Received email from Conservation Officer Shannon Martiak
NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife
Central Region Law Enforcement
"Ms. Mazza, Thank you for bringing this incident to our attention. I investigated this today and determined that the nest in the utility pole caught fire within the last month. A whole neighborhood lost power and the Oceanport Fire Dept responded. The adult pair were unharmed but I would assume the eggs were destroyed. I confirmed this with evidence of charred wood and sticks at the base of the utility pole.
On a happier note, I discovered that the adult Ospreys relocated their nest and are currently nesting in a utility pole at the intersection of Oceanport and Riverside Ave."
Although her investigation revealed the reason for the nest removal, her claim that the occupants of this nest have moved to a nest at Oceanport Ave and Riverside Ave is not correct, to my knowledge. The nest at Riverside Ave (nest #4818) has been there for at least 2 years and was already occupied when this nest burned. I will investigate if a second nest has recently been built on Riverside Ave.