Safeguarding Nesting Ospreys and Maryland Power Infrastructure

By Ashley Sterner,

Melissa Gerr

Published May 30, 2025 at 10:04 AM EDT

Ospreys are one of the largest birds of prey in North America, with a wingspan of up to six feet. Many spend their summers catching fish, building nests, and having babies around the Chesapeake Bay. But they’ve developed an affinity for nesting on utility poles. That can be life-threatening for the birds, and can cause power outages that impact us. Baltimore Gas and Electric has developed a program called “Osprey Watch” - to protect the birds AND the power lines. We hear about it from Sarah Knebel, Principal Environmental Project Manager at BGE. If you see an osprey nest on a utility pole, get note of the pole number or closest address, and e-mail [email protected]… or call 1-800-685-0123. You can see a video of an osprey nest on a utility pole here.

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Ashley Sterner

Ashley Sterner is the co-host of WYPR’s On The Record. With co-host Sheilah Kast, Ashley interviews artists, scientists, community leaders, and others.

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Melissa Gerr

Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'

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