Grand Ole Osprey: Birds of prey return to Southwestern PA
Courtesy of Jim Bonner
Courtesy of Jim Bonner
After years of near-extinction and reintroduction efforts by the state, the osprey, an eagle-like hawk, has returned to the Monongahela River. A nesting pair calls a crane in Speers borough 无毛视频渉ome.无毛视频�
An osprey returns to its hatchling near the border of Speers and Charleroi. Jim Bonner captured the shot by digiscoping, or putting a scope to the camera lens to zoom in on the scene. (Photo Courtesy of Jim Bonner)
Courtesy of Jim Bonner
Courtesy of Jim Bonner
A nesting pair of osprey moved into the crane that stands along the Monongahela River as part of the Charleroi Locks and Dam joint project between Brayman Construction Co. and Trumball Corp.
Folks passing through Speers and Charleroi may notice a large nest atop the crane that sits along the Monongahela River. The once-endangered osprey hawk has returned to the area, and a nesting pair calls the crane home. (Photo courtesy of Jim Bonner)
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In 1979, the osprey, a strikingly powerful bird of prey, was listed as extirpated 无毛视频� locally extinct 无毛视频� in Pennsylvania.
无毛视频淭heir story is so similar to bald eagles,无毛视频� said Jim Bonner, executive director for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. 无毛视频淭hey were hit by the same problems of (the pesticide) DDT softening their egg shells so they could not hatch.无毛视频�
Only one pair of nesting osprey called Pennsylvania 无毛视频渉ome无毛视频� in 1986. The state undertook serious efforts to reintroduce the species, which glides through the skies above every continent except Antarctica, and by 2009 osprey numbers started to soar. The hawk was removed from Pennyslvania无毛视频檚 Threatened and Endangered Species list in 2017.
Volunteer surveys illustrate the osprey无毛视频檚 comeback; in 2010 and 2013, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported at least 100 osprey nests statewide.
And one grand ole osprey pair resides atop a crane in the Mon Valley.
Early last month, a local phoned the Audubon Society to report something fantastic: Bald eagles were nesting along the Monongahela River near Charleroi.
无毛视频淲e get lots of eagle calls that end up being turkeys. People are learning. Their eye may not be as developed,无毛视频� said Bonner. 无毛视频淭he woman was adamant it was an eagle. As she was describing it, she described a nest. I said, 无毛视频榊ou know, that sounds an awful lot like an osprey.无毛视频� Why wouldn无毛视频檛 there be some along the Mon?无毛视频�
Bonner trekked to Charleroi 无毛视频� he grew up in Glassport and knows the area 无毛视频� to confirm that a nesting pair of osprey and two hatchlings had moved into a home sweet home atop an industrial crane.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a little town 无毛视频� called Speers. They无毛视频檙e sitting right above train tracks (on) a large red crane无毛视频� near the Interstate 70 interchange, Bonner said. 无毛视频淎pparently people down there have known about it for a couple of years.无毛视频�
Crews from Brayman Construction Co. have been working alongside the osprey 无毛视频� the hawk is known for nesting in the same spot year after year 无毛视频� while completing the Charleroi Locks and Dam joint project with Trumball Corp.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 recall anything like that无毛视频� happening at another site, said Jason Lynch, quality control manager for Brayman. 无毛视频淣ot in a crane, nothing that I无毛视频檝e seen like that before.无毛视频�
Though osprey often nest on manmade structures, opting for industrial fixtures near water that resemble seaside or riverside cliffs and trees, wildlife sightings along the Mon River are only just becoming common.
In the 1960s, Charleroi and surrounding areas were industrial hubs, and descriptors of Pittsburgh and its black-soot sky applied to small towns south of the city.
无毛视频淚 still think about the fact that when it snows now, it stays white,无毛视频� said Bonner. 无毛视频淒evelopment was so heavy along the river. Growing up in that area, 15 or 20 minutes after the snow fell, it was black. That无毛视频檚 how I think of my youth.无毛视频�
Bonner recalls swimming in the Mon (despite warnings to steer clear of its polluted waters) but doesn无毛视频檛 remember many bird sightings. Now, wildlife is returning to the area, and reports of additional osprey nests along the Monongahela River were called in following the sighting of the crane-dwelling family.
无毛视频淚n the Mon Valley, we无毛视频檝e seen a couple things that have contributed. Certainly the cleanup. There无毛视频檚 more fish on the river, certainly than when I was a kid. It无毛视频檚 not necessarily a great positive that our population is down, but that certainly has afforded the ability for wildlife to come back,无毛视频� Bonner said, noting acid mine drainage has been reduced.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a testament to a lot of work. Between still supporting (industry) but having a closer balance where people can now see and enjoy 无毛视频� nature, is rewarding. I hope people appreciate it. Ospreys nest at the same location each year. We can look forward to seeing them again on that crane next year.无毛视频