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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.
Little one getting all the food this morning. Siblings are kind of indifferent to being fed right now.
The two larger chicks had both been fed before the little one got his/her breakfast!
little third chick has good strong lungs. Calling for food at 6:20 am
Intruder 5:45am
I only see two chicks being fed tonight at 9:23 p.m. Unsuccesful at screen shot, but will post if I can. Where’s the little one? Looked ok this morning. Hope all is well.
For everyone enjoying the osprey cam, if you’re not a current member of the Friends of Mashpee NWR, I hope you will consider joining our organization or making a donation. This is a great chance to show us your appreciation for all we do. Thank you in advance!
https://www.friendsofmashpeenationalwildliferefuge.org/support/
Glenn, will you please confirm that FOMNWR received a donation from me via Venmo? I am thankful especially for the banding this year!
Yes – thank you, Merc, for your generous support! For anyone considering a donation, the above link and the “Support Us” link at the top of our main site has options for sending a check by mail, and credit card or PayPal options (including recurring monthly gifts). Venmo is also an option @FriendsofMashpeeNWR
We could not operate without the support of our giving community – thank you all!
The little one had some good bites yesterday and today. Tried to eat the tail about 12:08 but couldn’t get it down. Mom broke it up.
Spreading his wings
Nice shot! 👍
After watching the birds I thought to myself that the little runt name should be named Aido!
I just love watching this family of osprey!
I guess the youngest on looks fine 🙂
So exciting!
Exciting News! This year’s chicks are going to be banded by DCR’s Office of Natural Resources. This will be done by a licensed bird bander sometime in the next couple of weeks, when the chicks are between 5-6 weeks old. Having the chicks banded will help for future identification, tracking of sightings as they migrate, when they return, and other research purposes. This is not an electronic tracking device, just Federal and auxiliary bands with alphanumeric codes. Stay tuned for further details, live action and video highlights of this monumental event!
How is the bands information accessed after attached to the bird?
The ID numbers on the tags are designed to be visible through binoculars or cameras. Sightings of banded birds can be submitted to authorities (a web search for “report banded bird” will indicate how to do this). Once reported, information will filter down from federal to local authorities and we will be notified. I will of course, post anything we learn.
Glenn, this is fantastic! So glad to hear this great news! I do look forward to seeing this on camera – if it will happen that way. When I watched the Port Lincoln Australia chicks banded (a couple year ago) they showed them taking them from the nest, covering their heads then bringing them to the boat where they were banded. Such a learning experience.
Fortunately in our case, a boat isn’t part of the operation, but the birds will be brought to the ground in a bucket, and after a quick assessment (weight, etc.) they will be banded, then quickly returned to the nest.
I know this is good news but I am already feeling Rachel’s anxiety. How long does the banding process’s take?
I’m not sure exactly how long but we’ve been told the entire process will be fairly quick. My understanding is that birds have short memories for this type of event and once back in the nest, it will be business as usual for both the chicks and the adults.
great news!! especially in 2 years when these chicks may return, and we’ll find out if any of the osprey that “visit” this nest are Rachel and Carson’s offspring
Also if they are spotted in another nest in the area. It will be wonderful to learn where they wind up in the future.
How cool!! They are getting sooo big!!
I wonder if the youngest on is ok. Does the youngest have a neck injury from being beat up by older siblings?
It is incredible to watch the growth of the new babies. They are getting so big very quickly. Love watching them practice with their wings getting ready to fly from the nest.
Little one is getting smart by taking cover under mom during meals as to avoid the abusive pecking by the older siblings.
One of the babies does not appear to be moving while the other two are crying to be fed. Is everything OK?
The little one waits until the older ones are fed. Then, hopefully gets a little fish.
busy at work providing shade 🌞
I wonder if her wings get tired?!!
Such a good mama! I wonder the same Annie – do their wings tire when providing shade, cause the other day I saw even her tail wing spread out providing shade.
All 3 had a great breakfast this morning. Even the little one didn’t want anymore and Rachael finished up the fish. Is the little one a female and that is why she is smaller?
It’s to early to know the sex of the chick’s. I believe that one is smaller because it is the youngest.
Little one not getting fed while other two are. Hopefully Mama feeds the baby soon.
The other two get fed first and little one always gets some bites. The little one thats a survivor will be a great Osprey later in life!
I have been checking on this nest for three years now. I stop by every couple days to check on progress. These babes seem to be thriving. Wondering if there is a written history available to review of last year’s family
Click on the highlights of 2025 season 4. you can go all the way back to 2022!
So cool
Every time I check in I have to marvel at the chicks’ camouflage. It’s perfect!
It is amazing how they blend!
Theres always a dominant one that was probably the first born that is teaching the other two that he/she eats first. All 3 have been getting plenty of food.
I’ll call that the pecking order!
8:30 am. Little one is next to her staying away from the others. She fed the two then turned her attention to the little one. It was like she got the two out of the way so little one did not have to fight and get attacked.
It is there, just out of sight, and not being fed.
I only see 2 chicks, both being fed. I hope the third one is there, just out of sight.
The biggest chick is a bully. Needs to be taught a lesson. Next time he is looking over the edge. Someone should give him a push. Little one never gets enuff food Bully keeps pecking at him
Little ones seem to be alone a lot lately. Is just one parent around?
At least 3 fish today and all 3 chicks have full crops!
Thanks for the update Bob. I was getting concerned by some of the comments.
Interesting to see the 13:01 feeding and Oscar getting most of it and chasing away Papa and Quebec when they wanted to nudge in. Oscar fed for almost 17 minutes before others got a share.
4:30 One of the chicks has a “hangover!” they like looking over the nest and down!
Has anyone seen Dad since yesterday afternoon?
He is there right now, June 10 @ 1:35pm
Great! I’ve been worried something happened to him, thank you!
You’re welcome
Carson slacking a bit! Only one fish yesterday and one today and its 11am. Lack of fish is getting the siblings fighting again.
Has anyone seen Carson this morning (June 10)?
Correction: Dad finally showed up with 1/2 a fish at 16:40.
Mom needs to take a chance and leave the chicks unattended to bring back a fish.
Dad is nowhere to be found today, and none have eaten all day.
I have had the live feed on for a few hours while working and have not seen Carson. I feel Rachel’s angst
Where’s Dad?
Haven’t seen any fish deliveries today.
I haven’t seen any either. Rachel keeps flying away and coming back quickly. I wonder how long she would wait before going fishing herself?
At 6:10 this morning, Rachel flew out of the nest for a quick moment and brought back a rather large branch with leaves. It was placed/dropped on the right side of the nest. Then at 6:50 we had a brief interloper, in what appears to have chased Rachel into nest!
Momma and Dad were out. So the kids just hanging around looking over the edge of the nest. Momma came back a few minutes later
Precious picture!
Totally agree!
So cute ! they are really growing. Hope they’ve been good to each other 🙏🤞👍