Wind gusts blow away Osprey Cam nest in Falmouth, new platform installed
One minute you're working on your new home, carefully arranging twigs and sticks in perfect harmony. Then, a beastly gust of wind blows your nest off the 40-foot-tall pole, sending it crashing to the ground below. And the whole thing is being broadcast!
"Oh my God, I watched the nest blow off live," posted a viewer in the comment section.
Such are the trials and tribulations of Season 2 of the Osprey Cam, beaming worldwide from the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in East Falmouth. The rough weather of April 1 brought about a plot twist that nobody saw coming.
"It was a pretty wild weekend," said Glenn Davis, president of the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge, the group behind the Osprey Cam project. "The nest just slid right off. It was pretty alarming."
Thankfully, the resident ospreys, Rachel and Carson, were not injured during the incident, though one of them was in the nest at the time and had to leap into the air to escape. It's too early in the season for eggs or chicks, which could have made the unfortunate event much worse. Davis said last year's first egg was laid on April 15.
The chaos was almost immediately countered with a can-do show of community spirit. On April 2, a new nesting platform, courtesy of The Osprey Project of Falmouth, was placed atop the pole. The project's main mission is to find alternative nesting sites for ospreys that nest on utility poles around town, which can lead to fires and power outages.
The emergency re-nesting team also included folks from Moriarty Tree & Landscaping, the Waquoit Bay reserve, the Falmouth Conservation Department and the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge.
More: An unsettled issue: Why do ospreys nest on utility poles, and what can be done?
Less than 24 hours after the old platform plunged, the new one was in place. Davis said that while the old platform lasted about 30 years, the new one was built better and could last 50 years.
The ospreys handled the abrupt transition gracefully, according to Davis. They stayed in the area, keeping a close eye on the reconstruction, then moved back in when the coast was clear.
"Within hours, they were back in business," said Davis.
More: Osprey Cam is back in Falmouth. 'Season 2' feathered stars named Rachel and Carson
On April 3, Osprey Cam watchers could see the swanky new platform, already covered in sticks. Rachel and Carson had already moved on to the next challenge, likely involving a new osprey generation. They seem to be pretty good at living in the moment.
Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @capecast.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Osprey Cam nest blows down on Cape Cod, new platform installed
