Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Cell tower question

My local cell tower has an eagle or osprey nest in it . It’s been turn off an there is a sign on it saying no work will going on there because a fed protected bird is nesting there. It’s only 1 mile from my house an 1/2 mile from pickwick lake. Att has told locals they have to wait until birds are hatched an gone before we get service agin. Game an fish is supposedly keeping eye on it . Only have cell service when I leave home. Locals are pissed. It’s wonder someone hasn t shot it out . They reducing everyone’s bill a little . We have no cell service at house because of this. Isn t it late in the year for birds to be hatching out ??

The Ospreys on my tower have been gone over a month.

What I was thinking thanks

The colleagues of the NSA and the people enforcing the patriot act are willing to cede all the power they have to a bird and it’s pile of sticks. What a time to be alive.

Nest up to three times a year according to this
https://birdfact.com/articles/osprey-nesting

A local power company here set a pole to move a nest to. If I remember right they had some work to do that involved that specific pole so that was the solution they came up with.

Putting bird over kids education here . Kids can t do homework or the homeschool kids can t do there work online

When I worked for Harris in Fl. an Osprey built a nest on a large dish antenna that was scheduled to be delivered as part of a program. They had to miss the delivery date due to a nest and babies living on the dish. You should have seen the looks when they were explaining that to the customer.

Cell company won’t touch it until cleared from the govt to do so.

I’ve already lived through this scenario. You could see if they are willing to bring a colt or cow to the site to run as backup; however, they’re expensive to deploy.

The only chance you have to get one deployed is leveraging 911 and a public Safety response time/effort and your safety. If you’re friends with the chief of police or sheriff have them handle the communications for you.

Good luck

Band 14 is still working which first responders use. Done checked on that . Just ATT an T-Mobile not working . We in a very rural area where this only tower for miles . Good news we got a grant to have spectrum broadband in our area soon. They already been out surveying an should have it by end of year. Hell with ATT when that happens . Maybe get rid of satellite tv also. Already get 40 over air free channels with antenna.

I will speak as an expert on this subject since I have performed hundreds of migratory bird surveys on cell towers and have also obtained several bald eagle nest removal permits from the USFWS. Yes, I am bragging a little bit but it's not often a biologist gets to.

If it is an osprey nest then yes it is late in the season for there to still be flightless young in the nest. It is possible it is an early arrival bald eagle. If that is the case then they can only get on the tower in case of emergency services being interrupted until the eagles have hatched eggs and the young have fledged. In Alabama that will most likely be Late April or early May. I find it odd the entire antenna for the carrier is not working. They do not turn them off because of the presence of a nesting bird. The carrier (ATT) should have a biologist monitoring the site. If its an eagle or osprey, the carrier should be able to request an emergency authorization to work on the tower if the antenna is out and local E911 services are interrupted. USFWS will not grant it just for regular cell service being interrupted.

The nesting bird will return next year.

There is a sign on tower says “ NOTICE a federally protected bird is nesting at this site tower facility. ABSOLUTELY No work can occur within this compound without prior approval from atcs environmental compliance team.direct any request to perform any work at this site to
877.ATC.SITE . “

ATT customer service said tower would not be working until birds are hatched an gone, but them folks are unreliable. I do know for a fact tower is not working for ATT an i can see bird nest in it . There is a T-Mobile power meter there . Don t know if it working or not . Kinda aggravating to local folks when it’s not working . Some folks don t have a landline an rely on cell phones. I know neighbors have been cussing att customer service . Lol

SSS

You can google search ATCs migratory bird or environmental compliance department and call them and they may can tell you what species of bird is nesting so you may have an idea of when it will be clear and when work can begin on the tower. ATC uses those signs on both osprey and eagle sites.

Get the ATC site name or number off of the site ID sign on the tower compound.

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. One nesting bird should not disrupt cell phone service for hundreds of people.

I’d toss some fresh roadkill within eyesight of the tower and sprinkle some rat poison on top of it.

Bird lovers destroyed the surf fishing in NC not allowing fishermen to ride the beach.

Thanks guys . Learn something new I try get touch with some these folks that might help

A good environmental consultant that knows the regulations and how to work them could solve this problem 😉