BC Hydro crews called to ‘renovate’ eagle’s nest near Chase, B.C.

BC Hydro crews aren’t usually in the renovation business, but that’s exactly the situation they found themselves in earlier this month.

Their client? A bald eagle, whose nest was atop a wooden transmission tower damaged by a recent grass fire near Chase.

Crews headed out on April 3 to replace six poles damaged by the fire, joined by environment experts to help them move the nest and a single egg without unduly disturbing them.

BC Hydro spokesperson Geoff Hastings said workers handled the egg with surgical gloves so they wouldn’t transfer any scent to it, and carried it down from the nest in a straw-filled pail.

GALLERY: BC Hydro crews ‘renovate’ eagle’s nest near Chase, B.C.

It was then covered and placed in a temperature-controlled vehicle while a team cut the nest and top of the damaged pole free and lowered them to the ground.

Both the nest and egg were then moved back into place on top of the replacement transmissions structure.

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“Once the work was complete, the mother bird was observed showing interest in the nest and was back home with their nest egg the following morning,” said Hastings in an email.

BC Hydro says working with large raptors such as Osprey is a common occurrence, but dealing with eagles is rare — as they typically nest in large trees, and avoid power poles.