A Fledgling Alliance for Frederick County Bird Conservation

From left, Mike Spurrier, Tim Taulton, Joe Murdoch, Andy Brown and Brad Gaither at one of the Othello Regional Park nest boxes. Taulton and Gaither, both lead linemen with Potomac Edison, delivered the used utility poles for the nest boxes this spring, and Murdoch is a Frederick County park ranger supervisor.

Frederick County, Maryland, has seen explosive growth and development in recent years. But for species such as barn owls and small falcons called American kestrels, that growth has resulted in a loss of habitat and suitable nesting sites, a cause for concern among local conservationists.

“Both of these raptors are declining populations,” says Mike Spurrier, President of the Frederick Bird Club. “These are two species that nested in larger tree cavities, and trees are getting cut down. Habitat is being turned into housing and commercial developments, so we’re losing nest sites.”

Last year Spurrier began working with the Farmland Raptor Program, sponsored by the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP), to increase nesting sites for the two species, which benefit property owners by preying on rodents and insects. Together, the two organizations are building, installing and monitoring nest boxes at no cost to local property owners.

Potomac Edison offers help

Barn owls and American kestrels require large areas of grassland or agricultural fields to nest successfully. Seeking a way to elevate the nest boxes, Spurrier reached out to Potomac Edison, which serves about 285,000 Maryland customers. The company donated seven used utility poles from its Frederick Service Center that had been replaced in the field.

This past spring, the nest boxes were assembled and installed at locations throughout the county, including two at Othello Regional Park. One nest box at the park was quickly occupied by nesting kestrels, which were joined by five fledglings a couple of months later.

“Visitors to the park are very interested and excited to know that we have baby kestrels,” says Carl Lynch, Natural Resource Program Manager for Frederick County Parks and Recreation.

Teamwork leads to success

Andy Brown, who coordinates the program for the MBCP, says Potomac Edison’s Maryland service area “has really been the stronghold in the state for both species. It’s a critical habitat, and it’s important for us to maintain the numbers that we have here.”

About half of the nest boxes built this spring now have tenants, and Spurrier is exploring additional locations with Lynch and others that will feature used poles, which he says are ideal for the program. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing collaboration with Potomac Edison.”

Protecting birds is nothing new to Potomac Edison and its parent company, FirstEnergy. The company has made great strides enhancing its avian protection efforts, including the installation of dozens of nesting platforms atop utility poles across its six-state territory, implementation of drones to complete bird nest inspections and deployment of a mobile app that allows utility personnel to report avian issues in real time, streamlining the process to protect nesting birds and enhance electric service reliability. These ongoing efforts continue to help reduce power outages caused by nesting birds.

“It’s important for us to do what we can to help provide nesting alternatives away from our energized equipment,” said Amy Ruszala, an avian expert at FirstEnergy. “It’s rewarding to help serve our local community and environment in this way.”