PORT HADLOCK — An osprey nest atop a 150-foot communications tower has presented a quandary for emergency personnel who are forbidden by state law to move or destroy the nest until the eggs are hatched and the birds are gone for the winter.
“It hasn’t interfered with our emergency transmissions so far, even though it’s sitting right on top of a microwave dish,” said JeffCom911 Executive Director Janet Silvus.
“But if we don’t do anything, they could come back and add to the nest, and the extra weight could cause the dish to break off.”
The tower is in the same complex as the Sheriff’s Office, emergency services, JeffCom911 and the jail.
The fish-eating hawks — which weigh 2 to 4 pounds, are about 2 feet long and can have wingspans up to 6 feet — began building their nest in May and have not nested in this location before, Silvus said.
But they are likely to return.
Osprey, which mate for life, often return to the same nests year after year, and the young birds grow as large as their parents before they take their first flight, the National Audubon Society said.
State law forbids any tampering with the nest as long as the birds are present — expected to be until sometime this month — but after they are gone, it is legal to move or destroy the nest, according to state Fish and Wildlife spokesman Craig Bartlett.
Silvus prefers relocating the nest.
If it is destroyed, the birds could come back next year and build a new nest in the same location, she said.
The agency is exploring the idea of putting up a 125-foot pole with a platform atop it up the hill from the emergency center and relocating a portion of the nest to the top of the platform.
No budget or schedule has been discussed, though it would be up to Jefferson County to build the pole.
Bob Hamlin, manager of the county Department of Emergency Management, would like to put a webcam on top of the platform to observe the osprey’s development but said he doesn’t know if the money is available to install and maintain a camera.
Jeff Skriletz, a biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Department who has worked with the Sheriff’s Office to determine a plan, said osprey relocation is a common occurrence, especially since the birds’ population has increased in recent years.
He said that once a nest is removed, metal triangles can be used to discourage the birds from building a nest on a surface without hurting their feet.
Ospreys have been known to nest on man-made structures, such as power poles, duck blinds, communication towers, buildings and billboards.
A pair were even reported by KING-5 News in May 2011 as building a nest on the upper structure of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship docked at Lake Washington.
Ospreys are not listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act but are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and are monitored by the state Fish and Wildlife Department.
Osprey migrate to Mexico and Central America in the winter.
JeffCom911 staff members are disappointed that the birds will soon leave for warmer climes.
“We’ve enjoyed having them around,” Silvus said.
“I love hearing their chirps.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.