Nature Evolves and Man Interferes

Perhaps my regular readers know the saga of the Osprey on our river.  Nevertheless, here is a short review.  When we built this house over a decade ago, the Osprey in the area wanted to use the cabin roof of my husband's boat to build a nest.  They dropped sticks and algae and I removed sticks and algae.  Hubby was on travel.  I continued to do so, but they persisted.  Finally, we admitted that we needed to build them a platform and we did.  They nested there for years raising one or two baby osprey.

Then one year the Canadian geese established a spring nest there.  They arrive about two weeks earlier.  When the Osprey flew in, they tried, without success, to remove the sitting Canadian geese.  You can go to the link here for that event. 

This spring we hired a helper to clean off the platform which was six inches thick (after a decade or more) with fish skeletons, crab shells, mud, and grasses.  There was so much detritus that grasses bloomed up there each spring.

This is not a job for the faint of heart, as you can see.  This gentleman has experience working high electric lines, so is most capable at a job that requires height.  After a short while the platform was clean.

The geese reappeared the week before to survey their domain.  When they arrived again, two days later, they were loud in their protest to find their place had been "redecorated."  The female explored every corner.

We are now in a holding pattern wondering if they will try to re-nest.  That would be a lot of grasses and straw for them to bring in.  Thus far they show up each morning and stand looking out over the platform, but make no effort to nest.  We shall see....the plot thickens.  Osprey arrive around St. Patricks Day which is March 17.