Firefighters and other good Samaritans were out in the Mission Bay area of San Diego Thursday morning, helping a bird of prey that had become ensnared nearly 80 feet up in a tree.
People walking near the Hilton Hotel in Mission Bay Park spotted an osprey near the top of a 100-foot eucalyptus tree not far from shore, and a call went out to the San Diego Humane Society.
This rescue proved too high for SDHS, though, so they, in turn, put in a call to San Diego Fire-Rescue, which sent out San Diego's Truck 20 crew at around 9 a.m. The fire truck was able to extend its aerial ladder up high enough for firefighters to use an extension-type pruning saw, which allowed them to snip the fishing wire from which the fish hawk was dangling.
The upside -own osprey immediately righted itself and took flight, never looking back.
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Adult ospreys have a wingspan between 59-70 inches, and can weigh up a little more than 4 pounds, according to AllAboutBirds.org.
Ospreys were also in the news a couple weeks back when a pair welcomed a hatchling, thanks to a couple of locals’ idea to help them create the nest.
Ozzy and Edna, a pair of ospreys that frequent the pier at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, almost immediately took residence at a waterfront nest above the pier that was built just for them. Their new home consists of a stainless-steel platform that was installed near the pier last spring. The couple was quick to decorate their home with the usual seaweed, twigs and whatnot, and welcomed their first chick shortly after.
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The nest was made possible by White Sands La Jolla senior living resident, Bev Grant, and Art Cooley, co-founder of the Environmental Defense Fund. The two came up with the idea of using a platform for the ospreys’ nest and the project was funded by Grant’s family foundation.
It's not known whether either Ozzy or Edna was the bird rescued on Thursday.
Anyone interested in catching a glimpse of Ozzy and Edna can see the nest for themselves or check out the 24-hour livestream Scripps has of the nest.
