Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Ospreys Nest in Front of Maryland Traffic Cam

It's the traffic cam that suddenly became a nestcam. For the second time in a week, with permission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Maryland Transportation Authority has removed an osprey nest from in front of a traffic camera at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

WTOP reports on Monday morning, Apr. 21, MDTA crews removed the osprey nest built on a camera pole facing the Bay Bridge from the toll plaza. A pair of ospreys built a nest in the same spot last week, but MDTA's efforts to relocate it Friday led to its destruction the station reported.
The ospreys built the nest again over the weekend. MDTA crews removed the nest around 9:30 a.m. Monday, before it was completely constructed. The birds were not present when crews removed the nest, says John Sales, MDTA spokesman.

Last week, MDTA reached out to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for assistance in removing the nest. Fish and Wildlife, as well as Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, gave MDTA the OK to relocate the nest as long as eggs were not in it, according to Sales. He said the nest must be removed because it is blocking the traffic camera and the birds have been pecking the camera.

Read more at: http://www.wtop.com/41/3607791/Osprey-nest-blocking-traffic-camera-near-Bay-Bridge-destroyed-for-second-time

To see if the ospreys are back, check out the current view from the camera at: http://www.chart.state.md.us/video/video.php?feed=4900c5b02e84001c00503336c4235c0a