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Bald Eagles Visit Nest

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Intruder

Dinner is Served

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OspreyZone Highlights: George Returns

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Belle’s Journey

Written by Dr. Rob Bierregaard & Illustrated by Kate Garchinsky

Take flight with Belle, an osprey born on Martha’s Vineyard as she learns to fly and migrates for the first time to Brazil and back–a journey of more than 8,000 miles.

Click HERE for more information!

IMPORTANT: Messages from osprey experts

Rob Bierregaard July 1, 2015 at 7:24 am
I haven’t seen the little guy yet this morning, but I would be very surprised if he survived the night. That sure was tough to watch yesterday, but that whole process is as much a part of the essence of being an Osprey as is eating a fish. It’s part of the life of Ospreys that was rarely seen before we started putting cameras in nests. As hard as it is, we should not label the behavior as mean or cruel. Being mean or cruel implies that there is intent to do harm just for harm’s sake. Those young were responding to a set of stimuli (very little food being delivered to the nest and the presence of a very small young) in a way that evolution has hard-wired into them. It helps ensure their survival. Nature is not cruel. It is harsh, unforgiving, and often random (had the little guy been born 1st, he would have been just as aggressive as was his sibling), but not cruel or mean.

4818eecc88292926c58414a82c884c71Paul Henry ospreyzone July 1, 2015 at 8:17 am
Thanks Rob for bringing your knowledge and experience to help us all gain perspective here. We are all saddened by the events that unfolded before our eyes and it’s only natural for all of us to feel and express our emotions appropriately. There have been many issues pertaining to intervention which have been discussed amongst us all. There is no doubt in my mind that the right decision was made, to let nature take it’s course. By the way, that doesn’t equate to heartless, on the contrary, nobody feels worse about this then the apparent decision makers. I say apparent, because when all was said and done, and all the issues were properly weighed, there really weren’t any other options. It was clearly pointed out, by experts, that intervening at this stage could have spooked the whole nest to the point of losing all the young. If the little one was saved, and nursed back to health, what kind of a life would it have had, perhaps caged up in a zoo. I remember when I was younger I saw a golden eagle in captivity, caged behind a wire mesh. I could practically see it’s tears. As far as placing the little one in another nest, such a low probability of success would never have justified the possibility of spooking the nest. There’s a piece of me, however heavy hearted, that believes that perhaps it is better to be born free and die free. We mourn for the little one as we marvel at the wonders of nature.

Reprinted with the permission of John W. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hello Paul,

Thanks for your query, and you have my admiration for persevering. We know very well how tough your job is, including dealing with an anxious public.

Our policy with our Bird Cams project is essentially “just say no” to pleas for interference. The behavior you are witnessing – while seemingly cruel and heartless to us – is natural for many kinds of birds, especially those that feed on variable, unpredictable food supplies. The little nestling does have a chance to survive, but if it does not then that result was “meant to be” by the nature of Osprey breeding strategy. The wonderful things about these nest cameras also sometimes yield the difficult things for us to watch. As you might know, we actually post a “siblicide alert” on some of our cams where we suspect the possibility exists.

I’m copying your note to Charles Eldermire, project leader for our Bird Cams. He may have some additional comments, and he would be the one to ask if we might be able to use your stored files for biological analysis.

Best wishes, and good luck,

John W. Fitzpatrick

Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

In addition, Charles Eldermire, Bird Cams Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Writes:

It’s also important to acknowledge that intervening can also cause problems of its own—depending on the ages of the birds in the nest, disturbing them can trigger an early fledge. We have restricted the scenarios in which we would even consider intervening to injuries or dangers that are explicitly human-derived. For example, 3 or 4 years ago we were alerted by viewers that one of the osprey chicks at the Hellgate Osprey nest was entangled in monofilament line. We consulted with our partners there (wildlife biologists, raptor researchers, raptor rehabbers) to determine if the monofilament was an issue, and if intervening was both likely to solve the issue AND not have bad effects on the other nestlings. In the end, a quick trip to the nest was scheduled via a bucket truck, the monofilament was removed, and the nestlings all eventually fledged. In that case, all of the permits were already in hand to be studying the ospreys, and we had already discussed how to approach issues in the nest.

