I-91 Nesting Platforms
Gary Moore
September 04, 2025
Driving up and down I-91 this summer you may have noticed nesting platforms near transmission line crossings.
Two got my attention. One is in the median close to the Bradford/Fairlee line. The other is off the side of the northbound lanes near the Thetford/Norwich line. They have both been occupied most days this summer.
I know the power companies have erected platforms all along both sides of the Connecticut from the Massachusetts border to Pittsburg. Far too many birds like to build nests on the poles that carry the transmission lines and that can prove deadly to them and cause power interruptions.
Wondering about the two I mentioned, I contacted Vermont Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Biologist John Gobeille. He replied, “Yes, there are several along the Connecticut River, from Brattleboro to Wilder Dam, more so along Route 5 than I-91. Ospreys are ‘big water’ birds so the Connecticut River is the attractant for them. Route 5 is also closer to the Connecticut River than I-91.
“VELCO and GMP have been putting them up as they encounter ospreys trying to nest on their transmission poles. We were much more involved with the utility companies in the installation of these nest platforms from the 1990s to around 2015. We were training them on how to do it as well as the legal issues around raptor management with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Now most of them have their own federal permits and are doing the work largely without us but we still get requests from them occasionally for technical assistance. Thanks for asking.”
Mixed Results For Loon Counts In Twin States
Loons, those symbols of the north had mixed results nesting this summer in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Vermont Center for Ecostudies reports that during their statewide Vermont one-day loon count on July 19, volunteers counted 416 adults and 104 chicks on 171 bodies of water. They describe the count as, “a BIG record high!”
This season, 115 nests were documented, three of which were new loon pairs. According to the report, 92 of those nests were successful, a record high. The 136 chicks hatched was also a record.
The news was not so good east of the Connecticut River in New Hampshire. According to the preliminary results of the 2025 New Hampshire Loon Census, numbers are down statewide. While the total number of loons appears strong at 541, with an additional 109 loon chicks, which is a decrease from prior years.
Bits and Pieces
New Hampshire hunters are now required to register furbearers taken by hunting using an online registration report. Furbearers with a hunting season include coyote, fisher, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, opossum, mink, weasel, skunk, and muskrat. Registration is now required only for furbearers taken by hunting and does not include animals taken by trapping, Wildlife Control Operators, or any other means of take. In addition to online registration, all fisher harvested must be sealed and the lower jaw must be submitted at the time of sealing.
Furbearer hunting seasons in New Hampshire open on September 1 for red and gray fox, opossum, skunk, and raccoon, with mink, muskrat, and weasel seasons opening on October 15 or November 1 depending on the Wildlife Management Unit. The hunting season for fisher opens on December 1. Coyotes may be hunted year round. To learn more, refer to the 2025-2026 New Hampshire Hunting Digest by visiting www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/hunting.
***
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public hearing regarding the re-adoption of rules associated with Fis 1300 and requirements for hunting and fishing guides and adopting Fis 313 and wanton waste. The hearing will be held on Thursday, September 11 at NHFG Headquarters in Concord, beginning at 6 p.m.
The proposed rules are available for review before the meeting at https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/proposed-rules.
***
The NH Fish and Game Department asks hunters not to use natural urine-based deer lures this fall. These products can potentially spread chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurological disorder that is always fatal to white-tailed deer and moose. Synthetic lures are suggested.
Learn more at www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/wildlife-related-diseases/deer-diseases.
***
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department allows for certified leashed tracking dogs to assist in the recover of wounded deer and bear. The valuable service is provided by volunteers.
The leashed tracking dog owners, who provide their services free of charge, must pass an extensive exam in order to be certified and licensed to provide their services.
This list, which may be updated during hunting seasons, is available on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.
Below are those in the area. Check the full list if you need help in other parts of the state.
2025 Vermont Leashed Dog Trackers
Mandi Harbec Orleans, VT 802-323-3536
Mark Harbec Orleans, VT 802-323-3536
Nick Smith Groton, VT 802-486-9022
Riley Harrness Newbury, VT 802-272-8955
Crystal Earle Johnson, VT 802-730-5591
Kayla Konya Thetford, VT 802-333-0664
John Konya Bradford, VT 802-439-3838
Brent Grenier Troy, VT 802-274-9057
Daniel Dagget Newport, VT 802-238-7952
Parting Shots
Last week I mentioned our visit to Randolph and the Chandler Center For The Arts to see the exhibit, Jim Sardonis Natural Forms. Likely you have seen the Whales Tails along I-89 in South Burlington or just off the Randolph exit on Route 66 overpass his most recognizable work.
Hearts and Hands, shown in the photo was commissioned by an anonymous donor for the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington to honor pandemic health care workers. Two life-size bronze figures sit at opposite ends of a green marble bench, each extending an arm; their hands together make a heart.
As Linda and I have been spending a lot of time in the hospital the last few months we found it especially poignant. We have been cared for by so many dedicated and caring nurses, docs and other staff both at NVRH, DHMC and NCH.
The show includes photos of the finished work installed at the hospital, a small-scale maquette and, arrestingly, the two bronze figures, minus their bench, spanning the gallery. After Sardonis made that first piece, another was commissioned for the North Carolina Surgical Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C. The figures on display are for the third iteration, which will be installed at a University of Michigan Health network hospital in the spring.
You can learn more at https://www.chandler-arts.org/chandler-gallery or https://www.sardonis.com/.
The exhibit runs through this Saturday, September 13 so you don’t wait if you want to see it.
