Ospreys’ ohm sweet ohm
Birds of prey build their nest on top of 400,000 volt pylon
IT is the ultimate high-wire act... and one that could deliver a shock of 400,000 volts.
Blissfully unaware of the danger, a pair of breeding ospreys have decided to set up a new high-rise home – on top of an electricity pylon.
And for excited birdwatchers in Ross-shire, the antics of the two birds of prey proved a powerful draw as they tirelessly flew back and forward with branches and clumps of moss to construct their high-voltage des res.
It’s not the first time in recent years a pair of ospreys have nested on top of a pylon in Scotland.
An artificial nest was specially created on a 25-metre high pole in a field in Perthshire in 2017 to lure two birds away when SSE Networks began planning improvement works near Alyth.
The latest power couple have appeared just two weeks after the first osprey egg of the breeding season was spotted at the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve, near Dunkeld, Perthshire. Last week it was also reported a pair of ospreys had produced an egg in the first successful breeding attempt in southern England for 200 years.
One of the UK’s most endangered species, conservationists have gone to great lengths since the 1990s to boost the country’s osprey population.
It is thought there are now around 200 to 300 ospreys in Scotland. After migrating 3,000 miles to Africa in the winter, they usually return to the same nesting spot each year.
Despite osprey numbers growing, nesting sites are still heavily protected, with many locations shrouded in secrecy to protect the birds from egg collectors.