Swifts Beach residents question Eversource after osprey nest removal

A group of Swifts Beach residents are calling out Eversource after the company removed an osprey nest from a utility pole in late July, saying the birds returned without a home. 

Multiple osprey nests sitting atop utility poles in the neighborhood were found destroyed in the past week, with sticks scattered on the ground by the bottom of the poles. In a July 27 Facebook post, users commented pictures of nestless birds sitting on top of utility poles and one walking on the street. One user described the birds as "distraught" parents.

According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, ospreys and their nests are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

A representative from Eversource wrote in an email to Wareham Week that crews determined the ospreys were a "hazard" which met the standards of the company's Osprey Management Plan. The representative added that the company "removed the nest to address a safety risk in accordance with regulations."

The utility poles, which are maintained by Eversource, can catch fire and cause power outages when burdened with heavy bird nests. In 2021, ospreys downed power wires on Main Street causing small brush fires and widespread power outages in town. 

Eversource's policy allows for the removal of osprey nests in the event of "imminent danger," like a high risk of fire, property damage or electrocuting the birds. It is not clear which of these hazards in particular prompted the removal. 

Active osprey nests, which have eggs or chicks present, require a permit to be removed. Inactive nests without chicks or eggs can be removed without a permit.

According to the Eversource representative, crews "checked the nest carefully and confirmed there were no chicks or eggs present before removing it." 

Lori Benson, the Wareham Land Trust's "osprey enthusiast," said this is the time of year when young ospreys are learning to fly and families of birds often leave their nests for the day. That appears to be what happened in Swifts Beach this week. 

In a series of posts to Facebook, several residents posted pictures of ospreys they said returned to the utility poles to find their nests taken down. 

Ospreys are remarkably persistent creatures. This phenomenon is recorded in Eversource's management plan, which says ospreys have "strong nest site fidelity" and often return to the same spot over and over. 

The plan reads that "they [ospreys] will continue to build at a certain location regardless of how many times the nest is removed, and that a means of deterring nest construction should be implemented as soon as possible upon nest removal."

According to Eversource, it was not possible to install a safety platform for the birds at Swifts Beach. Installing separate poles was also not possible due to siting, permitting and resource limitations. 

Ospreys lay eggs in April, which hatch between mid-May and early June. About two months later, juvenile ospreys start testing their ability to fly before migrating in late August to early September, according to the Eversource management plan. 

However, the osprey nests in Wareham were taken down in early August. And many of the birds could now be forced to migrate early, according to Benson. 

According to Eversource's policy, "efforts shall be made to keep the nest in place to the greatest extent practicable" if there are chicks or eggs inside.

Osprey nests continue to sit on utility poles in town, including one on Oceanside Drive in Swifts Beach, as the birds wait to migrate later this month.