A new home for a feathered family at CFB Kingston

November 5, 2024 - Defence Stories

Caption

MCpl Brandon Hanger digs a hole using the auger as Cpl Michael Beckingham and Cpl Pedro Guevara Perez prepare to remove dirt.

Photo Credit: MCpl Christopher Laidley

Last summer, the wind had an impact on the wildlife at CFB Kingston, knocking over a pole supporting an osprey nest in vicinity of the Residential Housing Units (RHUs). However, with the diligence of one of the tenants and the combined efforts of various stakeholders on the Base, the structure for the nest was rebuilt, and is ready for ospreys to make the pole their home again.

It all started on July 2, 2024, when a concerned tenant of the RHUs at CFB Kingston noticed that an osprey nest was no longer there. The nest had been established on a pole in the recreational vehicle storage area at the back of CANEX in Kingston. The tenant immediately informed Base Operations to share their concern. Adhering to Wildlife Protection Regulations, the Base Operations staff, with the guidance of Base Environment, acted promptly and initiated the investigation through the Military Police.

On July 3, the Military Police concluded that the pole had fallen over due to a strong wind over the weekend, resulting in the destruction of the nest. Sadly, a juvenile osprey succumbed to the fall and was found among the debris.

Caption

MCpl Brandon Hanger waits atop the newly installed pole as Cpl Michael Beckingham steers MCpl Christopher Laidley and the new osprey platform up to the top of the pole.

Photo Credit: Cpl Pedro Guevara Perez

During the investigation, the Military Police discovered two adult ospreys building a new nest on a nearby telephone pole. While this was a positive sign, they were concerned that the telephone pole had power lines attached to it, which could pose a potential fire hazard.

Driven by the goal of creating a new habitat for the birds, staff members from Base Operations, the Military Police and Base Environment asked themselves “What will it take to have a pole reinstalled in hopes that the birds will move back to it instead of the telephone pole?”

They concluded that the 77 Line Regiment Operations, a regiment headquartered in Kingston that generates scalable and antenna capability in the Canadian Armed Forces, was the ideal team for this project. This is how 77 Line Regiment Operations became involved in the project, hoping that their specialized training and equipment could remedy the problem.

After several weeks of hard work, the 77 Line Regiment Operations completed the new osprey pole on October 11. The new structure offers a nesting site that will hopefully welcome many new generations of ospreys in the Kingston area.