Good luck to the young one—hope it all turns out well.

charles.

*******************
Charles Eldermire
Bird Cams Project Leader
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Paul,

I’ve been to your site—great cam! And I noticed the runt in the nest. This is just normal Osprey reproduction. It happens all the time and you should not intervene. It’s tough to watch, but it’s how nature works. Ospreys almost always lay 3 eggs and on average fledge between 1 and 1.5 young each year. They stagger the hatch so there is a spread of ages in the young. That way, if food is short, the first-hatched (and therefore largest) will get enough food to survive while the smaller nest mates do not. If all three young were the same size and there was only enough food for 1 young, none of the young would get enough food and they would all die. If there’s lots of food, the smallest will eventually get fed and can survive. These nest cams can show some gut-wrenching scenes. The most infamous perhaps was one of the very first Osprey cams (on Long Island somewhere), where the smallest young died. One of the adults carried it out of the nest and after several minutes flew back into the nest and fed it to the other young. Waste-not-want-not at its goriest. At Hog Island up in Maine just last week a Bald Eagle came in and took the young out of the nest. Last year at another nest, cameras documented a Great-horned Owl taking young Ospreys out of a nest in NJ or MD. All of these things have been going on for millions of years and Ospreys are doing fine.

Rob Bierregaard
Academy of Natural Sciences
Drexel University
http://www.ospreytrax.com

“Interesting. They don’t often take over osprey poles—probably too small for them. They will coopt tree nests, which they can expand. We had a pair of eagles do this on the Vineyard. They built up the Osprey nest a lot and then the Ospreys came home and drove the eagles away, in a David v. Goliath story. The Ospreys successfully bred. They looked tiny in the nest, which sadly blew down this winter.”

    Leave A Comment

    52,585 Comments

    1. CarolV August 5, 2015 at 12:10 pm - Reply

      The sparrows are coming through loud and clear again. Must have taught the first group how to forage and are on their second brood. Wonder if the will visit

    2. Etta August 5, 2015 at 11:53 am - Reply

      Not able to watch live feed today on iPhone 6x.Keep getting error message.Anyone else having that problem?

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 1:55 pm - Reply

        I couldn’t get video on Chromebook, bot I switched to Youtube feed. Also good video on my computer

      • Susan August 5, 2015 at 2:03 pm - Reply

        Yes I’ve been having a problem since early afternoon on my iPad live stream. Error message indicated. Was fine earlier today.

    3. suzanne August 5, 2015 at 11:38 am - Reply

      you are right. foot caught. he/she was pecking at its foot it looks like. I don’t think i can watch this anymore. this is so hard to see! (but I will cause I have watched since they were eggs!)

      • ospreyzone August 5, 2015 at 11:47 am - Reply

        Looks like seaweed.

        • Jai August 5, 2015 at 12:04 pm - Reply

          Thanks Paul. Whatever it is, it looked like it was tied in a bow and the talon was in one of the loops of the bow. Thankfully, the chicks appears to be free of it and that is what is important at this point. Your watchful eyes are appreciated 🙂

        • suzanne August 5, 2015 at 1:45 pm - Reply

          🙂 thank God. Between this and our beloved Salt River Wild Horses (in AZ) that the USFS is trying to remove from the river near my home….I am a wreck! (horses were there before the humans) Thank you for reassurance!

      • Lyn August 5, 2015 at 1:06 pm - Reply

        No feet are caught…..that is the bird eating a WHOLE FISH that either Gracie or George delivered, and holding the fish with its feet. I know they have to learn to eat by themselves,
        but the other one isn’t getting a bite! There should be two fish delivered.

      • Joan T August 5, 2015 at 1:30 pm - Reply

        Mama brought in a pile of seaweed earlier this morning.

