OWLS HEAD, Maine — The manager of the Knox County Regional Airport said ospreys that have made a home atop a beacon tower on airport grounds now are flying in the direct path used by aircraft.
Manager Jeffrey Northgraves said one osprey has been seen in the nest infrequently.
“But more worrisome is the pair has set up a flight pattern that is across the approach path to the primary runway,” Northgraves said Tuesday.
He said he plans to have another look into the nest and then will contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the best way forward.
The pair of ospreys built a nest atop the 50- to 60-foot beacon tower that previously was used to alert pilots to the location of the civilian airport. The rotating beacon atop the tower also kept birds away, but it malfunctioned during the winter, which gave the ospreys an opportunity to build the nest that was discovered a few weeks ago.
Northgraves had said from the start that he was concerned the birds would pose a hazard to aircraft. Now that they are flying in the flight path, his concern has increased.
He said the ospreys spend a lot of time searching for food in the fields adjacent to the runways.
He said he has not heard from any animal advocacy groups since last week when the BDN published an article about his efforts to get the birds to leave the tower.
That article pointed out that airport staff tried using small flare guns that fire something called shellcrackers, similar to fireworks, which explode once they get about 50 feet in the air. So far, those efforts have not succeeded in scaring the birds away.
Northgraves also indicated at that time that he has a permit from the federal Agriculture Department to move the nest and kill the birds if necessary, but that he did not want to use the latter option. He also suggested that the airport might get rid of the birds by using a fire hose to knock out the nest while the ospreys are away or using a cherry picker to remove it.
“We have not heard from any animal advocacy groups and do not anticipate it — most of them are aware of the danger these type of birds pose on airports,” Northgraves said Tuesday. “It would be far better for the birds if they are not killed by an aircraft.”
He has previously pointed out that there have been collisions between birds and aircraft at the airport in earlier years, mainly involving seagulls, a few turkeys and turkey buzzards. But since the airport installed a fence around the airport property, which eliminated the turkey problem, there have been no incidents reported.
The last look at the osprey nest using a drone showed no eggs. If there were eggs, the nest would need to be relocated once he obtains a separate USDA permit, the airport manager said. For now, Northgraves plans to use a drone again soon to re-examine the inside of the nest before deciding what to do next.