I established an Eastern Bluebird nestbox trail this year at the Davis Creek Industrial Business Park in co-ordination with the City of Kalamazoo's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. This area is a former oil refinery, now an EPA-'remitigated' Superfund site, almost fully naturalized five years after cleanup ceased. Three man-made retaining ponds, which drain into the Davis Creek Watershed, dot the property. I first noticed the Ospreys hawking the ponds in the Spring of 2013, and then observed the male bringing large sticks to the top of the industrial concrete company's inactive, stationary tower crane which sits adjacent to the Davis Creek Business Park. The company and crane are directly across the street from Davis Creek site, where the birds could be watched with ease. The female was observed on the nest over the summer, with the male delivering her large orange goldfish on occasion. Later, two nestlings' heads were seen, but not before their loud cries were plainly heard across the fields where I regularly monitored nestboxes. By early Fall, the fledglings were to be seen making forays from the tower and returning to it, all the while vocalizing loudly. The nest is empty now, with the family having migrated south. After making initial contact with the concrete company's owner upon noting the nesting location, I was assured that they were aware of the bird's nesting presence from last season, and that the crane had been fully inactive for five years. In all probability, it is not to ever be active again, "the world's largest weathervane", as the president & CEO stated. Any returning breeding-age pairs have a high probability of potential success at this site- the many nearby retaining ponds and the Kalamazoo River providing ample errant 'goldfish' and other fish species - with the extremely tall and quite secure "re-purposed" platform being a uniquely protected nesting site for future breeding pairs of Osprey.
