Dear Tweeters,

There are a few natural osprey nest sites that were still active in 90s.
Eugene Hunn mentions the prominent site south of SR 8 near Montesano.
In the same general area were two others that were occupied during the
mid-1990s. One site was on the north side of SR 8 near Elma, and
another abandoned site a few miles W. of the Montesano site mentioned by
Eugene. In the Black-Chehalis River system, there has been an osprey nest
along the Black River that was active for 10 years. I haven't been
kayaking there recently, but it was located about 8-10 river miles south
of Black Lake. There was a nest at a natural site near Carnation back in
the 90s, but I haven't checked it recently. It was near Carnation Farms,
in the marsh area (Carnation Marsh?).

In each case, the nests were in topped snags. As I recall, the Black
River nest was not at the top of the tree, but at fork of limbs very near
the top. I recall a rumor that the nest had failed one year in the early
90s and saw debris below the tree that year.

Tom Cotner
Seattle
tcotner at u.washington.edu