DEWEY BEACH, Del. - A construction project for a new Dewey Beach Town Hall has taken an unexpected turn after an osprey built a nest atop a crane at the site. The project, which will bring emergency medical services into the town for the first time, is continuing with adjustments as the construction team works around the protected bird.
The nest appeared within the last couple of weeks, aligning with the osprey nesting season, which typically runs from March into the fall. Rather than removing the nest, the construction company opted to leave it undisturbed and rent another crane for a separate job, a decision expected to cost about $15,000.
The nest appeared within the last couple of weeks, aligning with the osprey nesting season, which typically runs from March into the fall. Rather than removing the nest, the construction company opted to leave it undisturbed and rent another crane for a separate job, a decision expected to cost about $15,000.
According to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, there are more than 90 active osprey nests in Sussex County. Ospreys primarily feed on fish, making coastal areas like Dewey Beach an ideal habitat.
According to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, there are more than 90 active osprey nests in Sussex County. Ospreys primarily feed on fish, making coastal areas like Dewey Beach an ideal habitat.
David Costello, owner of Costello Construction, said the decision came down to respecting the birds.
“We’re big nature lovers. My family is, and my daughter is a bird watcher,” Costello said. “We made the decision we could not disturb the osprey. There was no amount of money that was going to make us disrupt them.”
“For the next four to six months, we’ll leave the crane there so they can have their babies and migrate out,” he said.
David Costello, owner of Costello Construction, said the decision came down to respecting the birds.
Phase one of the three-story Town Hall project remains ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed before September. The situation highlights how coastal development and wildlife can intersect, even in the middle of a construction zone.
Just miles down the road in Rehoboth Beach, officials are dealing with a similar osprey situation. A pair of ospreys has repeatedly nested atop an old fire siren for years, prompting city and fire leaders to explore relocating the birds to a safer, designated nesting site once conditions allow.
