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Welcome to “Season Three” of our osprey cam! Get ready for another exciting season of osprey viewing at the Waquoit Bay Reserve, brought to you by the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
If you’d like to show your appreciation for the nest cam, please Support the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge! As a nonprofit volunteer organization, we support a wide variety of education, research and stewardship projects within the Mashpee Refuge to ensure the long-term protection and enhancement of native wildlife and habitats.
Thank you in advance!
We are thrilled to offer this live stream of an active pair of Osprey at their nest at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The pair are appropriately named Rachel and Carson, after the famed environmentalist.
This opportunity for a bird’s eye view of a beloved bird’s habitat is the result of a collaboration between The Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge, which helped plan and locate the site for this unique “nest cam,” the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of the Refuge partners, and Comcast, which generously provided the equipment, installation and broadband connectivity to power this viewing experience.
One of our goals as a community-based nonprofit is to give the public opportunities to enjoy and interact with nature and wildlife. Thanks to Comcast, the live streaming of this osprey nest will broaden our reach to all of Cape Cod and beyond. We are grateful for the opportunity to use the live nest cam for observation, research and education purposes.
View highlights from 2024 (“Season Three”)
View highlights from 2023 (“Season Two”)
View highlights from last year (“Season One”) – mating, egg laying and hatching, feeding and more!
Please feel free to comment below with your observations or any questions you may have. We welcome your comments and questions! If you’d like to see a list of questions other viewers have asked, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ospreys and the Nest Cam. You may also want to read this article to learn more about ospreys on Cape Cod.
Please note that first-time posters must be approved before comments are displayed, and allow up to 24 hours before your initial post can be seen by others.
June 6, 8:30 am, I can clearly see 2 chicks who are alternately grooming themselves as well as dozing off. Cannot see third chick clearly because of Rachel’s position and the shadows. I have also seen one of the chicks who has learned how to eliminate body waste.
Some type of medium size bird moving around the outer perimeter of the nest.
Since 6pm June 5th I’ve been watching Rachel and the chicks eating a large fish together. The chicks were lined up in a row as Rachel fed each one. Very well behaved. Looks to me like the youngest is getting stronger and holding its own.
Rachel is feeding dinner to all three. Little one is getting lots!
Theres a big ocean close by with plenty of fish.
Carson should be providing food regularly. He is not.
That is probably contributing to the oldest chicks biting the youngest.
Perception of lack of food.
Please go to you tube and and type in Osprey catching fish to better understand how they do it and the effort it takes.
You will learn they locate their fish a good distance up in the sky before they dive on it for capture.
If there is rain, fog or choppy water they can not see there prey which would make it impossible to be successful.
There also have to compensate for refraction on the water to capture there fish not making it an easy chore.
Once they catch the fish they are in the water,feathers are wet and they have extra weight trying to get out of the water and fly which exhaust a tremendous amount of energy.
Every time they leave the nest you see them drop before the wings recover.
It is an amazing chore both the male and female perform.
Hi James,
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing.
Joanne
1pm Rachel calling for fish from Carson
I just watched the family have breakfast. The little one got plenty! I found myself rooting for it with every bite, grow baby grow! Carson made sure everyone got enough, then finished up the leftovers.
I am so relieved to have read your post. Thanks so much for sharing. I was concerned because Carson has been away for longer periods of time so less feedings per day?? Enjoy your Sunday!
🥰
Breakfast 7:50am
Carson has been gone for hours there’s been no food The babies and the mother are hungry nature at its most challenging
From Cornell Labs Ornithology in regards to an Osprey cam.
Click on the attached to view.
Thank you so very much for posting this, Sandy. We are all getting attached to this little family and Nature will teach us so much. I am so grateful for this fantastic experience and I encourage all to make donations to the Friends. Be well!
Thanks Sandy and Melissa. When I have a chance, I’ll post the Cornell link on the main page. It’s important for us all to be aware of the sometimes disturbing things we may witness. But hopefully the sense of joy and wonder will make up for any potential sad moments.
I just witnessed the bad behavior everyone is talking about. It is quite upsetting.
The larger chick just really beat the heck out of the little one,
I need to stop watching for awhile.
I am so worried about that 3d little chick surviving.
Me too. I wish I could see it being fed now. Rachel’s back is to us.
