If video is not appearing above, click here to refresh this page. Also try clearing your browser cache, closing and restarting your browser or restarting your device.
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.
Poor Rachael really looks raggedy.
Its all about hunger.
He’s trying to do away with his/her sibling big time.
Last year Charlie got the worst of it with Bravo also receiving some. I this year, where there is just the 2 chicks, the smaller one gets a double dose.
OMG! It’s almost awful to watch they way they go at it! This go around, both were pecking at each other and no Rachel intervention :-O
I think what Sandy means is they have matured and improved their fishing, nest building and parenting skills with another year under their belt since last summer. They are not actually different birds just better at it this year. Last year whether it was inexperience or just a more difficult year for fishing Carson was not able to be as consistent as he is this year with fish deliveries. Rachel seems to be more strategic in her feeding and nest keeping etc.
Perfectly stated, Lorene.
At around 7:20 pm on 6/7 the chicks were being fed, but the fish was still alive. Echo was near the tail trying to get fed and the fish flapped his tail and sent Echo flying into the middle of the nest. Maybe Glenn can post the video when he returns. Echo layer quite foe a minute or so but climbed back up and got fed. It’s tough being an Osprey chick. 😟
I saw the fish flapping but must have blinked when poor Echo got flapped by fish. I hope Glenn can post the video when he returns. So now the fish is gone but I was typing and probably missed some rogue osprey swoop down and take it!
Will do. I can’t wait to see that myself! Thanks for noting the date & time.
Carson just delivered a good size fluke. It was still alive and the smaller fledgling got slapped across the nest and looked like it was knocked out. Took a few minutes to regain its footing. Feast is going on!
The male is much better at fishing this year. The average size of what he brings is 3 times larger than last year.
A different male and female this year for sure.
At this last feeding I think the female knowingly fed the first born until it was satiated so that the younger one could feed without a hassle.
Looks like they got takeout and kept the container. Lol.
😂
Parents worked together to move a stick over the chicks’ heads.
Oh dear – Delta was just bullying and pecking at Echo and now Echo is just lying very still. Echo is breathing/barely moving but Delta is surely the stronger being – I think – 1 or 2 days older.
There is a silver lining because shortly after, Echo got up and pooped – lol! And then Rachel was feeding him. I don’t watch continuously but it just seems that Delta does get the lions share of the food.
When one gets pecked on, it is normal to lie low and hold still with their head down. Then he will lie low for a while so not to attact the attenion of the other. I guess that helps stop being pecked at and it works most of the time.
I noticed that the play dead was Charlie’s strategy last year too.
What I found interesting, before the 4th egg hatched, Carson flew in with a fish and bite by bite began to feed Rachel. After a few minutes, he started feeding the chicks. She flew off. Then Carson side stepped Delta and Echo to feed Foxtrot for a bit, like he knew the little one needed more nourishment than it was getting to survive.
The chicks are close to the front left platform corner. Rachel is blocking it. Maybe Carson will fill it in or reshape the nest to get them in the middle 😀
I think she is blocking the sun so the little ones don’t get too hot. She does it a lot on hot sunny days with her wings sightly spread to provide more shade
His head is raised now thankfully.
(recovered from the pummeling perhaps.)
She is poking the little one to rise, he can’t seem to raise his head.
Never seen her do this before. She’s intently looking down at him.
WOW a flurry of activity on the nest starting at about 13:37. The male brings in a fish. The so called “marauding” osprey (could be a 2-3 year old juvenile from this very nest) buzzes the nest. The first born here pummels the second during feeding. The male takes flight to ward off the “marauder”. Then what I’ve rarely seen before, The female tries to lift the younger chicks head to feed. Great 15 minutes of observation.
12am+ Tuesday 06/05 Rachel let the chicks sleep outside for a bit, infront of her. Toughening them up for the weather. I took a picture to share but apparently I am unable to copy and paste it.
I was away, visiting family out in Oregon…. Just checked in . Was sad to learn about the 2 chicks that didn’t survive. 😟
Here’s hoping these 2 will flourish and fledge when their time comes.
Chicks show mobility today as they are moving around the nest. Pretty soon they will be backing up to the edge for pooping. By now their crops have developed so they can store food for times of infrequent feedings.
I noticed that too, the moving more freely around and also tracking Rachel’s whereabouts in case she has more fish 😂. Do you recall when last year they started moving around the nest like that? Seemed kinda soon but can’t remember. They will grow so fast now! Thanks for the info on the crops.
Last year was probably the same as this. They become mobile and have crop development at about 10 days so they are right on schedule. They double their body weight in this same timeframe.
7:58 Rachel finally moved and I def saw both chicks
It is 7:53am and I only see one baby osprey!!
Never mind… I just saw the second one! Thank goodness!
Carson brought a fish at 6:11. Rachel had a peaceful breakfast with Delta and Echo. Now she is back to warming duties.
