Updates

July 24, 2015

We have not been updated on the condition of the osprey. Upon delivery the wildlife rehabber said that he would contact us after a few days evaluating and stabilizing the animal. We will post an update as soon as we receive one.

July 22, 2015 (late afternoon)

After consulting with experts on the situation, the bird has been removed from the nest and is being cared for at a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

With that, we are closing the camera for the season. We appreciate your care and interest in the Osprey Cam.

July 17, 2015

We've received lots of questions today about whether the remaining juvenile is being fed.

While we maintain the cam, we're not monitoring it as much as you may think since we're going about our "day jobs" and may miss some events but there are people who are keeping a close eye out and have great specific details of the nest activity. And they have some good news.

From what we've been told, reviews of videos and live observing by the folks at the Window on Wildlife discussion board confirmed that there were fish brought in both last night and this morning and that the young bird ate for some time. So that's a positive.

In addition, the male has been sighted in the area and on the nest - that we can confirm ourselves - but again there are much more observations and thoughts on that board and others if you're interested.

Hopefully things will pick up in the food delivery arena but there's no doubt there is a noticible increase in more osprey and nests in the area so it's truly a challenge for them. 

Enjoy your weekend, wherever your nest is.

July 22, 2015

There was good feeding over the weekend, but the last fish delivery was on Monday.  Hoping for food on the nest today. For more frequent updates, you can follow the thread on the Window on Wildlife discussion board.

July 16, 2015

We had hoped to bring a good news update to go along with details of yesterday's efforts to you today but sadly we were informed by our friends at Cape Wildlife Center that the osprey died this morning, despite everyone's best efforts.

They are planning a necropsy and additional tests and promised to let us know the results beyond the  severe emaciation they found, which was a "strong contributing factor." We are extremely grateful to them - they do great work on incredibly tight budgets in difficult financial times.

We'll keep you updated on their findings and will continue to monitor the nest and provide updates.

July 15, 2015

Wrapping up an eventful and tiring day here - we'll post more details tomorrow and a few pictures but wanted to give a quick update. 

Bottom line up front is that it is alive and well after being pushed off the nest by the other juvenile shortly after a fish arrived. It landed in some dense overgrowth (not the ground) and was sitting quietly atop the bushes when found, alert and clear-eyed. No flapping of injured wings, etc.

It was transported to Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Mass. in a sheet-covered carrier and after initial frantic movements, settled down during a ride made longer by inevitable Cape Cod traffic.

Intial exam was very positive and follow up even more so. Its wings are intact (radiology confirmed) and doesn't look like it suffered any trauma. It's in good hands.

As you can imagine, we got bombarded with emails, calls, Tweets, etc., and appreciate everyone's concern. We did the best we could to keep you informed while also rescuing and transporting, so apologies if answers to emails and questions didn't come as fast as you would have liked. 

Special thanks to two colleagues here at WHOI who stepped up and helped in posting to the site and helping coordinate the delivery to Cape Wildlife and big thanks to Jazzel, our local resident and helper,  who provided the crate and plowed with us through thickets, brambles, briars and ticks to get to it.

All for now. Visit here and Twitter tomorrow for more updates and answers to questions from today.

July 13, 2015

Lots of concern recently, especially over the weekend, about the state of affairs on the nest, with many wondering if we were at the beginning stages of a repeat of last year's debacle with the female.

So far, even the most ardent watchers from then would have to admit that though there has been some attacks by the female on the young, it hasn't been as bad as 2014 and we hope that it remains that way through the next couple of weeks as the young begin to fledge.

There's no doubt that the nest is a little food stressed as many of you have pointed out in emails about observations. Both the female and the male have been bringing in some fish, but certainly not the amount that would be hoped for and it's creating some issues for them all.

Many of you have speculated about the cause of the food stress and as was the case with the female's issue last year, your guess is as good as our and the experts. General consensus among watchers is that the male is not up to snuff with his hunting abilities or is supporting two nests but we obviously can't confirm anything.

There are several osprey nests in the immediate vicinity of this one and lots of hovering over local bays and salt ponds, so hopefully we'll see an increase in the fish deliveries.

A few reminders about the nest and cam based on emails received recently:

• There is a perch, several large trees, a flagpole and a radio tower within a short radius of the nest but out of your view. Although it may appear that one or both of the adults have abandoned the young or haven't been around in sometime, they are most often within that radius.
• We appreciate all the emails and observations, but unfortunately due to the overwhelming volume of email we receive we regret we can not respond to each individual email or question. We recommend you visit this section for answers to frequently asked questions or comments on current events in the nest. To participate in conversations or discussions about the nest, there are several social media platforms dedicated to it by persons not affiliated with the institution. They are easily found via search engines. We do not participate in them and do not endorse any of them or what is posted.
• Finally, and quite importantly, we have seen a significant uptick in emails calling for action on our part so we point your attention again to our policy on intervention, which remains firmly in place.

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July 9, 2015

Just a few observations as we head into the heart of summer up here on Cape Cod....

Our chicks are growing by leaps and bounds and, based on last year's dates, fledging is quickly approaching. It's amazing to see how big, how fast. 

The female brought in a very large fish this morning and cam watchers tell us it took almost 90 minutes for it to be devoured. There's video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp7FeKxD2Ec&feature=youtu.be

The chicks are starting to do some self-feeding, which is a good sign.

There has been some sibling rivalry noticed, and some aggression by the female, but obviously nothing remotely like last year. That's good and something to keep in mind!

Apparently, cam watchers say, the male has been a little lax in bringing in fish; some small ones for a while, then nothing for a while, so we'll keep an eye on that situation and hope he steps it up. 

Just a reminder that often the birds are in the area but out of view of the cam. Right now, in fact, one is sitting on the perch above the nest and another is sitting on the radio tower a few hundred yards away.

Many cam watchers might not know that there is a forum dedicated to the Woods Hole Osprey Cam at http://www.window-on-wildlife.com/index.php?board=26.0. This is not an endorsement for this site over any other and we do not participate but many of our more dedicated and knowledgable watchers are members and it's a great place to go for basic questions and answers that we may be able to answer, either right away or at all.

June 2, 2015

Just a quick update on the goings on in our nest...

We had some nasty weather up here the past few days with rain, wind and temps more suited for March or early April, but it looks like we've made it through that spell and our two new residents don't seem to have suffered much wear. Mom was spotted protecting them - which considering our past experiences - is a great sign!  The pair are growing fast; it's amazing to see the change in just a short time.

We're keeping an eye on that third egg like many of you. It's beginning to look more and more likely that it's not viable, though technically we could be proven wrong. At this point, the concern is that the older pair have such a headstart that any new hatchling would be far, far behind in its ability to thrive and that it potentially would suffer. But we'll see what happens. Two might not be so bad for this nest, as many of you know.

We've been zooming in every now and then for a close up view of the action but the cam resets itself after a while, so if it goes back, that's why.

Thanks for watching! 

May 27, 2015

And then there were two.