For the Birds

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 up a dedicated pole for the nesting box about 75 feet away, which was directly across the road from our house & picture windows.  We were very excited to be able to watch the Osprey raise their family.  While the workers were removing the nesting material from the operational pole, I am sure the birds were unhappy.

After the workers left and the new nesting platform was up, the next 48 hours were fascinating.  The first day both birds returned to the operation pole and site of their removed nest.  The next day one of the birds moved over to the new nesting platform.  The following day the second bird joined the new nesting platform and they both began rebuilding a nest.  We watched with amazement for about two weeks.  Then it was time for shopping in Idaho Falls again.  That day was very windy.  We certainly had winds that day in the 30 mph range and probably higher, which is not uncommon for this area.  When we arrived home we immediately noticed that the nesting platform was gone!  We got the groceries in and I even went across the street to see if I could find the nesting box on the ground from the high winds.  Nothing!  It was just gone.  Gari said, I bet one of the security cameras caught what happened, and sure enough she was right.  Just before 10 AM, two electric coop trucks appeared and again took down the nesting platform.  The birds were swooping and swirling, it was heart breaking.  Only two weeks before the birds had their nest destroyed for the first time, now this!  So the mystery was solved.  We figured that the property owner across the street didn't want the nesting platform on his property and that turned out to be the exact case.  We were surprised that the electric coop didn't coordinate installing the platform without contacting the owner, but that's what happened.  I contacted the electric coop and offered that they would be welcomed to erect the nesting platform on our lot, and that we would even share costs.  We were told that they would look into it and there were a few more discussions, but nothing developed.

Security camera image from the day the electric coop had to remove the newly installed nesting platform from across our road.

Fast forward to last September 2024; we received a survey for the electrical coop and I went ahead and filled it out.  We were honestly complimentary of the service, which we truly believe is excellent.  Lo and behold a couple weeks later we were contacted by the electric coop and told they would like to take us up on our offer to install a bird nesting platform on our property.  We were so happy.  They told us to pound a stake in the ground where we wanted the new nesting pole & platform and they would come out and install the it as they were available.  We put out the stake the next day.  Well, it started to snow soon after and we knew that there would be no pole installation over the winter so we just forgot about it for awhile.  

Fast forward again to early March 2025 this year, I saw an Osprey flying around our corner looking at suitable poles to build a nest.  I reported it immediately to the electric coop and they were out the same week and had the new pole and nesting platform installed.  Now we wait.

Time seemed to stand still, no bird came near the new platform for weeks.  I didn't see that one Osprey that I had seen in early March again.  Then it happened.  Easter morning an Osprey pair was checking out the new platform.  They both perched on the platform, began to bring nesting material onto the platform and actually mated all in that same Easter Day!  It was amazing, prayers answered in a BIG way.

We have been watching the Osprey pair and learning.  The male Osprey is about 10% smaller and the female has a spotted "necklace" under her chin on her neck and chest.  The male is all white there.  This now enables us to tell the two apart.  We fondly named them Abner and Gladys Kravits.  Gladys seems to spend waaay more time on the platform than Abner.  Gladys sees everything, that's why we named her Gladys.  Abner brings most of the nesting materiel to the platform they both arrange the materials together.  The mating has continued since the first day they arrived at the new platform.  It is said that a first egg will be laid about 10-12 days after a successful mating.  No egg so far.  Osprey will lay between 2-4 eggs generally.  We will see what happens here....  Now a few pictures of nest building:

The first day one arrives....

Then there are two!

The pair, Abner and Gladys Kravits

First mating 💖💕

Early nest building, Abner flys in a load

GO Abner!

Arranging the nest materials.

Nest progress.

Gladys with her spotted necklace.