Osprey Survey
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Introduction
The first osprey nest at Lake
Barkley was in 1986 following a very successful osprey hacking program. Young ospreys were observed in this nest in
1989. By the mid 1990s, Land Between The
Lakes (LBL) staff documented twelve osprey nests in the Lake Barkley, Kentucky
survey area. At this time several osprey
nests interfered with the proper operations of US Coast Guard navigation
lights. This problem was largely solved
by the US Coast Guard’s installation of osprey nesting platforms placed above
navigation light equipment. The KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
(KDFWR) provided platforms to the USCG for this purpose. LBL stopped surveying the osprey nesting
population in the mid 90s. The current annual osprey nesting survey effort began
in 1999 when Ed Ray contacted KDFWR and volunteered to resume the survey. The
survey supported by KDFWR documents that the osprey nesting population has
significantly increased from 12 nests documented in 1996 to the current 47
osprey nests in the same survey area.
The positive growth trend in osprey nesting success resulted in osprey
nests putting out additional navigation lights where osprey platforms were
lacking, needing repair or in two cases were of a poor design for osprey
nesting.
To help solve the more recent navigation light operations/maintenance problems while enhancing osprey nesting, new platforms were provided to the US Coast Guard by KEEP, Inc. founded and directed by Ed Ray. KY Tech Vocational School located at Princeton, KY, a KEEP, Inc. partner, constructed the new platforms. The USCG invited KEEP’s director and osprey project partner Caldwell County Elementary students (CCES), Tammie Sanders, CCES project leader, and the CCES School principal Mr. Brown, aboard the USCG cutter, Cimarron, to observe operations. A few students, selected on the basis of their osprey project accomplishments, were invited aboard. Students observed and filmed the installation of the new platforms as part of their project. In addition to Lake Barkley, new osprey platforms were also installed at navigation lights needing new platforms at Kentucky Lake.
Ed Ray, Tammie Sanders and CCES students presented
the Lake Barkley osprey project as the featured program at The International
Osprey Foundation’s annual meeting at Sanibel Island, FL, March 28, 2004. CCES won an “Outstanding Project Award” at the
KY Teaching Learning Conference. KEEP,
Inc. and CCES were invited to the Kentucky governor’s mansion to receive an
Earth Day Award for their osprey project on April 22, 2004.
Methods
The Lake Barkley osprey nesting survey begins at Little River Bay
(LRB). The northern or southern section of Lake Barkley is
surveyed the first day. The remaining portion of Lake Barkley is
surveyed the following day or as soon as possible. Survey dates
are listed at Table 2. The survey includes the canal connecting
Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake using a 23 ft. deck boat for the
osprey-nesting surveys.
Land Between The Lakes (LBL) interior lakes are surveyed on a date close to the above main lake surveys. Honker Lake (HL) is surveyed by kayak or canoe with land checks at Energy and Hematite Lakes. HL was the site of an osprey hacking project from 1981 – 1989 involving the release of sixty-one ospreys.
During the survey, ospreys are recorded as either adults or young. Some ospreys are not aged due to the observation distance being too far for this determination. Some nests are rechecked at a later date and count numbers are adjusted as appropriate. The same survey methods were used from 1999-2004 making results comparable with data providing population trend and nesting information. The survey also identifies osprey needs such as nest structure maintenance, potential ways in helping the osprey population and lake users. Nests and ospreys observed are listed at Table 1 and summarized at Table 2 below.
All osprey nests are located on a separate map identified with a red “x” with assigned nest numbers corresponding to the nest numbers listed at Table 1. When adding total nests from Table 1, note that fractionally numbered nests are individual nests. Decimals are used to permit assigning appropriate new nest numbers. For example, an osprey nest was assigned the number “1.5” since the nest is approximately half way between nest 1 and 2 and was constructed after nest 1 and 2. Nests are numbered progressively higher going up stream, generally south from the Barkley Dam area. In a few instances where two nests with one pair of ospreys are located on the same structure (power line towers) only one nest is counted. GPS coordinates are available for most nests submitted in the 1999 osprey nesting report. Survey information from 1999 through 2004 is included at Table 1 so comparisons of nesting success at each nest location may be made. In some cases nests that are no longer present may be included at Table 1 and on the nest site map if historical information is thought to perhaps be useful. These former nest sites are not included in the total nest count for a current survey year.
