Trio of rare osprey chicks take flight
A purpose-built osprey nest at a Perthshire substation saw three more chicks spread their wings and fly south for the winter.
It was a bitter sweet moment for the team at SSEN Transmission’s Alyth substation as the chicks had become an important part of the daily works on-site over the last six months.
The three chicks were reared by a pair of ospreys who have made their home on a specially-built nesting platform, originally constructed by SSEN Transmission in March 2014.
The platform was created as an alternative home for the ospreys ahead of the commencement of a programme of upgrade and reinforcement work to the East Coast transmission network after the birds were spotted nesting at the top of one of the 48-metre-high electricity towers, which was scheduled for maintenance as part of the project.
The ospreys then began nesting in the new purpose-built 25m-high platform, which has seen 14 osprey chicks successfully fledge in seven years.
The new £86 million substation near Alyth is being constructed as part of the enhancement of the transmission network, with main construction works getting underway in the summer this year.
Site teams have been taking great care to mitigate against any impact around the ospreys since they returned to breed in early April this year.
Ornithologists were on-site every day to observe the ospreys and ensure steps were being taken by contractors to minimise any impact.
The birds have since left the nest to begin their migration to Africa, and it is hoped that they will return to breed again in the spring next year.
Specialist advice was taken from osprey expert Roy Dennis MBE who helped advise the design of the purpose- built nest as well as the mitigation measures to be taken.
Roy said: “Working with the team at SSEN Transmission and their contractors Balfour Beatty and Siemens-BAM has reassured me that they are doing everything they can to prioritise the welfare of the ospreys in the area.
“It is clear that they are environmentally focused in all of their work and are adopting extensive procedures to ensure any impact is minimised.
“I’m delighted that another three chicks have successfully fledged this year from the platform built in 2014 - another great example of how firms like SSEN Transmission can work to take care of the natural environment around them.”
Lead project manager Archie Munro said: “It’s been a real joy watching the ospreys return to the purpose-built nest each year, and this year was extra-special seeing three healthy chicks successfully fledge now that construction has started.
“Protecting the environment is a genuine priority on this project, and we’ve worked hard along with our contractors Siemens- BAM and Balfour Beatty to ensure we remained focused on reducing any impact at all times.”