Osprey Nest Update....

We have completed the job of securing a protective layer underneath the platform to keep eggs and chicks from falling through the nest, while not disturbing the existing nesting material for future osprey seasons. The new layer is flush against the existing fencing so no gaps exist and is secured every few inches.

Palmetto Electric is in the process of reaching out to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, SCDNR, to discuss ways to improve the nesting platform. These discussions will include improvements and a timeline to implement changes that will benefit the ospreys.

With Palmetto's support of the osprey program, we will cover the cost of any improvements. As soon as we have an approved plan, we will post it here.

Yes, it appears that we lost the 4th & 5th eggs. Bea and Jasper never built up the interior base of the nest except with Spanish Moss.  With Bea and Jasper incubating the eggs with no base of twigs, limbs, etc. to keep the nest together the eggs eventually they fell through the nest.

The fourth egg has been pushed down below the Spanish Moss and Bea and Jasper seem to be only focused on the fifth egg. The fourth egg must not be viable as they only seem concerned with the last egg. The arrow is pointing to the little portion of the fourth egg that is still visible.

We are crossing our fingers for the last egg to produce a chick.
 

Bea has laid another egg, totaling 5 at this point. The first three eggs fell through the thin base of the nest. Five eggs is a first for us since we have had the camera since 2007.

Bea laid the 4th egg yesterday afternoon. Both Jasper and Bea have been adding leaves and spanish moss to the nest, which hopefully they reinforced enough so the egg doesn't fall through as the first three.

Bea has laid her fourth egg. It's been quite some time when we had four eggs. Hopefully this fourth egg will survive the nest's thin base.

It has been confirmed that the two eggs fell through the nest. In past years Bea has laid three eggs so it's possible for the pair to have another egg.

The second egg was laid Sunday.

We have our first egg of 2017.  

Welcome to Palmetto Electric's 2017 Osprey Season

We are opening the seventh season with our osprey pair, Bea and Jasper, and celebrating our 10th year overall broadcasting images of our osprey nest located off Mathews Drive on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Bea arrived January 10th at 8:25 a.m. and Jasper arrived this morning, January 31st, at 7:08 a.m. The pair have produced eleven offspring in the past six years. Unfortunately for the pair the nest failed last year so we are eager for Bea and Jasper to have a successful 2017 season.

Luckily, the pair still has much of their nest remaining on top of the platform. We were quite surprised to see it after Hurricane Matthew hit during the night of October 7, 2016.

Hilton Head experienced maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, just 1 mph shy of a category 3 hurricane. The island took a blow, but it didn't take long for the ospreys that hang around to be seen and heard around the island. It has been estimated that Hilton Head lost over 120,000 trees and that number could climb. So Bea and Jasper are fortunate to not have to build their nest from scratch. They should have an easier time finding twigs and other material to add to their nest as there are stockpiles of tree debris scattered about the island.

We welcome all of our viewers/bloggers to our site and hope you enjoy Bea and Jasper and osprey chicks.

Our 2017 Osprey Blog is not officially open just yet, but wanted to let everyone know that Bea arrived the morning of January 10, 2017. We are awaiting Jasper's return so the pair can begin rebuilding their nest and start a new family of ospreys.