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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.
They are all trying out their wings this morning. Two of them climbing up near the edge of the nest. Rachel just observing.
Moe is at it again and poor Curley is cowering. So hard to watch!
No Carson and no food yet this morning
I was reviewing the recordings of this morning’s thunderstorm (which I’ll post soon), but did notice Carson brought back a fish and the chicks ate at about 6:40am.
6 am Pelting rain, lots of thunder, lightening and Rachel’s doing a great job keeping everyone dry.
Thanks for the info on bird flu – so sorry to hear it – wish there was something that could be done to help.
3:29 pm June 12, little one finishing up a really strong meal. It grows stronger every day.
Baby chick just had a good lunch!!!
I walk on Nobska Beach every day. this week I f
ound two dead ospreys on the sand. So terribly sad. Does anyone know what could be happening?
There’s a highly pathogenic bird flu going around. It affects shore birds especially. Apparently it’s pretty prevalent on the cape. I have chickens and I can’t let them out because it’s deadly to them too.
Avian influenza is a possibility. It’s killing birds of prey and other large birds up and down the east coast. We lost two eaglets and an adult in March in a nest I monitor in north Florida. Two Canadian geese were found to have died of it in the Wellfleet area in February. I HOPE that’s not what got the two ospreys you saw.
The little one is trying to figure out how those big feet work. It results in a lot of face plants while he’s mastering the skill, but he’ll be able to balance on his own two feet without tipping over before too long. I wouldn’t have given him a 50/50 chance of survival a week ago, but he’s surprised all of us with his refusal to give up.
the 3 little babies are chilling
It’s really amazing how fast those babies grow! I follow CCMNH chicks too. Hatched later than these.
At what point do they push the nonviable egg out of the nest – you’d think there’s some type of instinctual trigger, even if it’s just “housekeeping?” Seems like it’s bound to eventually crack and make a mess and start to reek in the hot sun, etc?
We’re not sure what will happen to it. Rachel may be saving it as a possible food source if other food becomes scarce.
I watched an eagle cam in SW Florida a few years ago and the male adult would carefully and very gently bury the non-fertile egg deep down in the bowl of the nest and every time he did, the female would immediately bring it back up again. Finally, many weeks later, the male buried it (for about the 4th time) and the female left it alone. It will be interesting to see what happens to Rachel’s egg, and when.
Watched 6am Breakfast feeding. Little one not interested. Big Boy and Midi getting their full share. Then BB leaning on Little One again. Now at 6:17 Little One gets free!! Come on Little One, you can survive!! tbc
What I find even worse is that the mother doesn’t care one bit.
These are wild birds, not humans
She does care. She wants to make sure at least one survives, and the biggest and best fed has the best chance of survival. If for some reason there is not enough food, the big one has the best chance of survival. It is much better than having them all weak and/or die if there isn’t enough food to keep them all plump and healthy. It’s not fun to see the little one not getting all the food it wants, but it ensures the survival of the fittest to continue on with the survival of the species
I already know all that Annie and Karen thank you.
Rachel could still distribute the food more fairly.
Leaning on the little one at feeding time again. They are trying to dispatch him. Disgusting to see.
@5:15 pm. Wow the middle one is getting quite a lot…. Little guy is leaning on the fish, a big fish!
Little one isn’t getting any ‘yet’…. Fingers crossed. He’s a fighter 👍🏼
What happened to the fourth egg?
It was there earlier today – it can’t be viable.
… the little ones crop is not full. He did not get much.
Tyrant sitting on the little one so he doesn’t get fed.
Yay, he finally pushed himself up to the front.
Does Carson deliver the fish on any sort of schedule?
Carson finally showed up with a nice fish (head still on) just before noon, and there were 3 VERY hungry chicks with empty crops ready to eat! I wonder why he makes them wait so long between food deliveries — with the water so close, he could catch fish all day. I was happy to see the little one right up front to get the first bite mom offered. 🙂
Hi Claire,
I thought the same thing…water so close, filled with fish, how hard can it be to catch one, until someone in the chat said to watch some on line videos on how the osprey catch their food.
Its not as easy as I thought. I am sure Carson is out there searching for fish more than we think.
Joanne
Joanne, what got me wondering about Carson’s in-frequent fish deliveries to the nest was what I read on the Nat’l Wildlife Federation’s osprey webpage: “Fish represent about 99 percent of their diet. Ospreys are very successful hunters, catching fish on at least one-quarter or more of their dives.” One out of 4 tries is an amazing success rate! That’s why I wondered why Carson has been so slow to deliver the goods to his chicks, especially since that’s his one and only “job” right now. I’m surprised Rachel tolerates the poor service. 😉
An important thing to also consider is the amount of energy required to provide meals for a family of four. Yes, fish are abundant in Waquoit Bay, and yes, osprey are excellent hunters and have a fantastic success rate, but when you watch some of the videos of osprey diving for fish, take note of the energy required to achieve this feat. It’s not easy and Carson gets only a portion of each meal he delivers. Each attempt requires substantial energy on his part and he must rest and replenish his own nutrient stores.
