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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.
Osprey in the nest at 6:45 this morning moving a couple of sticks around.
Nesting behavior
I visited this morning & captured Osprey on nest…
Whoever the visitor is (it may be Carson, or as others have suggested, Alpha,Bravo or Charlie), he’s probably waiting for his mate to return.The nesting pair does not travel together; instead it’s a solo migration, so keep an eye out for others who may show up in the coming days. We may even see some territorial disputes over the nest. Thanks to everyone for watching so closely – these sightings can be pretty brief.
Glenn – I was under the assumption that they (Rachel and Carson) would arrive together?? I comment/ask cause last year’s video showed them arriving within minutes of each other on March 26th.
Merc, you’re right that last year’s video showed them both returning together, or at least it that’s how it looked. Odds are that was just the first time they were caught on camera and maybe Carson was already back for a few days hanging out in nearby trees. Good catch!
😄 I was going to say Rachel as the black marking looks like it fans out ?? Oh well, time will tell.
Glenn is there a way to identify Rachel and Carson from the kids ?
Here’s what we need…
Visitor at 9:13 before the crows came back.
Wicked windy day
great shot
I am thinking Alpha, Bravo or Charlie
Karen – I’m thinking the same, too. Earlier I thought the first sighting might have been Carson, but the more I looked at previous seasons, the more I thought it might probably be Alpha, Bravo or Charlie from 2 years ago! Plus, I had read that the two from last year (I think Foxtrot and Echo???) won’t return until 2025. Glenn – feel free to correct me!
I think you are correct about 2025. I read that the first year as an adult they stay where they migrated to. I do not remember why, maybe to fall in love 😊
Osprey flew over and sitting in the tree.
Who could it be?
One just briefly landed in the nest about 12:35 PM
9:17am March 20. Just saw one make an appearance! Heard the calls then looked up to an osprey in the nest. Stayed for 10 seconds(?) then gone.
There is an osprey spending a lot of time on the Patchogue nest.
Osprey at 8:14 AM markings on the back of his head look like one of our Ospreys maybe Carson?
Looks like the same osprey was here at 8:14
Carson???? With all that necklace plumage…..I don’t think so…..
My understanding is that the males typically return first. Also I think Rachel had darker neck markings. But we won’t really know for sure until we see them together.
Any chance it may be Alfa, Bravo or Charlie? I plan to go through 2022 pics to take a look at the markings & compare.
Has anyone ever done
this?
Anything is possible. Unfortunately in 2022 the camera was partially obscured as a result of the infamous “poop-shots” so it’s hard to get a good view. Also keep in mind that juveniles don’t develop their full adult markings until 18 months. Here’s an article on osprey identification that may be helpful: https://avianreport.com/osprey-appearance-identification/ But please try to make comparisons and report back what you find. I appreciate the effort!
I have to agree with you. Here’s Carson from last year and his bib is not the same. I posted pic under Dena with pic from 2023 highlight first arrival . Looks just like this years arrival
My best guess is a young female from a previous clutch
St.Patrick’s Day great way to celebrate.
Oxford Ma cam Osprey sitting on perch….
Yes, thanks Dena.
a perch the camera / we can see.
the birds used the old ones on the previous nest alot..
think a perch makes the nest more attractive to the birds.
Can we get a perch added to the nest I wonder?
lol, we have one – the camera!
Funny!
Thanks for posting video & the 2024 season highlights
You listed video as Carson…is that a definite?
Crow picks through nest
I saw 👀 that
Osprey returns!
Yes!, just saw a fly in at 8:02!! Wonder who?
Fantastic. Looks like it could be Carson! This is about a week earlier than last years arrival!
Hi Merc, Glenn’s got the 2024 season up & he posted video as Carson so must be…so cool!
YAY! Who could it be 😄 03/17 7:13am
great!!!! osprey back at cape cod museum as well
Great pic! Dianne
thanx. Your pics as well🫶. who do you think it was- Rachel, Carson or ?
No idea??? I’m sure Glenn may know
2024 season highlights up, Glenn titled “Carson”
Check it out
so I think surferboy might be right. I checked last year’s pic of first sight and this is who arrived ( looks like this year’s arrival)-and not looking like Carson . I’m going to post a pic of Carson under surferboy’s comment🤷♀️
I just saw an osprey fly over Shoestring bay with fish in talons! Woo hoo! Finally seeing and hearing signs of spring!
If anyone noticed that the fields below the nest have turned black, there was a prescribed burn the other day. The pupose of these controlled burns in the fields is to promote habitat restoration at the Waquoit Bay Reserve. Glad to see this was completed before the return of the ospreys, but in the past it had no effect other than what seemed to be an interesting event for them to observe.