    4. Jai August 5, 2015 at 11:16 am - Reply

      Oh boy, now the chick that was entangled has one of it’s talons caught in something else in the nest. Looks to me like Long Island needs to clean up it’s trash problems and maybe enforce littering laws better. Hope she/he gets it free on it’s own.

      • WendyL August 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm - Reply

        Jai, East Marion Long Island happens to be one of the most PRISTINE and litter free areas on all of Long Island! Being an island and completely surrounded by water it is surely understood that some items wash up on our shores and are not always readlily removed This is all part of making a nest and sometime unfortunely our fine feathered friends aren’t always selective in what they bring. Thanks to dilligent locals and volunteers this is one problem East Marion does not have!

    5. Shelgor August 5, 2015 at 11:01 am - Reply

      Just curious to know the approximate size and weight of the chicks…….are they similar to a normal size chicken ( or Cornish Hen )

      Shelgor

    6. Jennifer August 5, 2015 at 10:43 am - Reply

      Absolutely amazing cutting that fishing wire off the babbies leg… It couldn’t have gone any better.. Bravo guys… This is better then TV.. lmaoooo….

    7. Joan T. August 5, 2015 at 9:57 am - Reply

      As I watch mama and her two chicks, Bob Marley and Three Little Birds comes to mind. Every little thing gonna be alright.

      • Leanne August 5, 2015 at 10:28 am - Reply

        Love it <3 🙂

      • Rose August 5, 2015 at 12:21 pm - Reply

        The same thing happened with me a few weeks ago. I was watching Gracie feed the babies and this song came on.

    8. cheryl August 5, 2015 at 9:52 am - Reply

      Just love these birds!

    9. Mitchell August 5, 2015 at 9:33 am - Reply

      What’s new?

    10. CarolV August 5, 2015 at 9:05 am - Reply

      The chick still working on that fish. The other chick was the one who was being fed first so he had a share. That’s why I think #2 was the stealer, as he usually eats second.

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 9:17 am - Reply

        About 9:06 chick gave up on his prize. Mom popped in to finish it and feed other chick. At 9:11amEDT Dad delivers 1/2 fish to the cheers of his crew. I love the raucous greeting he gets with the chicks chiming in!

      • Leanne August 5, 2015 at 10:36 am - Reply

        It’s really difficult to tell them apart but I also think it was chick 2 who managed to get that hunk of fish from Gracie. She sure did make a good snack of it.

        • June B August 5, 2015 at 11:30 am - Reply

          I’ve noticed chick 2 making sure they get their share. If they keep it up they’ll never be able to get their kiester off the ground.

    11. June B August 5, 2015 at 8:43 am - Reply

      Juvies have decided that they don’t need to be fed by mom anymore. “Mom! I can do it myself!” Looks like it might be raining (or someone has a runny nose) and some lightning. Further west the sun is out. Crazy LI weather.

    12. merry August 5, 2015 at 8:07 am - Reply

      Will you be putting up the storm in the highlights? So glad to see that everyone weathered the storm!!

      • ospreyzone August 5, 2015 at 8:14 am - Reply

        eventually, working on the rescue piece right now

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 9:21 am - Reply

        Poor Paul! So many requests, so little time! I’ve had my requests, too, and would second to your suggestion on this one!

    13. barbarav August 5, 2015 at 8:04 am - Reply

      8:00 am wed. watching Gracie feed the chicks. Bigger chick aggressively trying to pull the fish from Mom. Gracie showed how strong a mom can be. The one chick looks bigger than Gracie. Mom feeding the smaller chick. What a good mom.

    14. Victoria S. August 5, 2015 at 7:54 am - Reply

      George brought in a fish for the family at 7:50a.m. EST. Way to go George! Have a great day everyone! 🙂

    15. Vickie August 5, 2015 at 7:51 am - Reply

      7:50 am: You know you’re obsessed when you leave the volume up on the live feed while getting ready for work, you hear all the screeching and you KNOW it’s because breakfast was just served!! I got it bad. I got it real, real bad.

