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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.
why is the osprey in the nest hanging its head? seems like it has been doing that for the last day or two.
I suppose he might be saying his prayers, but it’s more likely he’s sleepy/sleeping.
It seems some of the time, he is looking at bugs on the nest
aug 23 9:28 a.m. Charlie has returned to the nest.
Aug 23, 2022, checked the nest at 9:16 a.m. Charlie is not in the nest.
Most sources say ospreys leave the northeast in September. Adult females typically leave first (as early as late August), leaving the male to tend to the offspring and continue to provide food for them while they learn to fish on their own. It’s possible that Rachel has already left, but the fact that we haven’t seen her doesn’t mean she’s not still around. It would still be early for the others to leave, and Carson will wait until Charlie is ready to be on his own. I haven’t read anything that suggests any offspring will be left behind. Some ospreys can still be seen in the area in late September or even early October.
Charlie’s behavior is puzzling. Over the past few days, he/she has left the nest for some extended periods, but always seems to return. It’s possible on its forays off the nest, he/she is eating elsewhere (most likely a fish that Carson has provided). It’s also possible that the bird that returns is not always Charlie. It’s difficult to make a positive identification at this point, especially when only one is visible. Maybe they take turns returning to the nest for a rest – just throwing that out as a possibility.
Could it be a bird from another nest?
Yes, it’s possible.
how many days he can he go without food?
Just because we don’t see Charlie eating in the nest doesn’t mean he’s not eating somewhere else. At this stage (post fledge) he’s supposed to be eating what Carson brings him on a perch in a tree or on a pole, NOT in the nest. The same with sleeping — perched elsewhere, not in the nest.
What do you think, is it Charlie or Glenn’s thoughts that this may be another osprey?
I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that it’s another bird. It’s so hard to tell for sure without anyone else in the nest! Remember the “visitor” that arrived many weeks ago that somebody dubbed “Delta”? It had that prominent white stripe of feathers running down from its shoulder along the top of its wing that we see on the bird in the nest now. At that time Charlie, who was much younger than the fledgling visitor, didn’t show a white stripe, but he could definitely have acquired those feathers in the meantime. I think this is probably Charlie we’re seeing because of his uniquely odd behaviors, but there’s no way to be 100% sure of it.
I live in Cataumet, late yesterday saw at least 8 Osprey’s some in their nest, others in flight fishing & catching. Just doing what Ospreys do. So lots of them here gaining & fine tuning their survival skills.
I wasn’t sure by your ? to Glenn is that you think they are already leaving??? From what I saw & see when walking are lots of Ospreys. So still time for Charlie to find his way
Do you live on cape?
impressive 👍🏼
Amazing you caught Charlie in some great poses. FYI, if you “right click” on the video image, you can select take a snap shot which will create an image that isn’t as pixelated as screen shots.
I love that
Stunning pics Janet, Thank you!
Charlie watching person with dog below
Took a few screen shots today.
some are color enhanced.
anyone know if charlie has eaten since yesterday? charlie still on one leg.
No food deliveries since yesterday. Osprey consistently stand on one leg. #3 here sleeps standing on one leg just like we used to see it’s mother do every night
He doesn’t appear to be very happy hanging out in the rain, bet he misses mom.
pains me to see he’s not yet feeding himself
He has been feeding himself for quite a while. He just hasn’t learned how to catch his own fish yet so is still dependent on Carson to bring him food. This is normal. I’ll repeat that: This is normal.
Apologies for the mis-read … and I’m pleased that he has both legs … this Charlie does some weird things.
8-22: 9:00am Did Charlie lose a Talon?? He’s been perched on one leg for an hour … listless and not moving at all.
I’ve been watching Charlie this morning and it seems to be favoring its right claw and seems very tired
I may have missed a post, but when was Rachel last seen at the nest or in the area? Has it been determined that she’s left for points south already? Also, have any of the local nest-watchers spotted Alpha or Bravo in the trees in the area near the nest? I’ve been wondering if Carson and Charlie are the last two.
I wasn’t at refuge yesterday but went to Megansett Harbor at 7pm, saw lots of Ospreys on platform nest, flying & fishing. Caught this one on a dead tree…osprey paradise!
Thanks Dena! Great photo and
I will drive over to Megansett.
Go to Megansett Rd in Cataumet at Squeteague Harbor. Awesome platform nest right by road in Harbor. Megansett Rd turns into Garnet Ave. Have fun exploring
Pic taken at Dimmick Park in Pocasset near Parker’s boat yard.
Nice capture! Thanks for all your wonderful photo posts — and the same to others who have contributed their photos over the summer! 🙂
Beautiful
Aug 22 2022 at 6:20 am. Charlie in nest, kind of listless, trying to keep his eyes open.
Seeing that clip of Charlie just watching the squirrel walk right in front of him was a hoot.
I don’t know if he felt it wasn’t worth snacking on or what- but I feel that if he were a cat, perhaps he’d be the kind to just watch mice scamper past his face and not do anything about it.
20:55…all is well…Charlie had a scratch…three ants were off on the hunt and a bat flew by…Charlie dozing hard now…all in 30 seconds…lol
Charlie’s back.
charlie is having a sunday funday!!!
Gone again. I hope he’s learning how to 🐟
Even if he doesn’t catch one he will get refreshed a bit on this hot day!
I left my computer at 9:55 am. Charlie was in the nest, Returned at 10:19 am, Charlie has left the nest.
9:12am Sunday….thanks for the photo of Charlie and eating his Fish Delivery! So glad he is eating but am still worried he is depending on home delivery to survive. Come on Charlie, Fish for your Fish. Time is running out before heading South.
Thanks for the posting of the beautiful photos. Hope they make the high-lites section.
He’s eating now. Didn’t see who brought it.
Charlie eating! YAY 🤗
Awesome!!! I’m glad to see he’s doing well. I often just see him at night, sleeping alone, and I get so sad to see it.
I am so happy to see that Charlie has food! He was not looking good.
8/21 @ 7:30 Carson brings Charlie 1/2 of a fish. Hoping this gives Charlie energy for another day
Where’s the fish?
I don’t think he has eaten 🐠🙃
Not good !!
Charlie Aug 20, 2022 at 7:25 pm.
After a long day on the nest, Charlie is taking several short flights in the past 10 mins or so – just past 8 pm.
Seriously Charlie looks like a child having temper tantrum’s 😂
Hi Charlie. We missed you. Glad to see you back but we know you need to move on to your next stages in life. Fly High!
Hi Charlie! So proud of you!!
Glenn, highlight request , Ellen posted Charlie made a beautiful landing 08/19 @ 2:05pm.. would ❤️ to see
I bet Charlie will sleep well tonight, after a busy day out doing who knows what. 🙂
Is This Charlie back, 6:44 pm.
He’s back!!
Charlie not quite ready for adulthood, the mama’s boy still wants his dinner delivered 😊wonder if mom or dad will oblige, but I don’t think so.