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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.
I’ve been watching the Oxford cam when nothing is happening here or you just can’t see here. The chicks look a bit older. The other day one was flapping its wings and lifted high enough that it flew off cam. They hold the fish and feed themselves and today one was perched on the perch. He puts a lot of effort into getting up to the perch and is flying up and down. But while I was watching one of the other chicks just flew off! I so wish we could see better what our chicks are up to here.
I haven’t personally observed the chicks taking flight, but if anyone has, please let me know the date & time and I’ll post to the highlights. It’s incredible to see how hard they try!
One of the Oxford chicks fledged yesterday. It is spending a lot of time off the nest today.
6:25p five cars parked under the nest ??
Hi Karen,
There is nothing listed on the events calendar. Maybe they’re watching to possibly see the babies fly.
😆👍
That is a good thought. Looked like they were each carrying something, possibly a chair. Ended up about 8 cars.
Amazing the difference in food supply here compared to the Brewster nest. At around 7 tonite the female, yes the female, brought in a schoolie striper that they will never finish in one feeding.
The Chicks are probably dreaming of doing this…… won’t be long
https://youtu.be/lUJt1JgleXU
Great video of the bird learning to fly. Thanks Glenn for the update!
I have already sent comments in my mailing. WONDERFUL/sorry for the mess but babies don’t care11. bill
I am exhausted just watching the kids flapping their wings !!!
My webcam is blank. Gone. ?
Betsy you may need to clear out your browser. Ive had this happen when too many old windows of this site remained open.
And try to access the Osprey cam from the home page.
Hope it works for you!
Much better advice than what I suggested. Thanks, Sandy. I hope Betsy is OK now.
Thank you so much, Sandy
You’re very welcome, Betsy.
Glad it helped. 🙂
For Betsy — Your screen might be blank at the moment because you’re not yet approved. After you’re approved, you should be to see the right side of the nest clearly, but the middle and left side will be cloudy with poop from one of the osplets a while ago.
Anyone can view this cam at any time………
Right, the fix for a blank screen is usually to refresh the page or close your browser and try again.
I should have known that. I was able to view the nest cam before I asked for approval to comment.
I’ve been looking at this webcam since the eggs were laid. Yesterday, it went bluebird on me.
Sandy and Glenn came to the rescue with the right answers!
Interesting photo — Alpha is huge, the largest by far of the 3. Bravo and Charlie, however, are now much closer in size to each other, and both are noticeably smaller than Alpha — even though Bravo is only a day younger than Alpha and almost a week older than Charlie. Size at birth is no longer of use to ID the sex of the chicks. I’m guessing we have one female and two males.
I added a clip from this afternoon of one of the chicks (Alpha?) learning to fly. Almost got airborne! See the highlights.
Can you repost the link for the highlights. Than you.
Glenn, That was a great clip !!Hope to see them finally fly …
Shirley, scroll up on this page to where there’s a link (in green lettering) to “View highlights fror this year”. Click on that and the clip Glenn refers to is the last one posted.
Oxford crew are all watching the baseball game right now…funny seeing them as a run came in..lol
Looks like Bravo finished 1st after Charlie this afternoon…then Alpha…Bravo went for seconds too. Everyone got a little wing stretch. Lotta “overflights” and calls too.
Somebody was airborne….
Little one not trying to eat.
I see that
Keeps looking at the food
But not trying to go for it
Little One fed after the older siblings had their fill.
Sandy and Joanne, #3 figured out a few weeks ago that there’s plenty of food so no reason/need to butt in while #1 and 2 are being fed — just wait patiently until they’re stuffed and then enjoy a leisurely private feeding with mom.
Sounds like a good plan, but, unfortunately, we have seen many occasions where there was nothing left after 1 and 2 finished, and #3 got zero.
Good observation Sandy, Little one continues to get pushed out of the way if not attacked at feeding time. Fear of this causes zero food intake at times.
Thank you Surferboy. Yes! I wonder how many bites #3 got today?
Little one did get a decent feed this AM
good to hear. Poor thing is on an austerity diet. Lol.
Sandy, the fact that he did survive all the abuse from his older, much larger siblings and all the feedings where he was either last to eat or left out altogether shows how just how tough this little guy is to have made it this far. I’m hoping we’ll be able to see him fledge successfully a week or so after #1 and 2!
Claire in Florida, I agree. Everyone hopes for a good outcome.
Appreciate your response.
Three chicks sleeping. Wish Rachel could have a lie-down too!
Michelle, osprerys and eagles don’t prefer to lie down. The female only does it when her chicks are young. When the chicks get to be as big as they are now, the adult female will perch, upright, on one of the sturdier nest rails or a nearby tree branch while continuing to guard the nest. Later, both adults will perch in trees or on structures like cell phone towers to rest, eat the fish they catch, and sleep.
Appreciate the information, Claire.
Just as I show concern about food provision here, the male shows up at 13:09 with a good sized fish. Took 50 mins to finish it but sorry to say little one did not get much. He/she is totally intimidated by the larger siblings and afraid to compete for food.
1:45pm Dinner is served, finally!
This family has not eaten in over five hours. Female is making frequent short flights, maybe looking for the male. There is gonna be stiff competition when food finally arrives.
