Lamoine Osprey Cam

Mount Desert Island High School Osprey Cam

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

Around coastal areas like Lamoine, ospreys tend to build nests at the top of utility poles, which presents a danger to the birds while raising the risk of disruptions to electric service.   After a 2020 incident with an osprey nest built on a utility pole in Lamoine, Versant Power crews wanted to prevent a future safety risk to the birds as well as the public.  As a result, Versant employees designed and built an alternate nesting platform near the pole where the ospreys originally built their nest. 

ACCOMMODATING THE OSPREYS:

The platform was built with ospreys’ preferences in mind and required Versant’s environmental team as well as the expertise of outside environmental groups, including the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  Because ospreys like to be at the tallest point above the water, Versant crews replaced an existing utility pole with a taller one.  Crews installed a square platform with no coverings, as experts tell us the birds prefer to look down and hunt for fish below without any obstructions overhead.

ABOUT THE CAMERA:

The osprey camera is powered entirely by solar energy and is situated on a newly built osprey platform that overlooks the Mud Creek.  The camera is powered by EarthCam. Viewers are able to take a screenshot of the camera view and share it via email and social media.

IMPORTANT OSPREY INFORMATION:

It is important to know that ospreys are federally protected birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We worked and continue to work closely with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in this effort. The intent of the Versant Power osprey camera is solely for the public to observe the birds. Versant Power does not intervene in the natural processes of osprey nesting, which does include death of the young.

• •  ‘Fish hawk’ is a nickname for osprey because they feed almost exclusively on live fish.
• •  Osprey can be found on every continent except Antarctica!
• •  Osprey mate for life and return to same nest year after year.
• •  Osprey will normally aerodynamically position fish headfirst while flying with its catch.
• •  Female ospreys are a bit larger than males and may have darker speckled feathers around the neck region.
• •  Osprey nests can get quite large after years of reuse and building on to each year – some nests can grow as tall as 10 feet!
• •  While hunting fish, osprey hover over water and then dive into water to grasp fish with their talons.

 Do you know an area where you've seen ospreys attempting to nest on utility infrastructure?
      Help direct us to locations to install our alternate nesting platforms to help keep the birds safe.