FDOT gets serious in heading off osprey nests

This time, they mean it.

Season after season, nesting ospreys have confounded the Florida Department of Transportation’s best efforts to keep the southbound drawbridge signal clear on the New Pass Bridge. Previous nests have blocked drivers' view of the red and green lights and been removed, only to be rebuilt by the persistent raptors.

This season, FDOT stepped up its game with an Off-Sprey raptor deterrent, installed in early January, to keep the signal clear.

When the nesting season ends, and hurricane season approaches, the device will be removed to avoid possible damage. 

Meanwhile, Longboat residents say they've seen at least one osprey sit near the former nesting site while another next is under construction not far away.