Bodes ill for little one doesn’t it?
I know they bond for life, but teally Rachel needs a far better provider than this guy.
Ive watched other Cams with males who bring fish far more frequently.
Just the impact on the little one …..
The Brewster female brings fish as well as the male. This female needs to do the same.
C1 and 2 have been showing off their impressive wings and will fledge soon. Eaglets practice with “hang time” before they actually fly — where they lift straight up, sometimes 6-8 feet, and then do a (hopefully) controlled set-down back in the nest. Do osprey chicks do the same thing before they fledge? #1 and 2 will be 7 weeks old in a couple of days (unless I’ve counted wrong), so here’s hoping they take off for the first time from the right side of the nest so we can see them! 🙂
Observed the larger one starting to “false fledge” last night.
When they flap their wings enough to rise up off the nest and then drop back down.
With eaglets, and I’m guessing it’s the same with osplets — sometimes the wind is blowing so hard, when the chick tries to drop back down it’s no longer over the nest anymore. In eagle-speak, this is called a “fludge” (same terminology here?) and, although not always fatal, it’s definitely not a good thing to have happen. Hope we don’t have any problems with that with “our” osplets — looking for 3 fledges and zero fludges!
At what point do the chicks venture out of the nest?
Mary Ann, they’ll fly from the nest for the first time (fledge) when they’re 7- 8 weeks old. Before each one fledges, you’ll see it continue to strengthen its wings and getting some “hang time” by lifting itself up above the nest 6′ or so, “hanging” there briefly, and setting back down again. This is an exciting time for us and the osplets!
The little one was attacked by the larger sibling. He’s keeping his head down.
big one is practically on top of him.
I thought the pecking had stopped.
Sad to hear it just happened to the little guy. I haven’t been watching too much due to the nasty poop lens. I can’t believe how thick the necks are on two of the chicks and how thin the neck is on the little one
Good observation about the size of the necks!!!
I’m amazed the birds ha e not had water to drink- just from the liquid of the fish.
10:45 AM feeding. Once again little one is hug out to dry, literally. No fish means no hydration.
🥰
It amazes me that Rachel has to sleep standing up at the edge of the nest. Babies are huge. One of them needs to fly off to make room.
I think that osprey, like a lot of birds, roost at night in trees. They don’t sleep in the nest.
I think there is a good shot on the little one on the camera now. Looks OK to me.
Thank you for this news about Little One eating. I have been absent for a few days, but he was in my thoughts. I know we are all rooting for him to thrive.
I’m not sure why all the viewers are able to see the nest. I still have a large cloudy spot so I’m not able to see them clearly.
We all have the same view as you
Thank you. I have not been following as frequently As before
Thanks for the update on the little one
Thank you! I am relieved to hear this.
Yay! The little one is right ip front eatting!
Right around 10:30 a good size fish was delivered. I did not see the male bring it in but it took 45 mins to finish it. Unfortunately the little one got nothing, not ONE bite. The concern here is not just growth and nutrition but also hydration for the little one in this heat.
I share your concern.
Ive been noticing that the little one doesn’t seem to even try anymore.
Very sad about this. And worried.
Can anyone see where the little one might be? I can only see the two older chicks with Rachel. I can’t seem to detect any other motion through the blurred lens.
Brewster adults must be older or more experienced parents. This morning the female went fishing and an hour after that feed the male showed up with another fish. They typically show up with much larger fish than the Mashpee adults. Even thought there are only two Brewster chicks, there is a dominate one. One chick is fed til full while the other one waits.
I went onto the Cape Cod museum Osprey cam and that’s cool too but I am too invested in these baby’s to not know how they’re doing. I have a bond. 😍
I agree with you. I have been watching (as many of us have) since they hatched.
I can see Rachel feeding one of the babies now, hope it little one–who is not so little anymore!!!
Haha me too
Supersoaker would work…lol Actually, even a narrow tubing leading up the pole to the camera with a small spray head would work…once can always “pump” water with a little ivory even by hand below to wash the lens. Low tech, but could work. Statistically with three young and two adults birds..it’s gonna get hit….
I can see three chicks still in the nest.
I can’t see much but I can make out Rachel feeding one of the chicks. 7:45 am
What a difference in the goings on at the Brewster nest. Today at about lunchtime the male brought a striper, a striper as big as he could carry. The female and chicks fed on it for 40 minutes while the male remained on the nest. When the chicks finally backed off, the male took what was left (which was plenty) and flew off with it.
Gary mentioned this camera earlier in Oxford, MA. I like it.
https://www.earthcam.com/usa/massachusetts/oxford/?cam=oxford_osprey
Great cam with zoom. This is the set up Mashpee needs
Take in the Brewster Ospreys at CCMNH nest cam
Do you know the exact location of the Brewster nest? I see a boardwalk below the next…
Oops! Closer look and just realized it’s the corner of the nest platform, not a boardwalk..,still would like to know the location if you know it.
It is out behind or to the north of the CCMNH. There is a short trail loop out of the parking lot
Thank you! Happy 4th 🇺🇸
Maybe they knew we were watching and just wanted their privacy!