Osprey's fumble cuts power to thousands in Maine

[April 20, 2010]  BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) -- A Maine utility official says an osprey dropped a branch destined for its nest onto a power line, cutting power to about 6,000 customers.

Central Maine Power spokesman Gail Rice says it took workers about 90 minutes to restore power Wednesday in the Brunswick area.

The slippery-taloned osprey was one of a pair that has caused problems for years.

Utility workers have been doing battle with the birds of prey near a shipyard in Bath. After the birds migrate south, workers clear their nest from the transmission pole, but the ospreys keep coming back.

Rice says the utility sometimes tries to keep birds away from sensitive equipment by building nesting platforms nearby.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com/

[Associated Press]

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