Whose bird-brained idea was it to build a nest on a high school football field? Oh, a bird.
The Associated Press reports that the football and soccer teams of Apple Valley High School in Minnesota have had their schedules disrupted due to a pair of ospreys raising their chicks atop a light pole on their field.
As ospreys are protected under state and federal law, it is illegal to disturb their nests without a special permit. The location of this particular nest means that Apple Valley can’t turn on its field floodlights, since their hot temperature could harm the parent and baby birds and possibly start a fire.
Using drones, the school has been monitoring the nests to see when the little ones finally take flight on their own and leave, thus permitting the nest to be removed. In the meantime, Apple Valley is playing their games in the daytime rather than under the lights.
Ironically, the mascot of Apple Valley is the Eagles. So if someone yells “Go birds!” it’s possible that they’re both rooting for the Eagles and encouraging the ospreys to move along.