This week has been an emotional roller coaster watching the Osprey pair.  A neighboring Canadian Goose pair has decided they would like the nesting platform for themselves.  The female Osprey has been vacating the nest box in the evening around 8 PM, then returning in the morning usually between 6 and 7 AM.  This Thursday May 8th a goose was in the nesting box when Gladys returned in the morning.  Gladys made several dive-bombing runs at the intruders but, was unable to repel them.  Later Abner came and performed several dive-bomb attacks of his own.  After striking the geese the second time, the geese decided to vacate. An intruder appears early in the morning. A second intruder joins the squat... as the Osprey patrols the situation. Dive-bombing! Talons extended! The battle continues.... Abandon nesting box!  Every Goose for themself! The Osprey returns... Once again, the Osprey has landed!  

This post is for the birds, literally.  This story started over one year ago.  We were coming home from a shopping day in Idaho Falls last January 2024.  As we approached our home site we saw a couple of utility trucks outfitted with lift baskets.  It was pretty clear that the local electric cooperative was working on utility poles at the corner of our property.  I asked Gari to stop and let me out so I could speak with the crew.  I asked a young fella that seemed unengaged if there was a problem.  He said no problem, they were just out to erect a bird nesting box and remove the nest building that had occurred on the adjacent operational utility pole.  He proudly showed me the nesting platform they had built.  We thought that was great.  There was an Osprey mating pair nesting on the operational utility pole, and that isn't good for anyone.  The electric coop crew pulled down the nesting materials from their operational pole and put...