Osprey Nest at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

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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.

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Dena
1 year ago

Still no Rachel…chicks calling.

Sandi
1 year ago

No Rachel all night.

Erika
1 year ago

10:50 Chicks are calm, but no Rachel in sight. Hope she’s on the camera…. hope she is alright.

Beverly Kane
1 year ago

July 10, 10:18 pm. Both chicks now standing, grooming and flapping wings. My last post for tonight.

Beverly Kane
1 year ago

July 10, 10:10 pm. Chicks Delta and Echo have been alone now for one hour. They are nestled together in the nest. Sleeping, occasional grooming and stretching their wings. (not flapping them)

Dena
1 year ago

Wonder if Rachel is there but sitting on top of camera??? Chicks seem peaceful & not crying out for her

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

9:35 pm This is highly unusual to have the chicks alone at night.
Hope Rachel is ok?

Last edited 1 year ago by Sandyoriginal
Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

I am thinking the same thing

Dena
1 year ago

I’m thinking Carson…chicks alone again!

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

9:11 pm chicks are alone.
I thought it was Carson on the nest looking all around forRachel perhaps?

Beverly Kane
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

Yes, I think that could very well be.

Beverly Kane
1 year ago

July 10 at 9:10 p.m. Rachel just left the nest.

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

Is that Carson?

Beverly Kane
1 year ago

july 10, 8:55 p.m. Rachel in nest. Is there a malfunction with the camera? Seeing something odd at the bottom of the screen since it changed over to night vision. I think someone else posted a similar comment.

Dena
1 year ago
Reply to  Beverly Kane

I think it’s a spiders web

Lorene
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

Looking at the live view this morning, I can see the sun glinting off of silk from a spiders web so that’s most likely what is causing the disturbance on the camera at night not mist or fog. Though sometimes you do see that too. As I remember that happened last year with webs 🤔

Dena
1 year ago

Checked in over an hour ago & no Rachel…still no Rachel. I did see her this morning.
Has anyone seen her since morning?

Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

She was there an hour ago

Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandi

I wonder if she is looking for Carson 🤷‍♀️

Dena
1 year ago

Here is a pic of Charlie coming in for a landing with a piece of fish

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Sandyoriginal
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

Aww what a great photo of dear Charlie!

Lorene
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

Hope he is doing well!

Dena
1 year ago

I’ve been comparing this season to last & have noticed a similar time frame…last season between 07/15-07/21 Alpha & Bravo fledged…our favorite “Charlie” fledged last.

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Annie
1 year ago

Does anyone remember how long after they started doing the wing flapping that they actually took off and flew?

Colleen
1 year ago

My word! Where is mama???

Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Colleen

She leaves for awhile at a time now 🤷‍♀️

Erika
1 year ago

And the chicks are almost as big as Rachel!

Big chicks.png
Merc
1 year ago
Reply to  Erika

It’s amazing how much they’ve grown in approx 43 days! Hatched 5/26 and 5/27.

Erika
1 year ago

Everybody grooming…

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Dena
1 year ago

All together! 07/09 6am

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Betty
1 year ago

I just checked in at 11pm. Does anyone know what appears to be swarming around the bottom of the screen? Haven’t seen that before. The birds don’t seem to notice.

Lorene
1 year ago
Reply to  Betty

I’m pretty sure that’s fog/mist blowing past the camera

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

One chick trying to prevent the other from wing exercising. Jumping on his back and biting his back.
See wing flapping highlight. Thanks Glenn!

Last edited 1 year ago by Sandyoriginal
Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

I saw that too…damn kids!

dianne
1 year ago

Too cute 🦅
mom and the kids were having a talk with another unseen osprey ( maybe Carson?) maybe calling for breakfast. So Rachel takes off and then one of the kids starts flapping away- around 6:43am- if Glenn can post- the chick was at it for some time, but didn’t get airborne

Annie
1 year ago
Reply to  dianne

happened again at 08:01:09-ish. They sure want to take off and fly with mom!

Sandi
1 year ago

Watching Rachel doing homework …I think maybe getting ready for babies flying lessons

Ted
1 year ago

An amusing moment: I tuned in at 17:31 on 7/7 and Rachel was ‘singing.’ Then the kids sang the chorus!

