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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.
If anyone reads the Boston Globe, check out today’s cartoon by Paul Karasik on page A8. It tells the tale of an osprey platform on Martha’s Vineyard and the resilience of a nesting pair. I wasn’t able to post a link to it, but will try again later.
Breakfast delivered and three eggs waiting for a warmer sunny day to hatch
Thank you for this feed…I check them at least once a day to see how they’re doing and hoping that this year is a better year for them and all stays safe.
It’s so nice to see them both in the nest!
Is that a mouse in the nest for a little night snacking?
I think that that is the deepest nest so far. Very protective.
Stay warm Rachael! Warmer days are on the way soon!
Good view of the 3 eggs
The eggs were unattended for a bit. Actually, Rachel was circling around until Carson landed to take his shift. The nest was empty for only about 30 seconds.
The little resident birds are the Chirping alert Security detail.
You can also think of the birds as housekeepers. Sparrows will nest underneath, which helps keep the structure clean and tidy. In return they get protection from predators. They co-exist nicely!
This is the first year I have seen a nest resident. It is a nice addition, but will be interesting to see how the osprey chicks react once they hatch!
Rachel ignores the little bird.
wrong picture and I don’t see a way to delete.
Funny interactions today at lunch. 1306..Carston brings a fish…Naw Rachel prefers a flight..Carston tends the eggs..1315 Rachel returns, takes the fish and leaves for a picnic…1328 Rachel is back…hints to Carton he can leave now…he isn’t fast enough to get the hint..Rachel gently pushes him out burying her head under him and takes over the egg duty..he complies then goes for a flight Was fun to watch
I went thru some of the footage. It was too cute when she gently pushes him out!
At times when the wind is gusting, Rachel looks like a fancy weather vane atop a shaky nest, showing her noisy displeasure when a stranger swoops by. Does anybody know when we can expect a hatch?
Amazing wingspan. Just before switching positions on the eggs today.
Nice Shot and impressive!
9:46 the sparrow is sneaking twigs for their nest
I saw the sparrow doing the same thing the other day. It did not bother Rachel at all either. I thought it was too cute.
It’s so windy and I wonder how often her mate comes to her with food
Today Sunday Apr 26 at 19:11 Rachael defended her nest and eggs as another Osprey tried to land. Carson arrived right after the bird flew away.
Hmmm could this be Charlie from season 1? An Osprey has tried to fly into the nest in subsequent years
Thought the same thing!
Breakfast in bed! Rachel sits on the eggs while being fed by Carson.
Love those kind of image captures! Thank you for sharing 👍
Practicing for Mother’s Day?
the light at night doesn’t bother them?
The camera uses infrared technology for night viewing. Infrared light is invisible to birds and humans, but the camera can capture the images.
I think it is ultraviolet and they do not see it. Night vision perhaps.
Egg duty shift change. Rachel took off and Carson took his turn
I’ve only seen a posting that says Rachel laid an egg on April 8th. Has there been any more eggs? Are they still fighting off other ospreys? Do other Ospreys try taking over the nest?
They have 3 eggs, laid 4/8, 4/11, 4/14
Thank you!
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
nest looks perfect
I think they might have tenants again this year. It appears to be a sparrow coming and going from the nest again.
Finally we have a pic of Carson sharing a fish with Rachel.
I love pics like that! Thank you for sharing.
It is a shame. That osprey continues to fly by. Carson keeps returning to protect Racheal, good mate. I am concerned that it is limiting his ability to leave and find food for her.
9:27 the other osprey returned . Aggravating them.
I took a series of pictures of the intruder this morning. Was only able to post one.
9:08 am there is another osprey threatening them . Carson was there to protect it but the other was pretty aggressive.
Way to go Carson! I always wonder if it could be one of their children returning from 2 years prior. To me that would be a natural tendency for them to do that. From what I have learned once the children osprey fledge/migrate south the first year, they will return 2 years later.
Is there another male who pops in now and then to try to mate with Rachel?
I would hope not! Osprey mate for life.
We’ve seen a third osprey fly in, once when the two were there, and once when Rachel was alone. It stood on her back and seemed to be trying to mate! She pretty much said no.
All tucked in for the night. What a good Mama!
rachel has brown markings on her upper chest/lower neck -referred to as a bib. she’s also slightly larger than carson. carson is mostly white on his chest. chances are it will be rachel incubating the eggs-also rachel is pretty vocal
How can you tell who is who, Rachel vs. Carson