      • Diane S August 5, 2015 at 9:05 am - Reply

        I do that!

      • Dawn August 5, 2015 at 10:02 am - Reply

        I’m right there with you Vickie! My 2 1/2 yo daughter knows it too! “Momma Gracie got a fish for the babies!” Yeah, we are definitely obsessed!

    16. CarolV August 5, 2015 at 7:49 am - Reply

      Incoming! Chick was pecking Mom while they danced around nest! 7:45amEDT looks good sized. I think Gracie pushed George over side of nest getting this fish! Good thing he flies!

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 8:10 am - Reply

        8:07am Think I saw the visiting youngster out practicing. Saw it fly by while Gracie called alarm.

        • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 8:39 am - Reply

          One chick challenged Gracie a couple of times for the fish. I thought #2 but admit I still can’t tell chicks apart for sure. About 8:19 Gracie started alarm call as Visiting Fledgling flew around. Chick got so frustrated by lack of feeding action he took fish. Gracie let him keep it as she watched for VF. The other chick came in to beg for some but there didn’t seem to be much sharing

    17. Jo-Ann August 5, 2015 at 7:43 am - Reply

      Just looked again and maybe I am not seeing the nest in the right corner because one of the chicks is right there in the right hand corner and it is hiding that corner.

    18. june c August 5, 2015 at 7:38 am - Reply

      Where is mom and dad..kids had no breakfast…They may just take off to get their own food. Calling loud for some breakfast

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 8:43 am - Reply

        I wondered if that might be why George has slowed down on deliveries, as an incentive to get them moving. But that’s when he’s in charge of teaching them to fish.

    19. Jo-Ann August 5, 2015 at 7:38 am - Reply

      This storm definitely moved the camera. there is more beach showing now and more dock. Look at the highlight of June 24th-there is less beach and dock and notice there is less nest showing on the right side. Some people were saying the camera had been moved when it was cleaned but I think this storm really did move it. Actually with winds that may have been 60 to 70 miles an our(at least in some areas) the entire nest may have moved. Thankfully that would be the worst that happened . So happy to see them this morning and hope it is a good fishing day. The storm could have made the water murky yesterday which may have effected
      George’s fishing but we never quite know why George isn’t consistent and thankfully Grace sometimes goes out for food herself.

      • ospreyzone August 5, 2015 at 8:25 am - Reply

        I don’t think the nest or camera has moved, Our stored video’s have a different framing then our stream, which might be what you’re noticing now. Additionally sometimes we might zoom in or out a little bit when we edit the footage.

    20. CarolV August 5, 2015 at 6:44 am - Reply

      It was a beautiful sunrise..the water looked like glass. The kids were yelling for food. I thought I heard Gracie from the perch. George usually good for breakfast early. My thoughts were with all of you who weathered that storm. Mother Nature is constantly surprising!

    21. Helen August 5, 2015 at 3:42 am - Reply

      Wow…I can clearly see the nest even at this hour!

    22. Leanne August 5, 2015 at 12:27 am - Reply

      11:24 CST All is quiet but there is a storm with a lot of lightning just off to the right hand side of nest.

    23. Marilyn August 4, 2015 at 10:26 pm - Reply

      Been out all evening, just checked in. Even though its dark I can see the 3 of them in the nest. Thank goodness they are all ok. I guess George is ok too. Can’t wait for the morning to see them again.

      • Marilyn August 4, 2015 at 10:32 pm - Reply

        Forgot I could go back 4 hrs, Apparently the electricity came back on & I got to see them before it got too dark. 🙂 🙂 🙂

    24. Jo-Ann August 4, 2015 at 10:15 pm - Reply

      Just had time to read comments(which I hadn’t done before my last comment) and read that power was restored about 6:30 in the nest area. Some areas won’t have power till Thursday so thankfully for us we are able to see our osprey family again. Pretty sure we would have been very anxious and close to breakdowns if we had to wait till Thursday for live feed to return.

