It's that time of year. We're seeing Osprey nests in a lot of our communities, and it's not uncommon, but it can be a problem.
BGE says the nests, when built on BGE equipment, like power poles, can cause outages.
They're asking for your help. If you see a nest on a BGE power pole or other BGE structure, you should contact their Osprey Watch team.
They need us all to be their eyes and ears on this, and here's what they need when you email:
- The pole number, located on a placard at eye height on the pole (**If the pole is easily accessible)
- The nearest address to the pole, and photos of the pole taken from different perspectives (If the pole is not easily accessible)
- If you can attach a photo in the email, they'd appreciate it.
If you'd rather call, you can call BGE's customer service team at 1-800-685-0123
When the Osprey Watch team gets a report of a nest, crews follow all federal and local wildlife regulations while assessing whether the nest is inhabited.
The nest is removed if no birds or eggs are present, and a deterrent is placed on the top of the pole to dissuade the birds from building another nest.
If the nest is inhabited, crews install rubber insulation on wires and other equipment to shield the birds and protect the equipment.
In 2018, a nest caught fire, and a chick had to be rescued.
Ospreys are known for returning to the same nest site year after year, often reusing the same nest, if it's still there, and even making it bigger.
Opresys like to build near water, but also like to build high up in trees, cliffs, and even man-made platforms.
