The Osprey Choose the South Waterfront

The Osprey waits for his/her mate on the new nesting platform.  March 30, 2011

You may have seen my posts on my Facebook page regarding the Osprey and their nesting over the past few years.  There is quite a story behind their efforts (and my neighbors!) to nest by the Willamette in our neighborhood.  My neighbors Dr. Carol Otis and Roger Goldingay,  along with many other Portland and South Waterfront community residents, have dedicated countless hours advocating for this pair of Osprey and their desire to raise their young in our busy, noisy, bustling neighborhood on the Willamette.  I saw both Osprey sitting on the platform on top the pole this morning!

Here is an email sent out by Roger Goldingay outlining the journey over the past five years:

"Many of you have watched with wonder as the osprey pair have returned to the South Waterfront annually for the last five years and graced us with their presence. Their determined nest-building, fishing and chick-rearing was an inspiration to all who watched this "Citizen of the World" return after a perilous migration to Mexico of 3,000 miles. The story of the past four years of the osprey and its determination to be at this location is on this web site: http://www.zidell.com/Osprey/osprey_01.html  Many people saw with alarm that the hosts of the platform the past two years,  Zidell Marine ,  had to move the platform 50 feet back form the river in January, and then finally had to take down the entire nest platform Feb 28, 2011. There did not appear to be a location for the nest platform to go to in the vicinity. Scientists advised that any nest platform relocation should be within a maximum of 150 feet form the prior location.  The ten-ton specially fabricated steel nest platform had to taken down and  cut it into 3 pieces in order to perform environmental remediation for their property on the river bank this summer. The 40 foot steel pole was then designated to go to scrap. 

However many people in the community worked behind the scenes to try to find another solution. Ultimately a solution was found. The South Waterfront Dog Club (SWFDC) is pleased to announce we have been able to relocate the nest platform to a new location within 100 feet of the prior nest platform.

The osprey like this new location and have started building their nests here. In fact, as soon as the 65 ton crane from Hoffman Construction started putting the final pieces together on March 28, we saw the osprey circling and ready to make its home here.  On March 30, the male was seen doing an elaborate mating ritual called the Sky Dance.  In this behavior, after the male catches a fish, he flies up high in the air displaying the fish in his talons, then hovers. After a few seconds, he then plunges down toward the female (now waiting on the nest) with the fish held out toward her.  This tells her that he is a male worthy of mating. Watch closely and you may see this behavior repeated several more times in the next day or two.

Most osprey mate for life. The nest location is very important to them and they show a high degree of nest fidelity, meaning that they want to come back to the same nest site again and again each year. Although they migrate separately and live alone while in summer locations in Mexico, they reunite on the nest and this mating display is very important. So it was great news to see them successfully reunite on March 30, just two days after getting the nest platform in place.   Osprey eat only fish and are not a danger to mammals, dogs or people.

What is the-behind-the scene story about the nest relocation? Many individuals worked for months.  Finally it was determined that the legally incorporated South Waterfront dog club, which now occupies the adjacent land, could  accept the donation of the ten-ton specially fabricated platform from Zidell Marine.  This pole was  had been carefully designed by Jim Fox of Zidell Marine. He made it so that it did not have to be put into the ground, but rather rested on a base of steel.  Knowing that it might have to be removed someday, he designed it so that it could be cut apart and then reassembled.  SWFDC then  had to obtain a temporary permit from Portland Parks & Recreation for the relocation, get insurance liability, find a work crew and three large pieces of heavy duty construction equipment to relocate and reassemble the three pieces of the pole. 

The last step was to put a few sticks in the platform to assure the osprey pair that this indeed is home. 

It was truly a major community effort and was accomplished with the assistance, hard work and generosity of Zidell Marine, Hoffman Construction, Williams & Dame Development, South Waterfront Community Association, Nature and Greenspaces Committee, Banr Construction, Portland Parks Department, and South Waterfront Birders Association. It took a large flatbed truck, a 65-ton Crane, and a welding truck.  Twelve men worked for 5 hours to move the pieces form Zidell Marine and then put them together like large tinker toys in the current location .

Roger and helper dig post holes for the fence around the pole

This is a temporary relocation for this season only. There are currently no plans for a permanent osprey platform anywhere in the vicinity in the Central GreenwayMeriwether concierge. Or you can give it directly to any Board Member of the SWFDC (Betsy Russell, Michelle Cohen, Dr. Carol Otis, or myself, Roger Goldingay).

We have done our best to continue hosting this magnificent bird that has chosen this particular location"

Roger Goldingay, President, South Waterfront (Bird) Dog Club
email: goroger@earthlink.net

Carol L. Otis M.D.
www.sportsdoctor.com

This is the old location on the Zidell Property