    25. BirdViewer August 4, 2015 at 9:24 pm - Reply

      Glad to see the site is back up and most importantly that the chicks are okay!

    26. Jo-Ann August 4, 2015 at 8:53 pm - Reply

      Terrible storm here this morning there are still thousands without power all over the county predominantly on the North Shore where the nest is. Hope that Tommy, Paul and their families and property are O.K. as well as the chicks(which Paul was so quick to assure us this morning that they are fine). Hopefully power will be restored soon but we won’t be able to see them till sunrise. I am missing seeing them in this short time and I will miss them when they are gone.Eagerly awaiting watching them fledge but I don’t want them to leave. I read somewhere that Gracie will leave first and George will be left to teach them to fish. Based on his erratic fishing (for whatever the reasons have been) will he be teaching them the right way especially when it may be up to them to provide for their young one day? Maybe George wasn’t properly taught.Just wondering that if they have to be taught then it isn’t instinct. Can someone clarify this?

      • Karen August 4, 2015 at 11:20 pm - Reply

        I just read a discussion about this on the Window On Wildlife forum and they said it is all instinct and they don’t need to be taught. I guess some have better instincts than others though.

    27. pudgy August 4, 2015 at 8:29 pm - Reply

      YES THEY ARE BACK ON!!!! My daughter said to my husband tonight look at mom she is not in the computer because she can’t watch the birds.. I missed them all day ,just kept checking and saying I hope they didn’t fly today. I have been watching since day one .I saw the first egg hatch., I saw pee wee pass away and now I have to see them fly I feel like a proud momma!!

    28. Leanne August 4, 2015 at 8:00 pm - Reply

      I’m so relieved to see that all 4 birds weathered the storm without any injury. Glad to see George made sure he delivered dinner and that Gracie made sure the chicks got fed. I tell ya, I watched that storm roll in and it was truly scary. The sky had a weird haze to it prior so I kind of felt that something wasn’t right. Just so glad the Osprey 4 are alive and well. 🙂
      And thank you, Paul, for keeping us updated and letting us know they were ok. Just nice to see it with my own 2 eyes. 🙂

    29. Karen August 4, 2015 at 7:39 pm - Reply

      So glad everyone posted that the site is back on line. I hadn’t had a chance to check in the last hour.
      The 2 kids were both sitting – more like squatting but not lying down – with their heads tucked down and seemed to be sleeping. I’ve never seen them do that before. I wonder if it’s a stage between lying flat to sleep as a chick and perching upright as an adult. They do look tired!

    30. DianeNY August 4, 2015 at 7:19 pm - Reply

      There they are!!!!

    31. Vickie August 4, 2015 at 7:01 pm - Reply

      After checking for the 1,000th time today….they’re back!!! All three were staring into the camera and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all day!!

      • MItchell August 4, 2015 at 7:08 pm - Reply

        I wonder if they Fleged

        • Samantha August 4, 2015 at 8:27 pm - Reply

          It doesn’t really seem like it; they’re still kinda unsure when they practice.

        • Lyn August 4, 2015 at 8:49 pm - Reply

          I don’t think they have actually fledged yet……what I’ve seen since electric was restored was just helicoptering, same as yesterday. Thank Goodness! Would not have wanted to miss that super special opportunity because we could not see. Thoughts go out to all in the East Marion area that had to endure NO electric for all those hours! I hope those with packed refrigerators had a generator! But, realistically, I’m sure thousands of spoiled food is being thrown away as we read. Sucks!

      • Lyn August 4, 2015 at 8:52 pm - Reply

        8:50 p.m. Too pooped to pop for those chicks! Exhausted and sleeping (hopefully for the night). They will need every bit of energy this week.

      • Karin from Rockland August 4, 2015 at 10:00 pm - Reply

        Yipee! I missed them..

