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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.
Is the audio off for the winter?
Around 3:45…what is that running around the nest? Looks too small to be a squirrel but I don’t think it’s a mouse. I loved seeing the owl earlier.
Kathy, I’d guess it was a small squirrel. Definitely not a mouse with the bushy tail. Might have been a chipmunk but it would be unusual for one to climb so high. Whatever it was, it better not hang around too long or it will make a nice meal for the owl!
My sentiment, too, so I’m glad he didn’t hang around long. I always appreciate your input.
Thanks…loved the documentary.
https://youtu.be/HVObqCokci8?si=a4oll1RW_ewsjVLh
making of PBS doc
season of the Osprey
Today at 0400 there was an owl on the nest eating it’s prey
Great catch, Lois! First owl of the season. Won’t be the last.
Will there be any structural support work done on the nest during the off-season, maybe early Spring before Carson & Rachel return? Early this season there was some concern about a small hole in the nest when the chicks were very small, and at one point it seemed like they had possibly fallen, although I believe the final opinion was that this was not the case.
Hi Patty. Yes, some tree trimming near the nest is being evaluated and at the same time, any needed nest support will be considered. Thanks for the question and sorry for the delayed response.
Osprey on the nest this morning (sept 10) around 08:09 for awhile so they haven’t all flown south yet.
Did Rachel and Carson leave for the season. I haven’t seen them since last week.
Rachel is probably gone by now. The females are usually the first to leave, typically late August. Carson, I’m not sure about. He may still be in the area, but with no offspring to feed, he has little reason to hang out in the nest. He may still make an occasional appearance though. Soon we’ll start seeing other visitors to the nest – owls, hawks and other birds, and racoons, squirrels and other mammals.Thanks to all who are still watching!
I watch year-round. It’s interesting to see how the nest changes over time and what might show up.
7:17 on Aug 26, both osprey on nest. One very loud and the other standing with head down.
7:31/32 standing one seems to be attacking hunched one?
The hunched one is a juvenile. The other looks like Rachel.Seems like a territorial dispute. Interesting this late in the season. Rachel should be leaving soon for her migration south. With no offspring to provide for, Carson may leave early as well or maybe he’s already gone.
Such a bummer. I was wondering about their migration this year with no offspring.
Rachel on nest 8/25 10:30 PM
Someone’s on the nest at 1:52 am monday 8/25/25.
Rachel or Carson sleeping with head tucked in on far side of nest 8/19/25 12:14am.
Rachel on nest 8/12 9:02AM
Rachel or Carson on nest sleeping. Someone else screeching at 1:08 am.
Someone’s on the nest 7:38 pm aug 5th
Carson brings Rachel 1/2 fish to get the day started
Montana Osprey cam… chicks being fed.ll
https://sportsmansparadiseonline.com/dunrovin-osprey-nest-cam/
Both chicks at Brewster Nest flew the coop!!!
One or both are still in the area amd back on the nest nearly every day
Was that Rachel and Carson on the nest 7/28 at 2:23 PM. Never saw Carson pushing Rachel around?
Rachel and Carson on nest 6:22PM
Both (still?) there at 8:14 Thursday morning.
https://birdnote.org/podcasts/bring-birds-back/season-7-bring-birds-back-coming-soon
will be a fun experience!
Rachel perched on side if nest at 1:33 pm Monday.
Rachel perched on the nest. 7:00PM
Thank you Sandy. What a beautiful location!
almost ready to fledge in Scotland.
see camera 2
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/
Pair rearranging nest.
If you need an osprey baby fix, check out the nest at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, the sound doesn’t work. https://ccmnh.org/attractions/osprey-cam
Thanks Barbara!
I am so sad, no babies to watch this year. Hope Mom and Dad try again next year!
14.06 bird in the nest, but does not look familiar.
Oh how I wish they were banded.
6/27/25 11:25 and 11:39 more third bird interactions.
From the Scottish Trust
https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/bird-ringing-scheme/about-ringing/why-ring-birds
Interesting. Even Gulls and other water birds are eating them….
https://www.capeandislands.org/in-this-place/2025-06-25/more-birds-are-enjoying-the-cicada-buffet
What I find interesting is Carson’s “attack stance” looking down towards the ground. He has been doing that lately. I wonder what he is seeing. Or is it the cicadas they hear/see and are wondering about those?
6/24/25 04:45 a third bird in the nest. chased out very quickly.
Looks like both mating at 19:45 today!
Carson did it again. At 7:00:31 this morning, he nestled himself in the nest center as though he’s preparing it for eggs. Hmmmmm.
Scotland Nest with 2 large chicks , see Camera 2
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/
Scottish chick ringing
Nice!
Wow – I was just looking back at video and at 9:41:18 this morning Carson was working on the center of nest and then he nestled in it as though he was making sure it would be good for Rachel to lay eggs! Hmmmmm! Here is a pic.
I think you’re right…Rachel sitting close by 😊 like any moment now
Thank you! Video with sound 👍
Check out this site in Essex
https://www.earthcam.com/usa/massachusetts/essex/?cam=essex_osprey#google_vignette