Results
Results of nest site monitoring are
represented in Figure 1, Table1 and Table 2. The most significant results
is the gradual but steady increases in numbers of Osprey adults and young.
Additionally, tremendous improvements for enhancing osprey nesting, proper
navigation light operations and maintenance were accomplished during the winter
of 2003-2004. As a result, Lake Barkley
and Kentucky Lake are now safer for public and commercial navigation while
providing the safest and largest number of nesting platforms for our ospreys to
date. Navigation light maintenance
problems resulting from osprey nests interfering with equipment have been almost
totally eliminated saving the USCG time, energy and resources. Ospreys successfully used all seventeen of
the new partnership osprey nesting platforms during the 2004 nesting season!
Ospreys did not use the poorly designed platforms at NL 64.3 and NL 65.2 during the 2002 and 2003 nesting seasons. Ospreys at NL 64.3 nested on navigation equipment preventing the repair of a broken light. Ospreys abandoned NL 65.2. The USCG replaced the poorly designed platforms with new KEEP/KY Tech/CCES platforms during the winter of 2003. Ospreys accepted both new KEEP platforms at NL 64.3 and NL 65.2 during the 2004 nesting season and produced young without interfering with navigation equipment. Proper navigation light operations for Lake Barkley and KY Lakes have been restored at almost all navigation lights making a toxic spill from commercial barges much less likely. The lights now work all year instead of many being out for six months during the osprey-nesting season. Additionally, three of the four new freestanding partnership osprey platforms have nesting ospreys this season producing young ospreys.
The USCG partnered with KEEP and
CCES installing a new live cam and related equipment at NL 59.8. Images of this osprey nest can be
viewed at Cornell University’s bird nest web site. The cam site has been highly
successful in increasing public and student knowledge of ospreys. A new more reliable equipment system is being
investigated for the 2005-nesting season.
Key: A = Adult; Y = Young; U = Un-aged
Note:
* O1 survey
was delayed resulting in an unusually high no. of young ospreys out of their
nests during the survey but located near nests.
Eight more nests are believed to have been active in 01 based on young
observed near nests for a total of 20 active nests in 2001.
** Four adult ospreys seen on two new platform nests before the survey date, counted in adult total (2003).
U – Un-aged ospreys seen too far to age are likely adult male ospreys often not present at nests since the adult males routinely fish for the entire family. A few of these ospreys may be young birds recently fledged or adults with failed nests.
Table 2. Click here for a complete summary of each nesting platform
Suggestions
for Improvements for USCG Navigation Lights and
Ospreys
Suggested needs
for improving navigation lights are identified below for consideration by the
USCG. The following five recommendations
are presented for possible implementation as soon as the ospreys migrate
south. Nesting ospreys usually depart
the lakes area by the end of September and return to build nests in early
March.
1. Reattach the leaning platform support tower at NL 37.0, probably missing a lag screw
2. Place a guard over the battery box at NL 45.2 and/or replace the single platform support post with a larger triangular post
3. Reposition the osprey platform at NL 50.9 to above the navigation light
4. Add a new KEEP, Inc./KY Tech platform at NL 69.6
5. Consider a new KEEP, Inc./KY Tech platform for NL 71.5
Future
Opportunities
KEEP, Inc.
would like to expand the above educational approach by providing educational
programs to additional schools.
Additional new osprey platforms can also be made available to the USCG
for installing above navigation lights as needed by the USCG throughout Kentucky
and likely beyond. 
KEEP, Inc. and participating schools can work together to
provide high quality platforms designed to meet future needs. Involvement of participating schools will
provide a rewarding educational opportunity for teachers and students while
helping ospreys, the USCG, KDFWR, commercial boats and the public. Free standing osprey platforms can be donated
to KDFWR and placed as needed in additional suitable habitats throughout
Kentucky to further enhance the expansion of Kentucky’s nesting osprey
population at priority locations as funding and approvals become available. A new freestanding osprey platform was
recently placed at Pennyrile Lake in Christian County as part of a Dawson
Springs School environmental education program.