    32. JP August 4, 2015 at 7:00 pm - Reply

      And… were back. Hope everyone on the east end weathered the storm okay. Did a bunch of damage near us…

    33. Beverly August 4, 2015 at 6:57 pm - Reply

      So awesome to see all is ok with the nest this afternoon!

    34. barbarav August 4, 2015 at 6:49 pm - Reply

      They look like they haven’t eaten in a while. Guess they’re storing up protein for their flying.

    35. barbarav August 4, 2015 at 6:46 pm - Reply

      Yea!! 6:45pm Tues and they’re back. Looks great nice and clear.

    36. Elaine August 4, 2015 at 6:44 pm - Reply

      The site is back online. The kids and mom look good, and the kids are getting fed. What a relief to know that they are ok and the nest survived.

    37. rjoneal August 4, 2015 at 6:38 pm - Reply

      Tuesday 6:30 PM back on air just in time for dinner feeding and everybody looks hungry George brought in a fish with the head eaten off . They are acting like they haven’t had any fish all day ithey look so hungry and Gracies feathers look really rough and messed up today hope she didn’t get beat around too much during the storm. Yeah I can finally get my fill of my baby ospreys before dark

    38. June c August 4, 2015 at 6:34 pm - Reply

      Yea!! Whole family together having dindin 6:32…good to see them!

    39. SUE August 4, 2015 at 4:30 pm - Reply

      Glad to hear the birds came through the storm OK- I’m waiting to hear from the insurance company so I can get part of a tree removed from my roof & get the tree removed. It was a NASTY storm, short in duration but strong. Can’t wait to see the chicks!

      • CarolV August 5, 2015 at 6:32 am - Reply

        Just shows our dedication to the birds that thru all this we worry about them! So sorry for your troubles! Hope removal goes well and all is good with you.

    40. Trinity August 4, 2015 at 3:23 pm - Reply

      Our Osprey family has overcome adversity these past few months. I do hope PSEG restores service to the area asap, it’s been an empty day so far without watching the chicks flap their wings. I’ve been checking into Beth Sterns & Poh the Dogs Instagram pages to get my fix ?

    41. Mitchell August 4, 2015 at 3:21 pm - Reply

      I spent the whole summer so far watching this everyday and It never really rained at all. the one time when I can not watch A hurrican blows through. Unreal. I hope there will be highlights of the storm just before the camera cut out.

    42. Diane S August 4, 2015 at 2:37 pm - Reply

      PSE & G is estimating power restoration to the East Marion, NY area for 9:15pm. It could be sooner, but that is the updated information at 2:25pm EDT.

      • Vickie August 4, 2015 at 3:09 pm - Reply

        Thanks so much for the update Diane!

      • Rjoneal August 4, 2015 at 3:55 pm - Reply

        Diane S. thanks for your update I must admit I am really missing the babies and mom and dad. I know we’ve been told that they’re OK but I want to put my eyes on them just to see that everything’s OK it’s driving me crazy

    43. WendyL August 4, 2015 at 12:50 pm - Reply

      I live in the Setauket area (hardest hit by this storm) and I have never seen anything like it. I’ve lived through more hurricanes etc than I care to remember but this was very different. There were 2,500 Lightening strikes in 15 minutes – constant lightening that never let up; it was truly like the end of the world. So glad the chicks and everyone survived this. Glad they weren’t in a tree – considering all the downed trees from the storm. Yikes, what a journey this has been with this family!

      • CarolV August 4, 2015 at 1:44 pm - Reply

        Glad to hear from someone in the thick of it. Watching ch. 12 News shows such devastation! Hope is well with you and yours.

        • WendyL August 4, 2015 at 7:42 pm - Reply

          Thank you CarolIV…I wish I had taken video of this storm because it was something you could not believe.. If our chicks can survive through all this they will do well…….I was very nervous when I logged on this morning and saw the black screen not at first knowing the power was out in East Marion. I was fearful something happened. They both look very well!!!