Dena
1 year ago
Reply to  Ted

Missed it…maybe Glenn will post so all can watch

Laura G
1 year ago

Poor Rachel must be so hot sitting in the sun, shading Delta and Echo all day. That sun has been scorching in Boston for days. I hope it’s a bit cooler on the Cape.

ellen
1 year ago

07/07/2023 11/39 am one chick feeding itself and occasionally a bit from mom. hhmm can only see1 chick

ellen
1 year ago
Reply to  ellen

ooops there it is hiding behind mom. So big now I didn’t thin that was possible lol

Dena
1 year ago

Rachel fell asleep while eating, look closely you can see her clutching fish

IMG_1804.jpeg
Lois
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

Lol

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

All 3 are screeching at once for breakfast! A cacophany!

Sandi
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

It’s a riot!

Lorene
1 year ago

I just turned in for the first time in a couple of days and it seems the chicks have found their voices and are sounding more like the adult birds!?

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago

I think I posted this last year, from Hawkwatch website .

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surferboy
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

How ironic……I posted the pic from this article last year during what I think was a heated debate over sexing juvenile osprey

Sandy
1 year ago
Reply to  surferboy

Interesting!

surferboy
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandy

Do you follow the Brewster nest cam?

Sandyoriginal
1 year ago
Reply to  surferboy

I’ve looked in a few times.

Sandy
1 year ago

I see we have another Sandy spelled Sandi.
so I am changing to Sandyoriginal.

Last edited 1 year ago by Sandy
Sandi
1 year ago

They are practicing for flight 😀

Karen E
1 year ago

No video or audio 7/4 2:25 pm

Karen E
1 year ago
Reply to  Karen E

It’s back.

Sandi
1 year ago

Why does Carson bring dinner so late? They are hungry!

Sandy
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandi

Rachel agrees with you lol.

James G. Govoni
1 year ago
Reply to  Sandi

I would imagine that weather conditions has an impact on the success rate of catching fish. The of Osprey has to see their target before they can strike. They have adapted to the proper angle of attack to enter the water and strike but first they have to locate their prey. When their are waves or poor idea light conditions it makes it harder to be successful.
Of course the fish have to be running (located) in the body of water they are fishing in.

Lorene
1 year ago

Great points thank you!

Colleen J Baldelli
1 year ago

Enjoying this so much with my grandsons, ages 4 and 6. We are trying to find out the chicks names. We know one is Delta, what is the other chicks name?

Erika
1 year ago

The younger chick is Echo. We’re following the “NATO phonetic alphabet” (also aviation and many other uses). Last year’s chicks were Alpha, Bravo and Charlie.

Beverly Kane
1 year ago

July 3, 2023 4:03 pm, Mom and her chicks working on repairing the nest.

Dena
1 year ago

Hi Glenn, my husband just got a cape & islands license plate, so I thought I’ll get an Osprey plate but not in MA, RI has. (Special cause plates) Audubon RI benefits from sale of plates. wondering why MA does not have an Osprey plate like the whales & white shark.

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Beth
1 year ago
Reply to  Dena

Awesome plate Dena! I am jealous!😊

Lorene
1 year ago

6:31 Carson zooms in with quick breakfast drop off. Seeing a pair of large birds on the ground on the driveway by where it splits hard to tell but looks like might be turkeys……. Anyone else see that and are possibly viewing on a larger screen to make a determination? They moved onto grass and out of camera range by 6:36. 🤔

Lorene
1 year ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

Thanks Glenn! And yes the chicks look huge! I still can’t tell them apart……🤷‍♀️

Lorene
1 year ago
Reply to  Lorene

👍😂🤷‍♀️🥴

joan tavares avant
1 year ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

ONE IS OLDERTHAN THE OTHER, I BELIEVE THEY ARE BOTH GIRLS , BECAUSE OF BROWN FEATHERS ON CHEST LIKE MOTHERS, CARSON CHEST IS ALL WHITE AS I SEE IT.,THANK U. JOAN

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