On Tuesday morning, I followed up on a tip about an Osprey nest I was not aware of in my area. The significance of this nest is that it is the first Osprey nest in Columbiana County recorded, that is in The Berlin Lake watershed. It is located adjacent to the Mahoning River, about five miles upstream from the western end of Berlin Lake at The Mile Branch Grange Fairgrounds on Knox School Road. Just to the west is the local Great Blue Heron nesting area. What makes this nest so unusual, is where it is. The nest is on top of a wooden light pole, located tight against the backside of the backstop at the fairgrounds little league baseball field. Making it more interesting, the concession stand is also adjacent to the pole. Two Ospreys, probably this years youngsters, were sitting in a nearby tree. From the nest on top of the fifty foot tall light pole, the Ospreys would have a perfect view looking down at home plate and also at the folks visiting the concession stand. No cell tower for these guys! This year in The Berlin Lake Watershed which stretches thru Stark, Portage, and Mahoning Counties, plus Columbiana County in the headwaters of The Mahoning River, there were no less than twenty-five Osprey nests and at least three Bald Eagle nests. To the west and southwest of the town of Deerfield is the largest concentration of nests, with ten nests within a five mile diameter circle. Two adults times twenty-five nests, times an average of two juveniles from each nest site, equals a probability of over one hundred Ospreys. How remarkable is that!!!


Bob Lane / Mahoning County

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