Fright of the Sea Hawk 0
Storms, wind and driving rain are most often to blame for power outages in coastal Virginia.
But osprey nests?
Dominion Virginia Power says a large nest, made from straw, reeds and sticks, and resting on transmission lines along Northampton Boulevard, caused a 90-minute blackout Thursday night that affected more than 12,000 homes.
Be honest now.
Haven’t you always harbored a secret desire to give the electric company the bird?
When I was a young ‘un, back in the olden days, ospreys (AKA “sea hawks,” sometimes “sea eagles”) were rare. The article goes on to point out that their population has rebounded since DDT was banned in the 1970s.
They build large nests at the very top of dead trees. And what is a light pole other than a man-made dead tree?
One of the pleasures of boating is seeing ospreys in flight as they hunt.
Occasionally, though they prefer not to, the electric company puts a platform on top of light poles so that ospreys can nest there safely above the transformers. Follow the link to see a picture of one such platform.
