After receiving complaints about an osprey nest in Ontario, NY causing cell phone disruptions, Town Supervisor Ben Aman began an investigation. As WHEC-TV reports, the nesting birds inadvertently caused problems with cell phone connections, particularly 911 transmissions. Since federal laws protect the ospreys, simply removing the intrusive nest was not an option.
Though no longer endangered, ospreys are still a protected bird species. Before taking any action against them, a team was dispatched to see if the nest held any babies or eggs. Maintenance personnel from the town of Ontario joined forces with members of the state Department of Environmental Conservation to climb up and take a peek. After carefully examining the nest, the team said that they found no evidence that the cell tower site was currently hosting any occupants.
“The nest was causing a disruption to the frequency used to contact 911 and after the environmental commission had made sure the nest was abandoned, crews were given the order to remove it,” stated Aman.
Neighbors like Jessica Stokes said that the presence of the nest was pushing their cell phones into SOS mode. She noted that the problem cleared up when her family moved closer to other cell towers but said that she felt that the osprey nests interfered with public safety.
“It started becoming a real problem because if you’re out, you can’t get any phone calls,” Stokes told WHEC-TV. “My son and my husband get home in about an hour. I will be very interested to see if their phone no longer goes into SOS.”
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