PSEG Long Island prepares for the ospreys return
As osprey breeding season nears, utility provider PSEG Long Island has been busy preparing by inspecting known nesting areas and cleaning out debris and garbage in the nest located near the company-installed webcam in Oyster Bay.
Working from bucket trucks, crews recently retrieved manmade garbage including plastic tape and fishing line from the osprey nest, helping to ensure the birds and their chicks do not get tangled when the new nesting season begins this spring.
“PSEG Long Island’s reliability is in the top 10% of electric utilities nationwide, and our work with conservation partners to support the osprey population is part of the work we do to maintain that reliability,” said Scott Jennings, president and COO of PSEG Long Island. “It’s good environmental stewardship, and protecting these birds from high-voltage equipment also improves reliability for customers.”
Ospreys build their nests on the tallest structure near a body of water. When ospreys build a nest on electrical equipment, it puts the nest in danger of catching fire, which can cause significant damage and outages to customers, as well as harm to the osprey.
To proactively monitor its utility poles for osprey nests, PSEG Long Island partners closely with Group for the East End, a nonprofit organization that has advocated for the protection and preservation of nature on the East End since 1972. Volunteers with the nonprofit conduct their own surveys of the area and share osprey data with the company, which maintains a team dedicated to mitigating risks and relocating nests safely.
According to a 2025 report issued by the Group for the East End, osprey breeding activity has increased over the past 12 years on the East End, with 385 active nests in the summer of 2025 compared with 199 active nests in 2014.
PSEG Long Island maintains a 24-hour webcam at one of these nesting platforms in Oyster Bay. For more information about osprey and to view live webcam feed of the Oyster Bay nest, visit psegliny.com/wildlife/ospreycam.
To learn more about how PSEG Long Island works to protect wildlife, visit psegliny.com/wildlife.
Click here to view a YouTube video of the nest cleanup.
