The Osprey nest relocation program is on track, and SaskPower and Forbes Brothers Construction have delivered the used power pole. A platform for the nest was built and bolted to the pole. The town is still waiting for the crew to arrive to install the pole.
"We need to have it done by March as that is when a crane is coming to remove the nest from the cell tower,鈥� said Endeavour Mayor Brad Romanchuk. 鈥淭hey will be installing a cone on top of the tower to help deter the birds from building on it."
The tower platform went up in the village on March 10 and was located approximately 200 feet from the original cell tower. The next portion of the project will be the removal of the nest off the cell tower intact and setting it on the new platform. SaskTel will be hiring a 150 ft crane to do the job.
The nesting Osprey in Endeavour started building the nest late in the 2018 season and finished in early 2019. They laid eggs and the two young chicks were visible during the summer of 2019. They migrated in the fall but will be back in early April.
Most of the residents in the Village of Endeavour were disappointed when they realized that the Osprey nest located on the cell tower has been destroyed for the first time.
When the SaskTel Human Resources and Environment manager was contacted he indicated there was a complaint of damage caused to the tower by the Osprey nesting activity. He had stated that the tower was not designated for the extra weight of an Osprey nest. He had said that a possible buildup of ice and snow along with a strong wind could compromise the structure. He had also reported that when service people need to climb the tower, the Osprey dive at them creating a safety hazard issue. He told Romanchuk that the towers across North America are all experiencing the same type of problems with Osprey. Apparently these nests also tend to start forest fires in remote areas. Either lightning or a short in the live wires starts the nests on fire.
The Osprey is a unique bird that is unmistakable when seen at close range, stated the bird view website.
It is the only species in its family, and it is found worldwide. Its breast and belly are mostly white, with some dark streaks. The white extends out the wings, but the primaries, secondaries, and tail feathers are mottled black-and-white. The back is mostly black or dark brown. The head is distinctive with a white crest, a face bisected by a dark eye-stripe, and yellow eyes. While there is much variation, the female tends to have a streakier breast than the male.
The Osprey's talons are uniquely adapted for catching and carrying fish: their surfaces are rough, and their toes can be held with three forward and one back, or with two forward and two back, an arrangement seen in owls but not in other diurnal raptors. In flight, they are most often confused with gulls because of their long wings, which are bent at the wrist. However, Ospreys have a bounce to their flight that gulls lack
