Artificial platforms have been installed along South Australia’s coastline offering safe breeding environments for the endangered Eastern Osprey. Osprey are at critically low numbers in the state, but with the new nests already attracting birds, conservationists have high hopes for a successful mating season.
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00:00A big bird delivering a safe haven for one of South Australia's rarest big birds.
00:10This new platform at Portneil, one of 18 across the state, for the endangered eastern osprey
00:15to call home.
00:17They're a substitute for natural nesting habitats eroded by coastal development and in some
00:21cases cliff collapses.
00:23All the coastline around here there aren't any big trees so any high places for them
00:28to nest.
00:29Unfortunately the shags also liked the place as a resting spot so they'd land on it and
00:35pull the nest bits and it became a bit of a tug of war.
00:39The conservation project takes a community effort in towns across the state.
00:45The structures are made by Men's Shed volunteers on the York Peninsula and others build the
00:49starters' nests.
00:50At Smokey Bay the oyster farmers, at one stage we had three oyster boats and crew out there
00:56giving us a hand and same at Streaky we had oyster boats, we had members of the community
01:03and at Portneil we had the Men's Shed there.
01:07It is thought there are only 50 pairs of eastern osprey in the wild in SA.
01:11When we put this tower in that we have now, within an hour and a half there were two ospreys
01:17sitting on it which was pretty thrilling really to think that we'd done something that was
01:22going to be helpful for them.
01:24These people now around SA know what an osprey is, they know that they're in trouble and
01:29that there is a commitment to helping them recover.
01:32The last platform for the season is being installed here at Talker South at Port Lincoln.
01:37The locals will be keeping a close eye on it in coming months, hoping for some eggs
01:41later in the year.
01:43The other platforms are already breeding success.
01:46The total number of chicks that the platforms have produced is 14 and there's no question
01:52at all that we wouldn't have an additional 14 osprey chicks flying around the environment
01:59if it weren't for these artificial platforms.
02:02The graceful birds are bringing tourists to small coastal communities.
02:06Right from the time I put the nest on the navigation pole everyone could, it was only
02:12like 200 metres out from the shore and everyone was going there and people were calling in
02:17and taking photos.
02:19We're all hoping we've got our fingers crossed for this year, a bit of a romance happens
02:23and we get to see some fledglings, yeah, it'll be good.