Ospreys are back in action building their nest on a FortisBC nesting pole

May 18, 2023

The public is invited to follow the ospreys and watch their baby grow through a livestream 

Kelowna, B.C.—May 18, 2023: It’s that time of year again! A pair of ospreys have safely built their summer home and laid one egg on top of a FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) nesting pole in Kelowna. Ospreys are large raptors who typically prey on fish that look to nest on high structures near bodies of water. To discourage ospreys from nesting on active power poles, FortisBC installs dedicated nesting platforms to protect the species.

“Protecting osprey and other wildlife around our infrastructure is important for us as the electric utility in the Southern Interior and it’s always a special time of year when the ospreys come back to build their homes and mate,” said Amy Duncan, terrestrial biologist, sustainability and environment at FortisBC. “With our efforts through the Osprey Management program, we’ve made sure any nests on our power poles are safely moved outside of nesting season and we continue to install new nesting platforms for any birds looking for a safe place to build their home.”

FortisBC’s Osprey Management Program started back in 2005 and continues to protect birds through the installation of nesting platforms. These platforms are built higher than the surrounding electricity infrastructure to encourage the ospreys and other birds to nest at these safer locations. To date, FortisBC has installed close to 80 of these platforms across the Southern Interior.

Through this program, FortisBC’s environment team also works with power line technicians to relocate osprey nests built on electric infrastructure. For example, at the end of last nesting season, FortisBC found a large osprey nest on one of their power poles in Montrose B.C. To keep the next occupants of the nest safe, the team chose a new site to install a nesting platform to relocate the osprey nest. Prior to the installation, archeological and plant assessments were completed to make sure this was a suitable location for the pole and to determine the seed mix to plant around the pole to restore the surrounding area. In March, a crane was used to safely lift the osprey nest off of the FortisBC power pole and successfully moved it onto the new dedicated nesting platform.

Through FortisBC’s livestream, the public can follow the ospreys’ journey and watch the baby osprey grow up. Learn more about FortisBC’s Osprey Management Program and watch the livestream at fortisbc.com/osprey.

 

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