Longmont Osprey chick put down

[Kat Bradley-Bennett]

As one of the monitors for the City of Longmont of the Osprey nest at 75th and Nelson, it was heartbreaking to watch today as the Dept. of Wildlife rescued one chick from that nest because she was tangled up in baling twine.  She was taken to the Raptor Rehab Center in Broomfield. Unfortunately, the poor bird's foot was so mangled from her struggling to get free that she was put down. At least she isn't suffering anymore.

I know many others stopped to watch this family of Osprey, taking advantage of a nesting platform right at the end of the road. This includes many pelatons of bikers. Some would stop to catch a glance through my spotting scope and more than once I saw a biker with binoculars around his/her neck.

Happily, the other chick fledged and has been fishing on its own and will follow its parents down to Mexico soon. This event is a sad reminder to all of us who love these magnificent birds that farmers and ranchers need to be educated not to leave plastic baling twine out in the fields where birds of prey might pick it up for nesting material. Osprey love the stuff and it can have lethal consequences.

Sadly,

Kat Bradley-Bennett

Longmont