Osprey are back 03/17 7:13am
Osprey Cam Oxford Ma
Osprey returns
Great to see! Thanks, Dena!
yea!!! won’t be long now
on the Falmouth wildlife Facebook page there is a post of an osprey sighting under Phil Sipowicz’ post in w Yarmouth yesterday🫶🫶🫶👏🤞
Noticed this morning a vulture in Sandwich and another flying over our yard in Falmouth. Grackles are back as well, it won’t be long before we’ll be seeing the oprey return!! 😊
👍😀 Hope everyone had a good winter!
Fostered Osprey
https://ccmnh.org/events/osprey-wild-fostering-30891
Morning visitor 😀
won’t be long 😇
Nice catch, Dena! 🙂
Bird Walk
https://ccmnh.org/events/bird-walk-and-talk-32255/2024-03-27
Beautiful bird and fantastic photo.
On March 1, at 9:55, is that an osprey chirping or another bird? Anyone know what kind if not osprey?
Hi Annie. That one had me baffled, but I checked with a friend who is President of the Cape Cod Bird Club. The calling you heard was a Tufted Titmouse. Glad you’re paying attention! In just a few more weeks, we hope to be hearing Osprey calls.
Thanks! I check in once a day during the winter just to see if there is anything interesting but now am checking a couple of times a day.
Countdown is on.!
One month to go for the exciting, amazing new episode to begin!
Remember Charlie from Season 1?
He may return this year……
Early morning, snow-covered nest.
After last year’s collapse of the nest platform, Ryan Clark of WBNERR reported last night that the pole itself was recently inspected by both Chris Walz, Property Manager/Naturalist at Mass Audubon, and Kevin Friel of the Osprey Project, and both believe the pole itself is in good shape and there is no cause for concern. That’s great news as we approach the start of our 2024 season!
Thank you for posting this. Seeing that happen was devastating! It does look real good, pretty much like they left it. Maybe this year they will get the hang of a round nest in a square box to fill in the corners 😄 room for the 4th hatchling to survive. Third time’s a charm right? I am looking forward to their return.
Hi Kevin if you go to 2022 highlights you will find 2 videos of owl on nest, 11/23 & 01/19
Hi Dena. Thanks for the response. I had seen them at some point and that’s what gave me the idea to report this sighting.
Hello again Glenn, any chance you can post owl Kevin saw 12/21 @ 23:19:20…thx!
kevin
1 month ago
Reply to Glenn Davis
I just turned on the cam and there was an owl there. I don’t know how long it had been there and it flew of within a few seconds. Time was 23:19:20 on 12/21/23. Someone I know would love seeing it on the highlights page.Thanks.
Unfortunately I didn’t see Kevin’s message until it was too late. Recordings are only available for about 10 days then they get overwritten. I think the email just got lost in my clutter. Sorry!
Thanks for letting us know about the 10 day limit…I suggested looking back at 2022, you posted 2 videos of owl visits which are amazing!!!
Hi Dena. Thanks for checking in! The nest looks pretty cold and desolate this morning, no wonder they wait until late March to return. Wouldn’t it be great if we recognize Alpha, Brava and Charlie! Too bad we don’t have another nest ready for them.
Hello Glenn!!! Nest looks in pretty good shape, seems like most of the branches are still in place. I’m hoping we can identify them too…it would be amazing to see Charlie & then we will know he made it. I’m thinking they’ll stop by nest. Is it a lack of $$$ that there are no plans to set up more platforms or lack of suitable space?
Why aren’t there more platforms? Thats a great question and there isn’t really a simple answer. It’s less of a funding issue than it is about finding suitable locations where it is permissible to build without environmental or other restrictions. Most efforts I’ve been involved with involve replacement or repair of existing platforms. The Osprey Project in Falmouth focuses on siting platforms to replace where the birds build in dangerous locations on utility poles. I’ve noticed a lot of new platforms constructed on private property by homeowners wanting to keep nests off of their boats. State or other public lands (like at the Waquoit Bay Reserve) have a variety of restrictions on digging. There’s also a school of thought to encourage ospreys to build in natural locations and become less dependent on man-made structures . This of course is a challenge due to human encroachment of much of the water front land. I wish we could just pick a spot and build a platform wherever we want but it’s a challenge at many levels.
Thanks for the detailed explanations. I too wish Ospreys would choose a more natural nesting area & I am very grateful for all that the Osprey Project does placing platforms in areas of danger…sad thing is it seems every inch of our coastline is being developed with enormous multi million dollar homes…:-(
I’m already counting the days for their return…last year they arrived 3/25…& the juveniles from season 2022 should be returning this year, Alpha, Bravo & Charlie
Thanks for sharing the videos, Glen
I just posted a video of bluebirds and a hawk on the nest over the past couple of weeks. See the highlights page:
https://www.friendsofmashpeenationalwildliferefuge.org/osprey-cam-highlights-season-two/
Thank you, Glenn! Beautiful.
I just turned on the cam and there was an owl there. I don’t know how long it had been there and it flew of within a few seconds. Time was 23:19:20 on 12/21/23. Someone I know would love seeing it on the highlights page.Thanks.