Totally agree, Claire.
Yes, Carson certainly could bring fish more often, as I’ve seen males on other Osprey cams do.
But of course, there are a range of Providers from excellent to poor.
This morning, 10:00, Rachael isn’t sitting on the chicks, but it looks like she is puffing out her feathers and wings, standing near them, maybe to keep them shaded?
does anyone know the name of this species?=]
Pandion haliaetus
thankss!!!=]
Good morning all,
Just happened to catch the 6:15 am breakfast feeding
Well behaved chicks – all ate well
Joanne
Carson seems so aloof
it’ll be amazing that they all survive waiting for him to bring a fish home
good morning all,
I was able to catch the 6:15am feeding this morning. 3 very well behaved chicks — all had plenty to eat
joanne
carson brought dinner around 4:30 and all the kids are getting their share and behaving. carson seems to be on lookout while rachel feeds them
I am renaming the oldest chick …Tyrant.
Yes,
There was some very bad behavior going on in the nest during lunch today.
Joanne
Thank you Joanne. I missed that, but saw some violence yesterday. 🙁
The projectile poopage is impressive! They instinctively know how to keep the nest clean from their own waste! Amazing!
LOL It certainly is.
1:20pm Just tuned in again after driving home from Cape. Chicks are alone. Bad Boy was just pecking Little One and Midi too..think I saw blood on her neck. I think his hunger is causing this unacceptable behavior!. Rachel just flew back with a big lichen covered branch to add to nest….Carson where is that fish?
6/10 12:50 PM feeding, did anyone see if the “against all odds” little one got any fish? T Y!
Yes, the little one got a little fish but the oldest, “the aggressor” got most of it. He has been beating up on both of his siblings this morning… just unrelenting at times!
Looks like they are starting to walk. Could be scary if they decide to take a peek over the edge. And the little one is still getting attacking by the big one – actually biting this morning. Rachel has her hands full.
Do I see a 4th chick?
looks like 3 chicks and an egg to me this morning
Little One is definitely going to make it! I was so worried about him earlier, but he has grown stronger and more assertive…pushing himself right up to Rachel for meals with Big Boy and Midi!
6:05 AM just caught Carson helping to feed the chicks!
First time I noticed needing two fish and both parents feeding at the same time. Chicks are growing FAST!
10:25 PM EST.
Rachel is tending to her little family. I finally got to see one of the babies. Good mom, Rachel! Get some sleep, tomorrow’s another day.
I highly recommend those interested, doing a web search on Osprey and how they catch fish. Absolutely amazing videos to watch! Am so enjoying having the opportunity to watch this Osprey family raising their young.
Osprey use their sharp talons, specially designed to catch and hold fish while they bring them back to the nest. When catching a fish, they can be completely submerged then struggle to return to the surface and become airborne. Here are two YouTube videos that depict this well: An osprey fishing in spectacular super slow motion (Highlands – Scotland’s Wild Heart) and Osprey Hunts Fish in Slow Motion (Earth Unplugged). Both of these were added to our FAQs page for future reference.
Also — Waquoit Bay is offering an Osprey Program to share more about their Osprey and their story. Feel free to check out the Waquoit Bay Reserve website for a calendar of upcoming programs!
Another Sushi meal at 8 pm. The little one has been fed the most 🙂
When the family of osprey leave Cape Cod in the Fall, where will they go for the Winter? Will the Rachel and Carson return to the same nest?
Cape Cod ospreys typically migrate to Central or South America in the fall, and return to the same nest in the spring. We don’t know how long this pair has been using this nest at the Waquoit Bay Reserve, but we certainly hope to see Rachel and Carson again in the years to come!
Just a note – if you have an Amazon.com Smile account (anyone can) you can change or direct your donations to Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge Inc. – I just did. Every bit counts in helping our little family!
Go to smile.Amazon.com – I think that can get you started if you’re not already set up.
Thanks for the reminder, Kathy! Once on the Amazon Smile page, search for “Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge” to select us as your charitable organization you support. Be sure to change your Amazon bookmark or favorite to originate from “smile.amazon.com”. There is no extra cost to shoppers and a small percentage of every purchase goes to the Friends. If you make purchases using the Amazon mobile app, look for the option to enable Smile on your mobile app as well. Thanks to everyone who is already making a difference by doing this!
4:50 pm Carson brought fish. All 3 were fed.
Both parents rearranged new big stick on edge of nest.