A daring treetop mission has seen the years-long home of a pair of eastern ospreys rebuilt on the Sunshine Coast after a storm badly damaged it two years ago.
Sunshine Coast Council manages the Birtinya nesting platform and was alerted by residents when the breeding pair didn't return to rebuild their nest.
"The decision was made not to create an artificial nest structure there because we wanted the birds to be able to naturally rebuild — as they had before," said council conservation officer Kate Hofmeister.
"Fast forward a breeding season, and the birds had not naturally rebuilt.
"The community were again saying, 'The birds haven't rebuilt their nest — it's time for us to intervene.'"
Aluminium nest built to last
The council contracted David Sullivan — a specialist in building fauna crossings — who said rebuilding the osprey nest was no easy feat.
"It's very, very difficult to get to," he said.
"That tree branch that you can see is actually stuck up on the top of a telegraph pole 25m in the air.
"The nest they've had there has rotted out and fallen apart — that had to be taken down and this one put up bit by bit."
A specialist climber took measurements of the tree branches, which were the foundation of the nest structure.
From there, Mr Sullivan designed and constructed aluminium poles that were winched up and welded into place.
"The climber probably went up three or four times to take measurements so that we could make it on the ground," Mr Sullivan said.
"And then we put it back up there, bit by bit."
Birds accept new home
Mr Sullivan said to encourage the birds to add their own nesting material, foliage was also attached to the nesting box.
He says, unlike smaller birds that make small nests out of grass or twigs, ospreys are "very strong birds" that make nests out of sturdy material.
"They're not just little bits of grass — they are branches they pick up off the ground," he said.
During the build, the breeding pair was sighted in the area and immediately returned to their nest once it was completed.
Ms Hofmeister said it was a "huge relief" to see that the ospreys accepted the changes.
"As soon as our team retreated … they looked up and the birds had brought up a fish and started eating it up there," she said.
"When we interfere with any animal's habitat area, we are taking a risk that they are going to reject that habitat after we have changed it."
Community conservation effort
The council has several osprey nests in the region, including one at Mooloolaba that was built in 2006.
Osprey numbers are strong in Queensland, which Mr Sullivan attributes largely due to the work of local councils.
"They take a lot of care … of these nests, I can tell you," he said.
"A bit different to the other states because the council here does put up areas for them to nest."
As for the Birtinya nest, Ms Hofmeister praised the residents of Birtinya who had kept a close eye on the birds and alerted the council at the first sign of an issue.
"To now have a solution in place that is largely due to their advocacy and efforts is, is really exceptional," she said.
"We're just really grateful that we're able to work all together and get a good solution for the birds."
