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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.

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7.1K Comments
Dena
3 years ago

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

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Lois
3 years ago
Reply to  Dena

Lol

Sandyoriginal
3 years ago

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

Sandi
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandyoriginal

It’s a riot!

Lorene
3 years 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
3 years ago

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

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surferboy
3 years 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
3 years ago
Reply to  surferboy

Interesting!

surferboy
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandy

Do you follow the Brewster nest cam?

Sandyoriginal
3 years ago
Reply to  surferboy

I’ve looked in a few times.

Sandy
3 years ago

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

Last edited 3 years ago by Sandy
Sandi
3 years ago

They are practicing for flight 😀

Karen E
3 years ago

No video or audio 7/4 2:25 pm

Karen E
3 years ago
Reply to  Karen E

It’s back.

Sandi
3 years ago

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

Sandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandi

Rachel agrees with you lol.

James G. Govoni
3 years 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
3 years ago

Great points thank you!

Colleen J Baldelli
3 years 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
3 years 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
3 years ago

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

Dena
3 years 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
3 years ago
Reply to  Dena

Awesome plate Dena! I am jealous!😊

Lorene
3 years 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
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

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

Lorene
3 years ago
Reply to  Lorene

👍😂🤷‍♀️🥴

joan tavares avant
3 years 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

Sandy
3 years ago

2:18 am …… chick is exercising his wings a lot.
And saw something fly over the nest.
s

Ann
3 years ago

The chicks are huge and walking around!

Merc
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

You bet. I will have my cousin and family from Connecticut go to this link and comment since their 19 year old son completely loves watching Rachel and Carson and appreciates learning about osprey and other raptor birds!

Laura G
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

Done!

Sandy
3 years ago

Lineup

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Beverly Kane
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandy

What a beautiful photo! Thanks, Sandy! Glenn, this is worthy of making the highlights!

Beth
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandy

Aww, so sweet!!

dianne
3 years ago

what’s with this osprey???
is that a necklace around neck indicating a female?

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dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  dianne

makes the most sense I guess

dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

thanx glenn

Sandy
3 years ago

6:45 am Carson brought fish.
And flew off with it.
rachel and chicks had just finished a large fish.

Last edited 3 years ago by Sandy
Kaycee
3 years ago

Wow good pics, I miss all the excitement! Don’t mess with mama

dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  Kaycee



dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  Kaycee

👏💪🦸‍♀️🦹🙅‍♀️
she’s the best
but where was carson?

dianne
3 years ago

mama wins
btw this was around 5:37 if glen wants to post video

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Merc
3 years ago
Reply to  dianne

Dianne – wow – nice action shots! I bummed I missed this. I hope Glenn will post video – 🤞

dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  Merc

thanx me too.

dianne
3 years ago

The nerve-

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dianne
3 years ago

Rachel is not having any of it

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dianne
3 years ago

interloper coming in for landing

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dianne
3 years ago

rambo rachel wins

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dianne
3 years ago
Reply to  dianne

This actually was first pic

Charlene McCabe
3 years ago

Interesting to watch the babies exercising their wings! How old are they when they learn to fly and leave the next. At times mom seems very nervous about them leaving the nest.

melissa phillips
3 years ago

WOW! Outstanding picture! Thanks so much. Happy 4th!

Barry
3 years ago

Breakfast has arrived….

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Barry
3 years ago
Reply to  Barry

..actually it was just a stick this time

Sandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Barry

Gorgeous photo Barry. The back lighting of the tail is amazing.

Dena
3 years ago

Outstanding pic! Love it 🥰

Dena
3 years ago

Chicks are feeding & noticed chicks starting to feed on their own…06-29 17:35ish
Hoping Glenn will post

Dena
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

Hi Glenn, thanks for post…I went back to last season & on 06/30/22 you posted chicks self feeding so we are certainly at the exact point this year as last year. Very cool! This season has been a bit easier to watch. Last season was real difficult watching Charlie struggle to survive each day. Such determination, I hope he is thriving!

“Chicks self feeding 6-30-22 (The oldest chick picks away at the tail of a fish, then a few minutes later, the second claims it for itself. Rachel watched patiently, then later had some and fed the two younger ones.)”

joan tavares avant
3 years ago

THANK U GLENN AND EVERYONE, YOUR SPECIAL

Merc
3 years ago

Rachel has her wings spread over chicks to keep them cool – happy family! 👍

Merc
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

Oddly enough I can see the cam on my iPhone just fine but unable to see it on my iPad.

Merc
3 years ago
Reply to  Glenn Davis

Ok – correction – I can see on my iPhone but video freezes.

joan tavares avant
3 years ago

ITS 9 AM SCREEN STILL BLACK, IM VERY CONCERNED, HOPE THEY ARE SAFE, THEY HAVE BECOME MY FAMILY, I WATCH THEM SEVERAL TIMES A DAY….

surferboy
3 years ago

Here is a local alternative while this cam is down.
https://ccmnh.org/attractions/osprey-cam

Merc
3 years ago
Reply to  surferboy

Thank you for sharing this link!

surferboy
3 years ago
Reply to  Merc

You are welcome…..interesting to note last year this nest fledged 3 chicks and did so well ahead of Mashpee. This year, as one can see, this nest is way behind Mashpee. The nest is at least a foot taller than last year and it was very difficult to see what exactly was going on. These two chicks are at least 5 days apart in age and the female has long since given up on incubating the third egg.

Beverly Kane
3 years ago

8:34 a.m. 6/29/23 , screen will not open. totally black.

Erika
3 years ago
Reply to  Beverly Kane

Same here.

joan tavares avant
3 years ago

I CANNOT OPEN, SCREEN ALL BLACK, WHY SINCE 5;30.

Lois
3 years ago

Can’t open the screen either

Dena
3 years ago

All together now, Carson just delivered a fish

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Dena
3 years ago

Hi Sandy, when I posted pic only saw the one fish…good size. One chick was eating the other preening its feather’s & didn’t seem interested…from your pic this look’s to be the same fish I saw Carson deliver.

Sandy
3 years ago

There’s a nice looking fish in the nest after they ate. Did Dad bring more than one?

Last edited 3 years ago by Sandy
Sandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandy

Fish….or what’s left of one?

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Last edited 3 years ago by Sandy
Karen g
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandy

Leftovers 😆 midnight snack

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