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Welcome to “Season Five” 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 2026 (“Season Five”)
View highlights from 2025 (“Season Four”)
View highlights from 2024 (“Season Three”)
View highlights from 2023 (“Season Two”)
View highlights from 2022 (“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.
Hope Charlie caught a fish and is sitting in a tree somewhere eating breakfast.
He’s been gone about an hour.
I’ve seen them eat on moored boats. The others don’t seem to be eating at the nest any more, so could be in trees or pretty much anywhere.
9:48 am empty nest
Starting at around 7:48 am major doings-another osprey lands on nest and both of them ended over the edge. One of them could be seen on the ground on walkway, then you can see a number of other ospreys flying around. Charlie returns to nest. But no food
I saw that, one of the ospreys was on the driveway for a few seconds
And yes there seemed to be 3 or 4 birds flying around
Joanne
8/18/2022, Charlie flew from nest at 6:29 a.m. and returned to the nest one minute later.
He left again at 7:20 am
Yes this is pathetic, but maybe it’s a learning curve. We all had em😵💫
Maybe Charlie was with Carson & ate away from the nest today??? One would hope 🙏
Did Charlie eat today?
i don’t think so, and aside from a few swoops for a few minutes or so, i don’t believe he’s left the nest. he keeps crying out and looking around. i almost want to put a kiddie pool with fish in it under his nest to get him going.
poor charlie. he’s been waiting all day for a food delivery. he’s beginning to remind me of the adult child that won’t get a job or move out of their parents’ basement. LOL
Sorry to say…….Nothing today
I’m still pretty sure it’s a little too soon for that. It’s like humans learning to do anything that requires skill and effort (like riding a bicycle without training wheels) — the first or second tries are seldom successful. Be patient. It will happen! 🙂
Nest check at 11:00 am, Charlie is not there. 8-17-2022
Aug 17 2022, 10:32 a.m. I’ve checked the nest several times this morning. Charlie in the nest calling for food each time.
Did Charlie’s fish get snatched away from him?
Yes I am not 100% sure but I think the Osprey that brought the fish, left with the fish
Someone dropped off a fish
Here’s the fish delivery. Menhaden (Bunker), I think. It looked like Carson but it was so quick it was hard to tell.
thanx glenn. how does carson or rachel get charlie to follow them when they fish? and has anyone seen alpha or bravo lately? do you think they’ve already learned to fish and care for themselves?
Excellent pic Glenn! Thanks
Been watching off and on since 6 ish this morn. Turn my back and voila charlie has a fish! Must’ve been around 10:55am. Didn’t see the drop off (figures). At least now I can get some things done, knowing he’s been fed
Love watching this. Am worried about Charlie 😕. He needs to learn how to fish!
Just give him some time. Fledglings never catch a fish on their first flight out over water. It may take a couple of weeks before he manages to catch one — if then. Carson will stay with him until he decides Charlie’s ready to fly south, which may not be until late September.
Thank you Claire
thought breakfast was being served at 8:33 am but it was just a fly by. charlie was very vocal but no one landed. is it normal for him to continue to groom (bite) himself constantly?
Osprey have what are called preen glands. These glands excrete waxes that are spread over the outer flight feathers for waterproofing. Probably an instinctive response at this stage of life
Thanx
8-16-22, 8:19 am, Charlie is not in the nest.
Back at 824…kinda looks like there was a dip in the water….
must’ve been a short trip, as he is back in less than 10 min. haven’t seen any breakfast deliveries this a.m. charlie seems to be “grooming” under his left wing a lot.
The highlight of C seeing a fish meal coming their way is very funny! C doin the moon walk😅
Go to highlites to see squirrel in the nest last night
Thanks Dena, it looks like a flying squirrel.
8:32 pm aug15, looks like Charlie has finished his meal.
Doing a very good job on the tough end piece of fish. Getting a workout. Lol.:)
7:53 pm. Aug 15 2022, Charlie’s having fish for supper!
Charlie gets a snack, I think Carson dropped off
Charlie looks very handsome, even when he’s begging for food!
13:16 tidbit delivered by the female
Posing nicely
Posing C
Photos
Number 3 posing for the camera.
I got my best laugh of the day watching Charlie bounce up and down when mom dropped off breakfast he was so excited like a child, and I believe Charlie is happy hanging onto his childhood
OMG, I just watched this mornings fish delivery.
Looks like Charlie saw her flying to the nest and did the “moon walk”
Joanne
😂
10:19am. Heeeee’s baaaack
8-15-22 ,at 9:53 am Charlie left the nest.
Charlie just received his breakfast…saw it dropped off not sure if it was Rachel or Carson. Another exciting day in Osprey world.
I just posted this morning’s fish delivery to Charlie/Charlene. Probably Carson, but it was hard to get a good look.
The male judging by white chest and most of the fish already eaten
Charlene? You think Charlie is a female?
S/he has the breast “necklace” of a female, but most research shows it’s too early to definitively tell the gender of juveniles. I’m just trying to be gender neutral. Charlie, Charley, Charlene… anyone’s guess at this point.
Funny! Thanks for posting delivery
When able can you post Mr Squirrel’s visit 08-14-2022 @ approximately 20:40-20:48
Thanks!
Great observation, Dena! Just posted it.
Thank you! Bold little squirrel 🐿
OMG! I haven’t seen that little beasty since Charlie and the others were eggs!
10:52pm Charlie appears more comfortable with perching out of the nest.
Another amazing bird seen at refuge today
Beautiful!!!
Great shot of heron in flight
Just look at that incredible wing span