And as a follow up to my earlier note.

Rick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Howie" <rick.howie at Shaw.ca>
To: "Syd Roberts" <sydbev at shaw.ca>; "Sandy MacDonald"
<sandy_macdonald at telus.net>; "Ralph Heinrich" <rheinric at bccf.com>; "Rachel
McMillen" <maquinna at telus.net>; "Phil Heal" <pgheal at uniserve.com>; "Mike
Hanry" <missy at mail.ocis.net>; "Ian Barnett" <i_barnett at ducks.ca>; "Bob
Scheer" <bob.scheer at telus.net>; "Andy Raniseth" <ran at mail.ocis.net>; "Ralph
Ritcey" <rritcey at shaw.ca>; "Wayne Weber" <contopus at telus.net>; "Katharine
Shewchuk" <ka_shewchuk at telus.net>; "George Gardner"
<gardner1961 at hotmail.com>; "BCINTBIRD" <bcintbird at egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 12:17 AM
Subject: Firebirds


> I forgot to mention some well-deserved praise during my last message about
> local fires.
>
> I have been in touch with the environmental division of BC Hydro. During
> their replacement of all of the burned power lines, they are installing
> nesting platforms at all of the locations that had Osprey nests before the
> fires. They have been just great during the intense pressure of this
crisis
> time.
>
> It seems that as tired as they must be, the crews get an extra lift by
being
> able to help out wildlife as well as all of the thousands of people who
are
> without power.
>
> So high praise to these hard-working people who would like to restore all
of
> the good things, including birds. And thanks to BC Hydro for including
birds
> in their list of environmental concerns. It is a benefit to them to learn
> how to live with birds as opposed to trying to discourage them, so
everyone
> wins in the end.
>
> And through the hydro crew examination of the scorched nest of one pair
that
> I have been watching for 4 years at Rayleigh, I learned that their were 2
> unhatched eggs in the nest as of Aug. 8. The birds had abandoned the site
> on June 28, but occasionally revisit it. So it appears that the cause for
4
> successive years of nest failure, may be due to their inability to hatch
> eggs. Sterilty? Poor incubation behavior? Contamination?
> I have never seen young at this nest since it was built, or at least none
> ever large enough to show above the rim. Only once did I suspect feeding
> behavior for a short period one year. Now, will the Rayleigh Ospreys
return
> post fire for a 5th year ?
>
> Rick Howie
> Kamloops, BC
> rick.howie at shaw.ca
>