Published 06/05/2007
Johnson, VT-Vermont Electric Cooperative has actively been working with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for solutions to deter Ospreys from nesting on the electric poles and to determine a better place in the Fairfield Swamp area to erect some nests. VEC has an electric line that passes through the area along the side of Route 36.

 “It is not recommended to add nesting platforms along Route 36 because of the proximity of the line to the road, and because the ospreys occasionally get hit,” John Gobeille, Wildlife Biologist with the State said. “There is no shortage of natural nesting habitat in the Fairfield Swamp Wildlife Management Area, where ospreys are already nesting safely in the more remote areas and have been for some time.” 

VEC intends to help the birds by installing Osprey nesting discouragement devices recommended by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to approximately 6 of their poles that cross the swamp. These devices will consist of wood stakes, measuring about 2 inches by 2 inches in diameter. When installed, the top of these stakes will be about 24 inches above the top of the existing pole cross-arms. This will alleviate the Osprey from building their nests in potentially dangerous locations on top of electrical wires and poles. 

Osprey began building a nest on a VEC pole in the Fairfield Swamp area last month.  Due to its proximity to live electric lines, the nest caught fire and burned; creating an outage for VEC members.  The birds were not harmed as a result of the fire however, this did not deter the osprey who quickly began to rebuild. “To prevent another fire, VEC has placed temporary insulating devices on this pole, and will not disturb the current nesting activity, following recommendations from the state,” said, Daniel Poulin, VEC’s Chief Operating Officer. “VEC will install the deterrent devices on vacant poles in hopes that the Ospreys will look for nesting opportunities elsewhere in the nearby swamp.”