***
Because of Labor Day, the deadline for this column is Wednesday so next week I will catch up on the news that took place after.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2025 Gary W. Moore
Two got my attention. One is in the median close to the Bradford/Fairlee line. The other is off the side of the northbound lanes near the Thetford/Norwich line. They have both been occupied most days this summer.
I know the power companies have erected platforms all along both sides of the Connecticut from the Massachusetts border to Pittsburg. Far too many birds like to build nests on the poles that carry the transmission lines and that can prove deadly to them and cause power interruptions.
Wondering about the two I mentioned, I contacted Vermont Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Biologist John Gobeille. He replied, “Yes, there are several along the Connecticut River, from Brattleboro to Wilder Dam, more so along Route 5 than I-91. Ospreys are ‘big water’ birds so the Connecticut River is the attractant for them. Route 5 is also closer to the Connecticut River than I-91.
“VELCO and GMP have been putting them up as they encounter ospreys trying to nest on their transmission poles. We were much more involved with the utility companies in the installation of these nest platforms from the 1990s to around 2015. We were training them on how to do it as well as the legal issues around raptor management with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Now most of them have their own federal permits and are doing the work largely without us but we still get requests from them occasionally for technical assistance. Thanks for asking.”
Mixed Results For Loon Counts In Twin States
Loons, those symbols of the north had mixed results nesting this summer in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Vermont Center for Ecostudies reports that during their statewide Vermont one-day loon count on July 19, volunteers counted 416 adults and 104 chicks on 171 bodies of water. They describe the count as, “a BIG record high!”
This season, 115 nests were documented, three of which were new loon pairs. According to the report, 92 of those nests were successful, a record high. The 136 chicks hatched was also a record.
The news was not so good east of the Connecticut River in New Hampshire. According to the preliminary results of the 2025 New Hampshire Loon Census, numbers are down statewide. While the total number of loons appears strong at 541, with an additional 109 loon chicks, which is a decrease from prior years.
Bits and Pieces
New Hampshire hunters are now required to register furbearers taken by hunting using an online registration report. Furbearers with a hunting season include coyote, fisher, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, opossum, mink, weasel, skunk, and muskrat. Registration is now required only for furbearers taken by hunting and does not include animals taken by trapping, Wildlife Control Operators, or any other means of take. In addition to online registration, all fisher harvested must be sealed and the lower jaw must be submitted at the time of sealing.
Furbearer hunting seasons in New Hampshire open on September 1 for red and gray fox, opossum, skunk, and raccoon, with mink, muskrat, and weasel seasons opening on October 15 or November 1 depending on the Wildlife Management Unit. The hunting season for fisher opens on December 1. Coyotes may be hunted year round. To learn more, refer to the 2025-2026 New Hampshire Hunting Digest by visiting www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/hunting.
***
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public hearing regarding the re-adoption of rules associated with Fis 1300 and requirements for hunting and fishing guides and adopting Fis 313 and wanton waste. The hearing will be held on Thursday, September 11 at NHFG Headquarters in Concord, beginning at 6 p.m.
The proposed rules are available for review before the meeting at https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/proposed-rules.
***
The NH Fish and Game Department asks hunters not to use natural urine-based deer lures this fall. These products can potentially spread chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurological disorder that is always fatal to white-tailed deer and moose. Synthetic lures are suggested.
Learn more at www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/wildlife-related-diseases/deer-diseases.
***
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department allows for certified leashed tracking dogs to assist in the recover of wounded deer and bear. The valuable service is provided by volunteers.
The leashed tracking dog owners, who provide their services free of charge, must pass an extensive exam in order to be certified and licensed to provide their services.
This list, which may be updated during hunting seasons, is available on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.
Below are those in the area. Check the full list if you need help in other parts of the state.
2025 Vermont Leashed Dog Trackers
Mandi Harbec Orleans, VT 802-323-3536
Mark Harbec Orleans, VT 802-323-3536
Nick Smith Groton, VT 802-486-9022
Riley Harrness Newbury, VT 802-272-8955
Crystal Earle Johnson, VT 802-730-5591
Kayla Konya Thetford, VT 802-333-0664
John Konya Bradford, VT 802-439-3838
Brent Grenier Troy, VT 802-274-9057
Daniel Dagget Newport, VT 802-238-7952
Parting Shots
Last week I mentioned our visit to Randolph and the Chandler Center For The Arts to see the exhibit, Jim Sardonis Natural Forms. Likely you have seen the Whales Tails along I-89 in South Burlington or just off the Randolph exit on Route 66 overpass his most recognizable work.
Hearts and Hands, shown in the photo was commissioned by an anonymous donor for the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington to honor pandemic health care workers. Two life-size bronze figures sit at opposite ends of a green marble bench, each extending an arm; their hands together make a heart.
As Linda and I have been spending a lot of time in the hospital the last few months we found it especially poignant. We have been cared for by so many dedicated and caring nurses, docs and other staff both at NVRH, DHMC and NCH.
The show includes photos of the finished work installed at the hospital, a small-scale maquette and, arrestingly, the two bronze figures, minus their bench, spanning the gallery. After Sardonis made that first piece, another was commissioned for the North Carolina Surgical Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C. The figures on display are for the third iteration, which will be installed at a University of Michigan Health network hospital in the spring.
You can learn more at https://www.chandler-arts.org/chandler-gallery or https://www.sardonis.com/.
The exhibit runs through this Saturday, September 13 so you don’t wait if you want to see it.
***
Because of Labor Day, the deadline for this column is Wednesday so next week I will catch up on the news that took place after.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2025 Gary W. Moore
Jim Sardonis and Linda Moore behind Jim’s sculpture Hearts and Hands created to honor health care workers
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