A new foundation was recently built for the famed osprey couple that annually nests on Hailuoto Island. The couple’s previous nest had fallen from its tree-top setting after a winter storm last December.
For the past six years, a nest camera has enabled internet viewers a bird’s eye view of the day-to-day life of the nesting couple and their offspring.
“It looked like the birds would have had some trouble rebuilding their nest on the treetop, so we decided to give them a little help by building a structure that would ensure the nest doesn’t fall again,” says Matts Finnlund, a biologist from Järvenpää who pitched in to help nest webcam administrator Voitto Pulkkinen with the handiwork.
A support frame was built in the crown of the tree, and connecting branches were woven in around it. The osprey pair, which will likely return to Hailuoto within the next few weeks, will put the finishing touches on the nest with moss and additional branches.
Last year the couple returned to their nest on April 24.
The couple has nested in the same nest on Hailuoto every summer for at least the last six years. An osprey’s lifespan is typically over 10 years, though some individuals have been known to live to over 20. Hailuoto has been a favored nesting site for the species since the 1940s.