4 years ago in Victor, which came into use in its second year.
8-8-18 – Old unused post on Purdy Drive, now “enhanced.”
PEACOCK HILL NORTH: The cell tower was occupied again this year and has two young ready to fledge. Apparently no undue interference with eagles this year, which had been a problem at this tower. Don’t know where they fish. John Riegsecker has been monitoring this one.
Peacock Hill nest on 8-10-18 by John Riegsecker
GIG HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL PLAYING FIELDS: Success again on the light standards! The Osprey seem to enjoy the fluttering tinsel designed to scare off birds.
8-8-18 – Gig Harbor High School with Ospreys on light standards
WOLLOCHET BAY: The long-used platform appears to have not been used this year, a first in the 20 years I’ve been watching it. Again, the state has not funded the cam set-up, and the hardware appears to have been stripped off it.
8-7-18 – Wollochet Bay abandoned nest. That’s a Redtail overhead, not an Osprey.
THE INN AT GIG HARBOR: Another joyfully successful season at the cell tower complex, worrisome with all the new construction going on around there for the new Fred Meyer complex. Recommend watching from the Tanglewood restaurant parking lot, then going into the restaurant and having dinner or a drink to celebrate in late July to early August.
7-28-18 – The Inn at Gig Harbor with nest and 2 young on left tower & adult watching from right tower
KEY PENINSULA HIGHWAY at W302 INTERSECTION: Cell tower with sticks in every possible cranny, but seemingly successful again, with at least one Osprey observed in attendence every time I’ve gone by for 4 months.
Key Peninsula Hwy nest on 7-26-18
VICTOR: This platform was erected as mitigation for taking out TWO NESTS when the power towers in North Bay were removed several years ago, such as is going on now in the Burley Lagoon at the Purdy Spit. Tall pole on hill is hard to see into, but a bird was seen there on half the visits in 4 months, so good likelihood of success, but not as obvious as last year when young were obviously seen on the nest. Not sure the bird seen was a juvenile, but there’s been ongoing work on decorating the nest with green ribbon lately.
Victor nest on 7-26-18
UZZELL & NELSON RD, S. KITSAP: John Riegsecker told me he’d seen a nest here on the cell tower, but no birds. I visited it on August 1 and saw a beautiful full nest, but no birds. Perhaps they had already fledged, or perhaps they were harassed enough to abandon it. A very nice looking nest. Will check it earlier next season.
8-1-18 – Uzzell Rd in S. Kitsap. No sign of birds.
PORT ORCHARD: The nest just northeast of the intersection of Sedgwick and Bethel is on the edge of stormwater retention ponds on the dead-end road of a fancy subdivision. This nest had been observed several years ago to be successful, then seemed to have been removed. This year it’s back! An Osprey was on hand to greet us. Nest can be observed well from the Les Schwab Tire Center on Sedgwick.
8-4-18 – New nest on formerly occupied cell tower just off Sedgwick
ACROSS THE BRIDGE: Lots of good reports from Chambers Bay, being monitored by Max Warner and John Riegsecker, among others. John got pictures of the two young still in the nest recently, where one youngster had a crossed bill, but seemed to be growing well. He reported it to Bud Anderson of Falcon Research Group, who is monitoring raptors with crossed or overgrown bills.
7-30-18 – Chambers Bay nestling with crossed bill. Photo/John Riegsecker
SUMMARY: Some big disappointments, but some gains, too. One interesting observation is that the nests so far from water that I don’t know where they go to fish are doing better than the ones on the water. Happy birds at the Inn at Gig Harbor, for example; whereas Wollochet Bay failed this year.
Compare with last summer’s survey: http://abcbirding.com/summer-2017-peninsula-osprey-survey/