Osprey nest: If they build it, will they come? Verizon offers $500 rebate to local towns for nest-building BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer KEYPORT - With Valentine's Day a month away, the borough is looking ahead in trying to lure lovers back to the waterfront. At the Jan. 9, Borough Council meeting, Councilman Joseph Sheridan suggested building an osprey nest near the bay as a way to lure the birds into mating and nesting in Keyport. Acting on a tip from the Environmental Commission, Sheridan said the Verizon company is offering a $500 rebate to towns willing to build the large nests. "I think that it would be a good idea to have an osprey nest for people to come down to the waterfront to see it," Sheridan said. Andy Willner, executive director of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, an environmental organization dedicated to cleaning up the Raritan Bay, happened to be present in the audience. According to Willner, in the not so distant past, ospreys were often seen nesting in the borough. But today, he believes there are no ospreys nesting or mating in Keyport. "The osprey pair that was nesting [here] moved right across the harbor to Aberdeen," Willner said. Sheridan, who admitted ignorance concerning osprey mating habits, asked Willner a few questions about the birds, like what they eat. "They are fish eaters," Willner said, noting residents would not have to worry about the prospect of the birds eating their trash. That evening, Rowland Seckinger was re-appointed chairman of the Environmental Commission. Although not present, Seckinger said he is pleased with the idea. "We got a letter from the phone folks saying they were going to make some grants available, 10 of them," Seckinger said on Friday. "Verizon has solicited 50 or 60 towns on the shore in the bay area," Seckinger added. "So there's no guarantee we would get one." Still, "we stand as good a chance as anyone," he said. "Its contingent upon the municipality maintaining the nest over a period of time," Seckinger said. This isn't the first time the borough has tried to lure osprey into mating on Keyport soil. A man-made nest was placed in the Veterans Park area a few years back, Seckinger said, but "the birds didn't like it" and it was eventually removed. "Some of the neighbors didn't like where it was placed," Seckinger said of the waterfront park and surrounding area. "It obstructed their view. Since the birds weren't using it we were asked to remove it." Seckinger said he plans to ask the high school's environmental club if they'd like to participate in maintaining the nest., "I think this was a nice gesture from Verizon," Seckinger said. "If people could see the birdies working, I think it would be great." Sheridan agreed with the sentiment, suggesting at the meeting that if the nest is built, perhaps a permanent pair of binoculars or similar device could be placed on the waterfront for passerby's to use to view the nest.