11/9/09-I got the word from my Wife that something was wrong with the Osprey nest.
We pass the nest daily several times a day and we would often coment on whether there was activity near the nest or not.
This time of year the weather changes rather quickly as we are talking mid October before the Osprey actually left the area to fly south for the winter.
Last Year the Birds high tailed it out of this area in mid September so I was very suprised they hung around so long.
As my Wife and I approached the area where the nest use to be we also noticed that there was a lot of tree damage as a storm wreaked havic on our area the night before.
My first thought was maybe the high winds blew the nest off of the tree it sat upon but we have seen this nest withstand brutal winds before so something didn't sit right with this whole scene.
On this day we walked around the pond that sat below the Nest. Many times I would watch as the Osprey would glide across the pond ever so effortlessly and return to the nest to feed or just observe me observing them.I learned so much from them and their behavior that I consider it a blessing to be able to photograph their lives usually everyday for 5 months.
The sun was settling in for a chilly October eve and it was time for us to get our photos and get back before darkeness fall upon us.
You don't want to wander out in the backwoods at night regardless of how well you know the area as you may encounter something you don't want to encounter.
It was fast approaching 6:00 p.m. as we returned home and it really didn't sink in until I returned to the area the next day with more light to work with that I got a great look at what took place and what brought down the Osprey nest.
The Osprey nest would still be standing today if it wasn't for a force of nature that brought the nest crashing down.
It wasn't high winds-it wasn't man nor was it a inner pest.
Nope it was a family of Beavers & we had been watching this very family for most of the summer silently swim up and down the back waters of the Flathead river.
After looking at the damage of not just the Osprey nest but of the area -it became quite clear that this family desemated the area bringing down tree after tree.Last year we had spoken with the owner of this property and at that time he was very upset that a family of Beavers were destroying the trees so badly that he was going to have to try and eliminate the problem.
I didn't see any signs of the family around winter time last year but it was obvious that they were leaving their mark.
A month ago you could look up the backwater towards the North and see that the area was brisking with trees and tree life.
The Birds would soar from tree to tree and the Osprey were hanging out if not in the nest then in nearby trees munching on fish.It was a great site to see but we had no Idea that a few Beaver would cause a chain reaction sending one tree slamming into another and with great force smashing into the tree that harboured the nest causing it to snapped half way up the tree and send it and the nest to the forest floor below.
if you were to look over the Osprey area and the pond you would see nothing but trees everywhere lining the pond as these creatures are eating at such a fast rate that any tree along the backwater and not just on the pond side but on the branch of the Flathead river is in danger.
The Osprey are survivors and I am sure they will relocate but the question is:
will they return to this area after all of the Devestation that has taken place by these wood chewing critters?
It is interesting to note that it only took a matter of a few weeks to bring such destruction to the area.
During the summer months the Beaver would bounce from one side of the backwater to the other and what is so amazing is how quickly they are able to bring a area that has so much wildlife and reduce the surrounding to rubish.
I guess we need to let Mother Nature do her thing.......
