BPA Completes Rare Relocation of Bald Eagle Nest Built on Transmission Infrastructure

Excerpt:  “BPA relocated a bald eagle nest built near Hanford Substation due to its location posing a safety risk to both the eagles and transmission line maintenance personnel. … Once the USFWS approved the application to remove the nest and relocate the materials, the physical process of relocating the nest began in December. The Tri-Cities TLM crew, led by lineman foreman III Toby Cossairt, started by building a 4-by-6-foot wooden platform in a safer, lower section on the transmission structure. ‘I think the crew had a good time keeping an eye on the eagles while they were building and placing the platform, while the eagles were watching from a tower just downriver,’ Cossairt said. The team then moved the original nesting material onto the new platform. … Since the nest’s relocation, the eagle pair completed a full nest on the lower platform and laid two eggs. Blankenship, who was pleasantly surprised by the speed at which the eagles adapted to the relocation, said that eggs in the nest are a very good sign.”

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