Every spring, nesting birds are a welcome sign of coming warm weather. But in some cases, bird nests can be bad news.
Osprey, a large bird of prey that feeds mostly on fish and lives near coastal areas, are picky when it comes to their nests. They love high spots near water that gives them good vantage points and power poles are often exactly what these birds are looking for when seeking a place to set up for spring. While they might be magnificent to watch, these nests can be dangerous for the birds and for the power lines they build on.
When more and more of these birds started nesting on DTE Energy’s lines, the environmental team knew they had to find a solution.
Osprey settle into a nest on one of the platforms installed by DTE Energy in Monroe County.
“Osprey tend to drop sticks on our power poles to build their nests and raise their fledglings,” said principle environmental specialist Thom Snyder. “Some of that nesting material can fall onto our energized equipment, causing power outages, electrocution of the birds and even fires.”
To protect the birds and electric equipment, DTE’s environmental and distribution operations teams worked together to find a solution: nesting platforms over powerlines.
The solution is one that’s tried and true at coastal utilities across the United States, who have been dealing with protecting osprey and operation lines for years. These platforms can hold up to 750 pounds – a necessity when the birds and the nest can be upwards of 300 pounds – and are designed to keep nesting materials in place during high winds, protecting the birds and the lines alike.
“Michigan is very unique,” said Todd Baker, environmental manager. “We’re surrounded by the Great Lakes, so we have these challenges that a lot of states don’t have with the birds. These platforms are a huge benefit for the birds and for our customers because it protects our lines and prevents outages. Plus, you can enjoy the view of the birds as well.”
Crews install an osprey nesting platform.
Several platforms have already been installed – all of which are occupied – and more are on the way, each one bound for a pole that has a nest on it now. These platforms are installed in about two hours and often have birds nesting in them immediately after crews leave the site.
“They can make their nests within 24 hours,” said Vivian Reid, environmental supervisor. “So we have to get on them right away. We will locate the nest, put up the platforms and if there is part of a nest that we can put back on the platform, we will. Usually within a day, we’ll see birds in the nest again.”
It’s a project that the team is passionate about, especially as it continues to grow and protect even more birds.
“We get to protect these birds and provide habitat, but we also get to protect our grid reliability,” said Reid. “A lot of customers love watching the Osprey and it’s important for us to maintain that aspect as well. It’s not just about making sure that we are complying with regulations. We love to go above and beyond with environmental stewardship in projects like this.”