Tenants Needed: Marblehead Osprey Nest

A pair of local residents hoping to install an osprey nesting pole at Marblehead's Goldthwait Reservation cleared their final hurdle Monday night when the reservation's board of trustees gave the project the green light.

The effort is being spear-headed by local residents Charles Ives and Christian Schluter, who recently got the OK from the Marblehead Conservation Commission to install a 20-foot tall platform for the raptors to nest on.

The tentative date for putting the pole in is Saturday, April 10 at 10 a.m. Ive said local residents are welcome to stop by and see it being erected.

What's an osprey?

An osprey, sometimes referred to as a sea hawk, is a large predatory bird with a wingspan slightly smaller than that of an eagle. The osprey eats primarily live fish, but will dine on an occasional rodent here and there.

"I've seen these a number of times over the years," Ives said at a meeting earlier this year. "Some of these nests are populated year-round but the majority have birds that leave the area for the winter months."

If the Goldthwait perch attracts an osprey to Marblehead, Ives said it will have company in the immediate area.

According to Ives, there's an active osprey nest off of Salem Harbor near the recently-purchased Lead Mills property.

The perch will be mounted on a 30-foot cedar beam, which will be buried about eight feet down into the ground in a marshy area near the "beach end" of the property.

All of the construction will be done by hand and the perch will have no environmental impact.

Have you ever seen an osprey in the area?

Let us know in the comments section below.