Osprey nesting in Colorado mountain town mend relationship with construction workers after initial squabble
Coloradans now have a fascinating opportunity to observe their avian neighbors up close, thanks to a new live stream focused on an osprey nest in Silverthorne, nestled in Summit County.
The raptors initially chose an unconventional location for their home: a crane actively being used for nearby residential construction, which led to a few issues between the birds and the workers. Some of the construction crew told CBS Colorado that lumber and even fish were being dropped towards the work site by the osprey, but those conflicts are now in the past, and the focus on the birds has shifted to simply observing the birds' daily lives.
A live stream, hosted by the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, provides an intimate look into the world of these magnificent creatures. While the Silverthorne ospreys aren't always present in their nest, viewers can tune in for a chance to see the birds pop in and out of their nest, on top of a large pole near the USFS Dillon Ranger District.
"We've started a YouTube channel, and so we're trying to catch little 10-second, 20-second clips of different things," explains Doozie Martin, Executive Director for the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District. "I think, you know, some fish have been brought up to the nest, and there's video of them rearranging the nest; they fought off some other Osprey up there."
The whole purpose is educational.
"For our community, for schools, for social groups, bird enthusiasts, soon-to-be bird enthusiasts," Martin said, laughing. "You never know, but we're hopeful that other people will find it as appealing as we found it."
Thanks to the nest right below the camera, the possibilities of what you might catch are pretty incredible. Already, the stream has caught an owl checking out the spot, and the wide-angle lens has captured a breathtaking mountain timelapse. The trouble is, if the camera and microphone setup (powered by solar energy) somehow goes offline, crews can not legally go up there to fix it until the birds take off for the winter, as they can't be disturbed.
Still, should that day come, Martin said the view we have in the meantime is a perfect way to spy on our neighbors and appreciate the local wildlife that is so integral to Summit County and Colorado as a whole.
"We see them as residents of our county, you know, just like just like humans, just like moose and mountain lions and whatnot," Martin said. "We just did whatever we could to make their stay comfortable and also just wanted to make sure we were doing everything from an ecological standpoint to make sure they weren't being negatively affected."