A platform location has been approved by KDFWR for Lake Beshear near
Dawson Springs, KY and a platform has been constructed for this site. 
Conclusions
The addition of new osprey nesting platforms for navigation lights at
Lake Barkley was needed to improve Aides to Navigation (ATONs) light operations
while providing safer osprey nesting sites for a growing nesting osprey
population. ATONs at Lake Barkley and KY
Lake now operate twelve months per year instead of six months where osprey
platforms were not present. Ensuring that navigation lights operate twelve
months with the successful placement of new osprey platforms may have prevented
a commercial barge accident and potential toxic chemical spill into Lake Barkley
or Kentucky Lake with possible disastrous results for people and wildlife. Placement of the new high quality platforms
has eliminated the USCG need to remove osprey nests from navigation lights
following the annual osprey southern migration, which should result in
significant savings of time and expense for the USCG. Returning ospreys will have a nest in place
requiring less energy for rebuilding.
It is apparent from the range of sizes of young ospreys observed during the survey that nesting and egg laying begins over a range of time. A one-day per area nest survey is likely to normally find at least a few nests with younger chicks that are prone to hide from view while some nests may have had young fledge. However, the large majority of nests observed during the 2004 survey had young at an ideal age for counting from a boat or from the ground.
Several osprey pairs nested in standing trees along the lakeshore where predation risks are higher compared to main lake nesting sites on man-made structures over water. Two new osprey nests were found during the 2004 survey on tree snags that are at high risk to high waters. Several current nests are on power line poles with multiple wire hazards. The Hwy 68/80 Bridge over Lake Barkley, to be replaced at some future date, has three osprey nests documented for producing young during the past several nesting seasons. Future bridge replacement work should be scheduled at a time to prevent destruction of active osprey nests or less desirably, plans could be made to rescue young ospreys if necessary. Good locations are available for additional freestanding platforms on islands at the north end of the survey area near Barkley Dam and on the south end of the lake on islands in the Linton, KY area. Osprey pairs that are likely to loose their high-risk nests as well as other pairs seeking quality-nesting sites would almost certainly use additional freestanding platforms if provided.
Kentucky Environmental Education
Projects, Inc. (KEEP) is available to provide new nesting structures to the
appropriate state and federal agencies. Kentucky schools can be invited to
participate where possible in carefully planned educational activities featuring
ospreys. Student involvement enriches
the educational opportunities for today’s students, our future resource
stewards. The osprey is an excellent
species for incorporation into classroom work for introducing global concepts
while providing poignant examples of how people can adversely or positively
impact wildlife and the environment.
A special thank you to the United States Coast Guard, especially to Senior Chief Brian Williams and crew of the USCG Cimarron and to the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources! Special thanks to Tina Phillips at Cornell Lab of Ornithology for providing live cam equipment, software, air card service and Cornell’s Internet site for our osprey live cam! A special thank you goes to Tammie Sanders, CCES teacher and CCES osprey school project leader and coordinator for lots of extra hard work and dedication. Thanks also to the twenty-five Student Technology Leadership Program osprey project students for their many contributions to the osprey project! A special thank you to Tammie Sanders and Jacob Rogers, Caldwell Co. Middle School student, for their important contributions during the 2004 osprey nesting survey. A special thank you to Patty Eubanks, Louisville, KY for her vital support of our osprey platform and cam projects and for her and friends Barbara and Buddy Gallander and Diane Casey for their participation during the 2004 Lake Barkley osprey survey. Thank you Tom Fusco for land checking the new Moon Bay and Knob Creek osprey nests. Thank you KY Tech Vocational School for constructing a total of twenty-three new osprey-nesting platforms for Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake, Pennyrile Lake and Lake Beshear and for assistance with cam electrical needs. Thank you Pat Brandon, Lee Cope, KDFWR and Ron Sisk, Charlie Clark, KEEP volunteers, without whose help the freestanding platforms could not have gone up. It has been a special year of great achievement for our osprey project and another record year for Kentucky’s nesting ospreys!
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