Electric utility relocates Shore osprey nests
An osprey pair in a new nest near a utility pole. (Image courtesy of JCP&L)
An electric utility that serves the Jersey Shore continues to implement its osprey protection program.
Jersey Central Power & Light announced Wednesday that crews have relocated seven existing nests to new, nearby platforms that were installed in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Late last year, the utility announced crews would survey existing and potential osprey nesting locations on the utility’s poles and equipment then build new nesting platforms.
The intention is to protect the raptors from potential electrocution.
The utility says its crews used pre-made nesting platforms built to meet the state Department of Environmental Protection specifications and installed specialized devices on equipment to discourage nesting.
A dozen ospreys have returned to relocated nests in Bayville, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Ocean Township, and Spring Lake Heights, according to JCP&L.
“As the osprey population continues to grow, we appreciate the proactive protection work being done by JCP&L,” Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, said late last year. “To an osprey, a utility pole near the coast seems like an ideal spot to perch or build a nest, but it could jeopardize their health. This comprehensive JCP&L program will help ospreys coexist with the demands of our modern society.”
[RELATED: Ospreys surpass 500 nests in N.J., survey finds]
In 2016, JCP&L successfully moved osprey nests in Brick and Union Beach to newly constructed platforms near the original nesting sites.
Wurst and linemen joined forces in July 2016 to rescue a young osprey entangled in monofilament near the Barnegat Bay. Read more here and watch the video.
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