FILE PHOTO - Osprey at a nesting site
Image Credit: WildSafe B.C.
May 13, 2022 - 11:11 AM
Canada goose-like scarecrows can be found on power lines along a Lake Country road as B.C. Hydro attempts to deter eager osprey from nesting on power lines.
In the last few weeks, multiple power outages have been linked to osprey nesting on the power lines, causing fires on the poles and outages for thousands of people in the Central Okanagan.
The latest outage reported yesterday, May 12, affected 3,500 homes.
A nesting platform designed for the osprey has been taken over by a Canada goose along Okanagan Centre Road so that’s why the osprey moved to the power poles, said Dave Cooper, with B.C. Hydro’s community relations team.
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“Our natural resource specialist has been monitoring the goose nesting and what they’ve said is over the next four days that goose is going to move on from their nest,” he said, adding it would free up that platform for the osprey.
B.C. Hydro also installed a fake scarecrow-like Canada goose along the pole to deter the osprey and more will be installed on Oceola Road next week, Cooper said.
They also installed a fibreglass cross arm to support the equipment on the pole and deter sticks and debris from building up. Should the issue persist next season with the goose’s return, they may install an additional nesting pole for the osprey, he said.
B.C. Hydro can’t kick the goose out of the nest as they are a federally protected species, he said, while ospreys are provincially protected.
In the last few years, Cooper said he can’t recall an instance where a goose and osprey have caused such a large issue for residents.
“Certainly it’s a little bit of a strange situation and not one that we’re used to having to deal with or battle,” he said.
Cooper hopes it will be smooth sailing from now on once the goose moves out.
The situation will be monitored into the next spring when the goose returns.
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