Osprey nests deter bridge work

GAINESVILLE - A pair of ospreys evicted by the state Department of Transportation for repairs to a bridge on Lake Lanier refuse to go away.

DOT spokeswoman Teri Pope said now there are two osprey nests atop Bolding Bridge on the Dawsonville Highway. Pope says this time, the DOT is leaving them alone as long as eggs are believed to be present.

The nests were originally removed to make way for repairs after a truck accident bent the bridge's lower crossbeams.

The DOT is working with the Department of Natural Resources to monitor the ospreys. Once the babies have left for the season, Pope said, DOT will devise a plan for repair work.

The ospreys nest there once a year before migrating south. The birds fall under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, protected as migratory birds.