Raptor family staying put on power tower

WILLOW — These kids are in no hurry to leave the nest, so Lorali Carter of Matanuska Electric Association says the utility’s work crews can’t do anything about sporadic power problems in the Upper Susitna Valley until a family of osprey leave their summer home.

The raptor nest is protected by federal and state wildlife officials who have ordered that the nest be left intact until the family flies south for the winter.

“There are two large, healthy baby birds,” said Carter, who took a field trip to Tower 68 by the Little Su River near Willow to see the nest for herself. She said she also saw one of the parent birds swooping back to the nest with a fresh fish for its brood.

Osprey generally fly south at this time of year, many heading for warmer a warmer climate by mid-September.

Once the birds have flown MEA will send a crew to dismantle the nest and put a covering over the area to prevent returning birds from nesting there again. Osprey can live 25 years and will rebuild or repopulate nests in their favorite spots if they can.

In the meantime, those living in the Talkeetna and Willow area will have to live with periodic power outages.