A large osprey nest caught fire Friday night, situated on top of a light between Johnson Athletic Field and the EC Farm, leading to the death of an adult osprey. The nest was home to at least three osprey adults.
The fire is thought to be started from the combination of sticks and straw against the hot light. Pinellas County has been in an “extreme drought” since late March, and the Eckerd community was notified via email last week by the Emergency Management Executive Team that the National Weather Service had issued a Fire Weather Watch for Pinellas County due to “critically low humidity” and “gusty winds.”
The fire was first noticed by Emily Charles, a freshman majoring in both humanities and marine science, who immediately called Campus Safety. Charles first called the office at 10:59 p.m. and officers were on the scene by 11:06 p.m., with the fire department arriving soon after…