Osprey at #6 & 403?
Alexander Darling
As I went down #6 to go onto #403 I noted a large bird perched on one of the communication towers, but I could not stop to observe more. On my way back I went round to look and there was a stick nest, but no bird. This is a place that Ospreys have nested in recent years.
Sandy
Alexander (Sandy) L. Darling
Joanne Redwood
Sent: May 1, 2018 11:38 AM
To: 'Hambirders'
Subject: [hamiltonbirds] Osprey at #6 & 403?
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RW Bullock
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greenplanet greenplanet
They are definitely nesting there - a week ago we watched one come up out of the grass to the N of the bridge over the 403 on the Plains Rd extension with something quite heavy, flapping very hard to gain enough altitude to get to the nest. We were driving in the car and couldn't tell what it was, but there wasn't any water streaming off it.
Barb
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Rob Dobos
Regarding the Osprey nest on the cell tower adjacent to the Hwy 403 and Hwy 6 N interchange, I first noted an Osprey at this site this spring on Apr 12. I drive by this site twice a day on my way to/from work, but not on the highways, on Plains Rd W, which allows me see the activity easier than when whipping by on the highway. I first found this nest site a few years ago and generally monitor it in passing each year. Up until this year, the active nest was on the larger of two cell towers at this site beside the City View Inn. Ospreys had actually built a nest on the second smaller tower last spring, but I’m not sure if it was a different pair or the ones on the taller tower as the older nest ended up being the only one used throughout the season and from which young fledged.
Last fall in late October, I noticed that the larger tower had actually been taken down. About three weeks later, a new tower of similar design had been erected about a 100 ft or so north of the previous site adjacent to the Burlington Paving Company. The new tower has a cone shaped peak to the central tower which makes it less suitable for Ospreys to build a nest on. I was curious to see what would happen this spring with these birds. As mentioned, the smaller tower, which is just south of the City View Inn, had nest material on it until late this winter, when I noticed it had been removed (or had blown off in high winds, who knows?). As mentioned a bird was there on Apr 12, and on Apr 16 I saw an Osprey carrying nest material to this smaller tower. Over the next couple days a pair had completed the nest and since then one bird has consistently been seen sitting low on the nest, presumably now incubating eggs. A second bird is often nearby hunting or sitting on the tower. Hopefully they will successfully fledge young again this year.
Also of interest, between Apr 18-29 I have seen a pair of Ospreys hanging around Olympic Park in Dundas. On Apr 28, I saw the pair building a nest on the tall cell tower that is between the Westoby Arena and the Hydro One station. On Apr 29 the partially built nest was apparent and the birds still there. On Apr 30, the nest was no longer there and no sign of the birds. Not sure if they weren’t able to successfully build it due to stability issues and they have given up, or if they were somehow discouraged and the nest material removed. We’ll see what happens here.
As someone else mentioned, there is an occupied Osprey nest on a cell tower next to the Aldershot GO Station. I have also seen occupied Osprey nests this spring on a nesting platform at Middletown Rd next to the Christie C.A. reservoir, on a tall cell tower just west of there along Hwy 8 west of Middletown Rd next to the mushroom farm, and on a tall cell tower SW of the intersection of Valens Rd & Reg. Rd. 97 not far from Valens C.A. reservoir.
Cheers,
Rob Dobos
From: hamilt...@googlegroups.com <hamilt...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Alexander Darling
Sent: May 1, 2018 11:39 AM
To: 'Hambirders' <hamilt...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [hamiltonbirds] Osprey at #6 & 403?
As I went down #6 to go onto #403 I noted a large bird perched on one of the communication towers, but I could not stop to observe more. On my way back I went round to look and there was a stick nest, but no bird. This is a place that Ospreys have nested in recent years.
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