HUNTINGTON BEACH — During the early weeks of February, amateur photographer Chris Epting enjoyed documenting ospreys building their nest atop a power pole near his Huntington Harbour home. It was mating season, and the pair of lovebirds would be welcoming baby chicks in April.
But one morning, Epting noticed with alarm the nest had disappeared. He called Southern California Edison for information.
“I thought maybe the nest had been causing an issue with electrical wires, but SCE said, no, they had not been out there,” said Epting, an author and historian.
Epting found the nest on the ground, apparently blown off by wind.
He previously had posted photos of the ospreys on the Huntington Beach Community Forum website, so he returned there to report the sad news.
“It struck a chord,” Epting said. “My post got hundreds of shares. People can be so politically divisive on social media, but this was an issue that brought everybody together.”
Less than a week after his tragic discovery, Epting received a heartwarming call from SCE. Workers had built a platform to provide the ospreys a stable shelter and would install it by crane the next day.
During the five-day interlude, the ospreys had started a second nest in the same unpredictable spot at the Sunset Aquatic Marina. The large birds construct hefty nests, mostly from twigs, that can weigh as much as 40 pounds.
Late in the afternoon of Feb. 26, a SCE crew secured the birdhouse to the 30-foot-high pole. The platform features a peg fence to prevent future nests from falling off.
Epting watched a lineman carefully move the beginnings of the birds’ new nest to the platform.
The ospreys watched, too, from a nearby lamppost.
Early the next morning, Epting saw with relief the birds had reclaimed their home.
“I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment,” he said. “It was not a slam dunk. There was a chance the ospreys would reject it.”
Epting credits the utilities company for, under a tight deadline, giving the ospreys a chance to lay their eggs safely.
“SCE went above and beyond,” he said.
Kara Donohue, an avian protection specialist for SCE, oversaw the mission. “It was too early for the ospreys to have laid their eggs, which was a good thing,” she said. “But we knew we had to move quickly.”
Ospreys seek out spots at the beach where they can dive for fish. “Power poles are nice and open and tall, where a lot of predators can’t get to the nest,” Donohue said.
While he admires bird life in general, Epting said he is is particularly drawn to ospreys.
“Ospreys are like eagles – ferocious and stunning,” he said. “They swoop down on their prey in the water and never miss.”
Epting checks daily on the birds.
“I am waiting to hear the sound of baby chicks any day now,” he said. “The cycle of life will continue on that platform for years to come.”