[Bristol-Birds] Osprey with nesting material at Central Holston in Sullivan Co.

What appears to be a male Osprey, searching for a mate,
and keeping a diligent watch from a utility pole along
Beidleman Cr. Rd. about 80 yards NE of its intersection
with Hickory Tree Rd. and River Bend Rd. near the
South Fork Holston River in Sullivan County, TN., was
discovered carrying nesting material Friday evening.


It perched there for 
about five hours today
and only briefly left its
post once.  It was not
seen to feed or hunt.

Kevin Hamed called 
Friday at 4:40 p.m. to
report that he saw it
fly to this perch carrying
straw which was gathered
from a field across the
road.  He did not have
time to stay and observe
if it went to a nest.

I arrived just after 6 p.m.
but was not able to locate
the bird.  Carolyn and I
 made a rather careful but not thorough search along the 
 river and talked with a few residents and fishermen.  We 
 carefully check the old and abandoned Central Holston metal 
 truss bridge since Ospreys frequently build on such structures.

 Nothing was found. 

 We were back abut 9:30 this morning at the location, near River Bend 
 Baptist Church, and spent five hours in an attempt to see it go to
 a nest.

 Just before 11 a.m., it flew from the pole and circled a few feet
 above the field where it had picked up straw when Hamed saw
 it.  It did not land but appeared to be distracted.  It flew back
 towards the utility pole and then across the hill towards the
 river, downstream from the TN Rt. 44 bridge.

 We drove about a mile down Riverview Rd. where we found
 the bird flying up stream to perch on a leafless limb in the
 backyard of a river home. It seemed very focused on something
 across the river.  There we could see a large bird sitting in dense
 tree cover.  The Osprey flew straight to that bird and then pulled
 up.  It soared higher above the second bird and continued to
 turn on a thermal before returning to make several more passes.

 Shortly the bird in the dense cover flew and passed close to
 us as it moved downstream to another perch.  This bird turned
 out to be a fourth year Bald Eagle.  It appeared to be hunting 
 and twice moved to perches lower to the water.  

 We returned to the River Bend church parking lot and
 set up our stakeout.  The Osprey was back and it remained 
 on its utility pole until we left for the day about 2:30 p.m.

 There was no conclusive evidence of a second Osprey in the
 area.  

 The straw gathering might be explained by the fact that male
 Ospreys  often gather nesting material or even catch prey and
 fly high in the air, circling on thermals and performing acrobatic
 maneuvers to attract females and advertise for courtship as 
 the nest material or food dangle from its talons. 

 The River Bend church bird faced the morning sun to the east
 for an hour during the morning but spent the rest of the day
 facing southwest.  It constantly craned its neck, looking high
 above, and apparently scanning the far skyline above the river.

 Males will sometimes bring food to females during the nest
 building stage.  It seemed possible that the utility pole bird
 was not a male but a female.  If that were the case,  she might
 be eagerly scanning for the approach of a male bringing food.

 Males are very similar to House Wrens in that they may be at
 nesting sites and often build nests before a mate is in the area.
 Like the wren, a male Osprey can build more than one nest at this time.
 Because of the dominant position of nests, usually placed in dead
 trees that are taller than surrounding trees, that should make
 nest detection easier.

 Ospreys do not need to have a large territory since, in prime
 habitat with an abundance of the species, many of them can
 actually nest in colonies within mere yards of one another.

 Males will drive other males away when they come into their
 nesting areas when conditions are less than optimal.  Since
 we have not had an Osprey known to nest in Northeast 
 Tennessee for about two decades, that would either speak to
 the less than desirable condition of habitat and environmental
 conditions or the general population density of the species 
 in the region.

 The utility pole perch seemed very secure for the Osprey.  Heavy
 traffic passed below it all morning.  Only one car stopped and
 its occupants look at the Osprey -- they were directly under 
 the hawk.  Three teenagers played for about an hour within
 150 feet and it paid little attention.  The only activity that 
 seemed to be curious were six sporting-type bicycle riders,
 talking loudly and wearing very bright colored clothing, who
 rode within 10 feet of the pole. The bird looked down but did 
 not show alarm.

 Its utility pole perch is about .3 miles from the river which
 would be at the new Central Holston bridge along Rt. 44.

 Stay alert for evidence of nesting if you are in the area.

 Let's go birding . . . 

 Wallace Coffey
 Bristol, TN

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