Three osprey chicks have been spotted in a nest which was relocated earlier this year near Bay of Shoals on Kangaroo Island.
Now located on top of a pole, which sits 7.5 metres above the seabed, and about 5m above the water, the nest was repositioned from an old power pole in a parcel of land near an old quarry. The move was able to be undertaken, thanks to advice from coastal raptor experts and a collaborative effort from the Department for Environment and Water’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Coast and Marine Branch, and SA Power Networks.
Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said it was very pleasing to hear that three chicks had been spotted in the nest.
“While it’s very early days, it’s a validation that all of the careful, hard work undertaken earlier this year to relocate the nest was worthwhile,” Minister Speirs said.
“Osprey are an endangered species in South Australia, with only eight active breeding pairs recorded on the island in the most recent surveys conducted in 2015-17.
“So it’s exciting to see that a pair of osprey have already successfully hatched chicks in the nest, less than six months after it was relocated.”
During the careful operation to relocate the nest, it was removed from the power pole and placed onto a square platform where it was bolted and wired on, before being hoisted up and hitched into position on top of the pole. A perch above the nest is faced in an easterly direction, to counter for winds blowing in from the west.
The location was chosen to ensure the ospreys would remain undisturbed by people walking or driving near, or underneath the nest.
The new location will still allow the opportunity for members of the public to monitor activities at the nest throughout the year without disturbing the birds.
Kangaroo Island ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Parks and Wildlife Manager Mike Greig said NPWS staff have been monitoring the nest carefully since the move.
“We advise recreational boat users that they need to maintain a distance of at least 500m from the nest, and remind them that it is an offence to interfere with or harass a protected animal under the NPWS Act,” Mr Greig said.
In an effort to better conserve and recover ospreys in South Australia, a statewide census is currently underway to count their numbers and assess any population trends, which builds on the work the South Australian Government is already doing to support raptor conservation and recovery around South Australia.
As part of the census, two surveys are currently underway on Kangaroo Island, on the north and south coast.