Oh no😭😢so so sad that foxtrot and golf did not make it
I agree with Beverly Kane. I feel sad also 💔
6/5/2023, 7:30 p.m. I think that the short lives of Foxtrot and Golf should be formally recognized in the narrative for Season Two. Their names belong to them and should not be used again until such time that we complete the alpha naming system we currently use. Rachel did all she could to protect her four chicks under horrific conditions. She can’t just get off the nest to seek relief for herself but must stay with them whatever the situation calls for. I am feeling sad.
:'(
I agree and wonderfully said, I think you captured the mood. Feeling sad too.
I agree Beverly, that is a nice way to honor our little friends. I am heartbroken as well.
Agree Well said. 😢
Well said Beverly. Rachel did all she could to keep all her chicks safe in terrible weather conditions. I felt sadness as well and shed a few tears when I read the outcome of tiny Foxtrot and Golf. They will be remembered.
Weather continues to be a concern.
If you watched or are watching the feeding that started around 13:15 you can tell that the chick on the left is the older one. The older one is showing the darker color of what’s know as the “second down”. You might also be interested to know that the first egg and resulting newborn is larger than the eggs and newborns that follow. Each egg and resulting newborn is smaller than the previous one. Fossil records show that the osprey has evolved over a 50 million year period.
awww so sad 🙁
Rachel made a valient effort to keep the newborn chicks warm and dry during several days of windy, cold, wet and raw conditions. She looked miserable herself, but still did her best to shield the babies from the elements. Rachel and Carson are driven by survival, of themselves and their offspring, and are true heroes fighting the odds and the forces of nature. It’s incredibly sad to see this play out the way it did, but we are fortunate that two chicks survived this onslaught. I know we all share the hope that the remaining 2 will continue to beat the odds and successfully fledge.
Me too, I’m very sad. But Nature works in mysterious ways.
I felt the same about Foxtrot. He always seemed to push his way to the front at feeding time. It’s sad seeing just the two, but with less competition for food, they should grow big and strong
Very sad to have learned of the weekends events
Well said Glen, adverse weather conditions and Rachel protecting them from the cold didn’t fair well for the youngest chicks. Survival of the fittest. Watching these amazing creatures doing what they do is awe inspiring.
Around 12:03 Rachel left the nest and it appeared that Carson removed the second deceased chick from the nest. 😢
Just watched Delta pecking Echo until Echo collapsed. Maybe it’s a godsend that little Foxtrot and Golf didn’t make it. It could have been a very painful scene play out over the summer.
Yes I saw that too….
6/5 11 am And then there were two😢
the parents seem to be leaving the babies alone more this year than last. They were alone for 3 minutes at 11:33. They looked so cold. One of them was trying to crawl under the other.
I am not sure of the count of chicks at the point, but at 9:46a, it appeared that Carson flew into the nest without a fish, circled over to Rachel’s side and very quickly leaned in very closely and grabbed in his beak what looked to be a limp chick, then rapidly flew down and away from the nest toward the Bay.
Anyone else witness this??
Thank you Cole. I missed this thoughtful but heartbreaking action by Carson. Perhaps he has done this earlier when we didn’t witness his removing the other wee one……
I saw this too, could not make out what he flew off with though. I’m staying positive that Foxtrot & Golf are way down in nest 🙏
Delta and Echo getting fed, 10:48. Camera lens too blurry with water to see any other little ones. The past couple days/nights were rough, wet and cold may have been too much for few day old chicks.
Sadly, I can confirm that at least one of the chicks did not survive and was removed as you keenly observed. Heartbreaking, indeed. It appears that only two are left.
Oh dear! I just read your comments and checked the nest. Only 2 chicks. I did see 4 yesterday. It was extremely windy and cold yesterday. Could Foxtrot and Golf been blown off the nest? Anyone nearby to take a ride over to check the ground below?
Just checked around nest and did not see anything on ground but there were too many trees (and ground poison ivy) to get a real good glimpse. This is so sad if this is the case.
Hi,
looks like there are only two chicks.
does anyone know anything about the other two younger chicks?
thanks
Bob
I can see 2 moving and maybe one small one just NW of these 2. I wish the pictures we see were sharper.
I didn’t see that NW one move at all
I also only saw 2 hoping the other 2 are ok
I think I only see 2 chicks in the nest.
I didn’t see them either. I am hoping they were just hiding under the others, but it has been so cold and windy the last couple of days. Even Rachel looks cold, wet and just miserable.
I will be away from tomorrow (6/5) through June 15th. I’ll still be watching, but won’t be able to post any video clips to the highlights until I return. You’ll just have to watch the action live!
Glen, have a wonderful vacation!
Have a wonderful getaway!
8:47 Carson feeding Rachel again and then they were dive bombed by another osprey
This cool weather may be a blessing. With Rachel sitting on and warming up the chicks there is no pecking going on!!!