A large osprey nest was built on a light pole at Apple Valley High School's football field, preventing use of stadium floodlights. Migratory raptors are protected under state and federal law, so the nest could not be disturbed while chicks remained. Turning on hot floodlights risked harming the birds and starting a fire. The school adjusted football and soccer schedules to daytime games and has been monitoring the chicks twice weekly with a drone. Crews plan to remove the nest after the young ospreys make initial flights and fledge, allowing a return to night games.
When you tell someone this story of 'Wow, we have to reschedule because there's an osprey nest in our stadium,' they're like, 'You can't make this type of stuff up, right?'
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