Rachel is feeding the little one, I have seen her on more than one occasion, but is it enough?
The little one looks so weak.
.
Earlier when Rachel was feeding them it looked like bully boy had his wing on the little one’s neck so he couldn’t get his head up for food. Rachel will need to make sure that one gets some food.
8:55 AM Carson is here. Flew off…..
Carson arrived with a good size fish around 8:40 this morning. I was nervous at first bc it seemed Rachel was feeding more to the oldest chicks, but as I continued to watch I could see that all 3 chicks were being taken care of. Phew! Rachel also took a few bites for herself.
Where is the Dad with the fish?? Have not seen anything for a few days.
The 4th egg is out front…
Whoa…Rachel just pushed the 4th egg in front of her…is she planning something??
Rachel may have to make a decision soon. The third weak chick isn’t fed as much as the 2 stronger chicks and Rachel was poking it perhaps to check the weak chick’s response. Sad to say nature is always “survival of the strongest and fittest” to perpetuate a species. Heartbreaking, but a reality.
The 4th egg is so well camouflaged that I am having trouble seeing it. It it hasn’t hatched by now, perhaps it was infertile.
The babies are growing so fast!!!
6/3/2022. Looks to me like the chicks are nibbling on the fish or whatever it is. They are growing fast and learning fast.
It looks like one of the babies is a bit of a bully – pushing the other babies around. I wonder how Rachel will discipline the child.
I’m so stressed out about it. It looked like she may have finally put her head near the bully and it laid down.
Oh no. The biggest grey chick is attacking the little one. Grabbing it by the neck and shaking it then pecking it until it laid face down and Rachel was looking and did nothing. I want a rehabber to save it. 😭
We may observe some behaviors that are difficult to watch. We have to remember that as cute as the babies are, they are still wild animals and may not always follow human rules of compassion and fair play. Nature isn’t always pretty, but it has its own way of ensuring the right balance. Since there is nothing we can do to intervene, all we can do is hope for the best outcome for the entire osprey family.
Glenn, that was so beautifully said!❤️
Thanks Sandy, for your support. I’m truly touched that so many people are able to enjoy these wonderful creatures!
I thnk I just watched chick #3 get “dispatched” by chick #1. Or the little one is very good at faking it??? Whichever the case, this little one is going to have a tough time unless it can eat a ton and catch up to 1 and 2???
Looks like there is a bully in the group
Rachel doesn’t seem to sit on the forth egg anymore
Has she given up on it?
i only see one chick? i saw 4 eggs a few weeks ago? what is she feeding them? is that a fish?
If you’re not already a member of the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge, please consider joining or making a donation. As a nonprofit volunteer organization, we support a wide variety of education, research and stewardship projects within the Mashpee Refuge to ensure the long-term protection and enhancement of native wildlife and habitat. Thank you in advance for your support!
Am I seeing things or do the chicks squirt their poop out of the nest?
I’ve seen the adults do that. I guess the chicks are learning too!
Now I see the buffering circle in the black box, no picture
11:58am is there a problem with the camera? All I am getting is a black box.
I’ve been watching Rachel digging around under the babies a lot- what’s she doing? Fixing the bedding? Or…?
Removing poop.
this is just so fascinating!!! i don’t watch it 24×7 but try and peek in once every day. i love it when Rachel does her wiggle thing over her chicks, the same thing she seemed to do with Carson when they seemed to be “doin’ they’re thing” haha!! no quite sure what that is. does anyone know if the 4th chick has popped out yet?
Not sure that was a fish – looked like an unhatched egg.
I saw 4 eggs a few weeks ago? was she feeding them the i hatched egg?
How long will it take before the chicks are ready to fledge?
About 2 months!!
Feeding time! Carson brought a large fish.
Sorry, I see it now!
I do not see the fourth eye??
9:55 am are the chicks fighting or is that play?
What is going on with the temperature reading?
The readings come from a weather station mounted next to the Carriage House at the Waquoit Bay Reserve. It is managed by another group, but I’ll pass along the fact that there have been some erratic spikes and drops in the recorded temperatures.
What is the yellow I’m seeing on the right side of the nest? Is it a yellow vehicle on the road?
Schoolbus!
Just after 7am this morning, Rachel fed the 3 chicks, then they settled down for a nap. Very cute! See the highlights page.