This morning, we found our first Osprey of the season for Polk County. We have been checking Osprey nest sites almost daily for the past week or so with anticipation of their return from their southern winter vacation. Of the six West Salem area nest sites we checked, three sites had an Osprey! This beautiful female was the first one we found off of Riverbend Rd NW. Next, we found one on the nest site at the ball field in Wallace Marine Park but failed at a good photo. The third Osprey we found which is pictured below, was on Murlark Ave. Here the story gets a little complicated, in that there is no longer a nest on Murlark Ave. due to ongoing construction in that exact location. We found the bird waiting on a power pole. There is a relatively close nesting site nearby on Edgewater that Salem Electric put up last year, and hopefully the Osprey will decide that it is an acceptable alternative.
Other nesting sites without Osprey were Bartell Dr. and Salem Audubon Nature Reserve on Eola Dr. I'm sure in the coming days other arriving Osprey will find their way to these two other sites.
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