A couple's retreat at the Osprey Nest

A pair of Osprey have made the nesting platform on Pic Pike Road their home. The couple have been seen soaring around the area for several days.

Carbon Power and Light took the initiative to give the Osprey an alternate nest site that is safe, away from power lines. In the past the Boy Scouts also helped with the project.

There are quite a few of the platforms in our area. According to Biff Burton, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Game Warden, they are very successful, giving the Osprey a safe place to nest. The man made platforms help reduce the mortality of the birds and reduces the risk of power outages and fires from damage to equipment.

This nesting platform is at a perfect location for these majestic birds. Osprey typically nest near larger bodies of water. This one is right in between the North Platte River and Saratoga Lake.

An Osprey nest is easy to identify. It resembles a disorganized pile of large sticks built above the crown of a tree or the highest point in the area.

Osprey are raptors but since they prey mainly on fish, their feathers are more water resistant than other eagles. They can dive completely under water in effort to catch their quarry. The Osprey's feet are specialized for catching fish, two of their toes face forward and two face backward to keep their wriggling prey in their claws. One unusual fact about Osprey, they always carry fish with the fish's head facing forward.

Osprey will lay two or three eggs in May or June which hatch in about four or five weeks. The young chicks will be ready to fly about eight weeks after they hatch. Be on the look out for the fledgling Osprey later this summer but remember to keep a quiet distance so the birds do not get distressed.