Celebrate World Environment Day with Your Local Osprey!

Today is World Environment Day, and PSEG Long Island is proud to debut two new broods of osprey chicks that just hatched on our livestreaming Osprey Cams in Oyster Bay and Patchogue. Protecting osprey when they try to nest on our electrical equipment is just one example of how we work every day to balance our commitment to delivering safe, reliable power to our customers and our commitment to safeguarding the environment that sustains us.

At the nest located in Oyster Bay, all three eggs have hatched over the past week. At our nest in Patchogue two eggs were spotted, one of the eggs have hatched and we are still waiting for the hatching of the second egg. It could happen any day! All hatchlings can be seen on both cams, we are happy to report the birds who have just hatched appear happy, healthy and hungry every day which is a great sign! We have even improved the camera’s view of the nest in Patchogue so you have the opportunity to view the hatching of the second egg ”up close and personal.”

Since the 1970s, the osprey population on Long Island has bounced back from near-extinction due to pesticides. The raptors prefer to build their nests in lofty locations, and they frequently choose the tops of utility poles, where they are at risk of electrocution and damaging equipment that provides reliable power to our customers.

PSEG Long Island’s dedicated osprey team has developed best practices for when to move a nest and when to create alternative safer nests for the ospreys. It is a painstaking process that requires extensive coordination with local governments, state and federal wildlife agencies and local birding groups. With the help of these partners, PSEG Long Island workers have safely relocated two dozen osprey nests in order to ensure they are out of harm’s way from high voltage systems, and taken actions to make nests safe in-place at an additional eight locations.

A few months ago, we installed 24-hour webcams at two of the nests that have been safely relocated by line workers in Patchogue and Oyster Bay. Our flying friends quickly moved in, and have been providing us a great way to enjoy nature whilst safely social distancing in our own homes. On World Environment Day, we at PSEG Long Island encourage you to take a few minutes to see what our feathery friends are up to, and remember how important our local ecosystems truly are.