June 5, 2021 Update:
Don Schweiger recently submitted this photo of two Osprey frequenting the nest erected this spring.
Originally published March 18, 2021
Board member Karen Steingraber, with Julie and David Larson, built a nesting structure of branches, sticks, twigs, and nesting materials on a steel platform to create an Osprey nest.
Typically, the male Osprey delivers such items to the chosen tree, and the female Osprey builds the nest. There remains the opportunity for the homemaker to finalize the construction. We hoped that pre-stocking the platform with materials will make adoption of the artificial nesting site more attractive to any home-seeking fish hawks.
The Osprey platform was graciously sponsored by Steve Lankton and generously erected by Two Rivers Water & Light on a 55′ pole. The pole is located near the East Twin River and is visible from Riverview Drive. Within hours of erection, neighbor Gloria Juntunen shared photos of a Bald Eagle surveying the nest’s amenities. We await to see if the Osprey nest is mis-named.
Previous housing efforts have shown some success. Last spring, Dave Villeneuve installed 19 cavity nest boxes and two Wood Duck houses on the grounds. Late winter cleaning showed that except for one nest box and one duck house, all had been successfully occupied, some hosting multiple broods.
We anticipate warmer weather will soon bring back the residents.
This is amazing! I can’t wait to see if they lay eggs.