Partnership Raises Osprey Platform

WEST CHATHAM – Granted, it’s a fixer-upper, but some new waterfront property has just become available in West Chatham. It’s a nesting pole for ospreys, recently erected in the marsh off the Oyster River, put up with cooperation from local homeowners and conservationists.

Neighbors in the Oyster River Hills Association were aware of the problem of ospreys nesting in utility poles and on chimneys, and figured a nesting pole could be erected in the marsh behind Chatham Yacht Basin. Peter van Amson and neighbor Bob Davis researched the process and “realized there was more to it than going to Home Depot and buying some lumber.” They consulted with Chris Walz of Mass Audubon and Chatham Conservation Agent Paul Wightman and hatched a proper plan.

Having obtained permission from the select board, the team selected an area of marsh adjacent to the Valley Farm Conservation Area off Barn Hill Road, and taking precautions to protect the marsh, erected the nesting pole in mid December. The neighborhood association paid the full cost of materials and installation.

“I would like to see more of these platforms constructed where it is appropriate because it provides a better alternative nest site and [it reduces] all the problems that go with nesting on utility poles, including failed attempts,” Wightman said.

Once nearly extinct because of the use of DDT that weakened their eggs, ospreys have since made a robust recovery, with an estimated 600 nesting pairs coming to Cape Cod each spring. With that pesticide long since banned, “it is hard to imagine that the osprey population will max out at any point and level off in the near future,” Walz said. With low predation, ample food supply and lots of nest locations, their numbers will likely continue to be strong, with the need for more and more nest sites.

“Installing nest pole platforms helps to provide a safe alternative to utility line infrastructure, but unfortunately does not reduce the number of nests being built on utility lines each year without proper placement and effective deterrents installed,” Walz said.

The platform at Valley Farm will provide the public with a chance to see ospreys at close range, with the nest only about 100 yards away from a nature trail and bench. The town will be installing an informational sign at the site to teach visitors about the species.

“We’re expecting that we’ll probably get some interest from osprey this spring,” van Amson said.