      • DianeNY August 4, 2015 at 1:47 pm - Reply

        wow 2500 lightening strikes in 15 minutes . I also saw video of lightening hitting the Empire State Building

      • Eleanore August 4, 2015 at 8:26 pm - Reply

        I live in the Setauket area, tool What a storm. Clap of thunder over our house that woke us up and shook the house. Then the constant lightning for the next 15-20 minutes. Alot of trees down and damage here. Can’t believe George and Gracie’s nest survived the wind and storm. Does anyone know.,,,,.Did the chicks fly today?

    44. Leesa Downs August 4, 2015 at 12:48 pm - Reply

      My daughter sent me a text first thing this morning, as she and her husband have a house in Southold. Her power was out, and she was wondering about the chicks. So glad they are ok, but very anxious to see them today! I live in the south and am hoping they come here for the winter. Love watching them so much. Thanks Paul, for all your hard work and time spent providing us with this awesome opportunity!

    45. DianeNY August 4, 2015 at 12:07 pm - Reply

      I hope Paul can capture the video of the birds flapping just before and during the storm until the cam went out and show it as a highlight . I watched it early this morning just after the storm hit. I live about 60 miles from the nest in the middle of the island. We had heavy rain hail and lightening with a lot of wind but nothing like further out east.

    46. Rich August 4, 2015 at 12:07 pm - Reply

      Considering the fishing line rescue and this current storm with extensive lightning, would it be a consideration to erect next year’s cam and nest to a wooden Pole and a lower location? Or is the tower actually a safer place for the birds? Just wondering.

      • CarolV August 4, 2015 at 2:45 pm - Reply

        Considering the active beach(i.e. fireworks, etc) lower might not be a better option. And wood or metal, anything up in the air has potential to be hit. Just my opinions. Anyone more knowledgeable please weigh in.

    47. sallyanne August 4, 2015 at 11:45 am - Reply

      Aug. 4 @ 11:45AM

      Egads; scary to hear about that storm!

      Say, Tom and paul: now that you’ve had experience with this osprey nest, maybe next season you want to set up another one?
      After all, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG????

      Re Osprey anonymous: Fortunately, i am a member, also!

    48. Rjoneal August 4, 2015 at 11:18 am - Reply

      Paul thanks for the update on our osprey family. I hope that Tommy and you and your families are all safe and no damage was done looks like it was a really bad storm.
      I too must admit I’m having withdrawals from not being able to watch our family I don’t know what I’m going to do once they leave. I guess more cleaning around the house will get done that’s for sure.

      • Tucker August 4, 2015 at 11:44 am - Reply

        SWOOSH! Powerful storm, Paul you and Tommy did a terrific job constructing the platform for the nest. Lots of trees came down our pals at PSEG are very busy today, be safe!

    49. Vickie August 4, 2015 at 10:49 am - Reply

      Confession: Hello my name is Vickie and I’m addicted to OspreyZone. It’s been a few hours since my last viewing and I’m going through serious withdrawal over here not being able to watch the chicks!! What are they doing?!! What am I missing?!! Are they eating?!! Are they flying?!! I’m going to need a support group for when they finally leave so I’m starting Osprey Anonymous!! lol

      • candi August 4, 2015 at 11:16 am - Reply

        Hi I will join Osprey Anonymous with you! I saw the lightning strike and before that the birds were trying to fly and then all of a sudden when the lightning struck , all went down. It was amazing to see it!!

      • Mitchell August 4, 2015 at 11:17 am - Reply

        Yes me too I will be the second member of O.A.

      • Sandy .> massapequa August 4, 2015 at 11:18 am - Reply

        Count me in Vickie!!!! I’m going to miss them very much too! I’m asking myself the same questions.

      • Rich August 4, 2015 at 11:30 am - Reply

        Count me in! I hope the remaining time before they leave has less drama. It’s been exciting, but we all can use some smooth sailing, especially our Osprey family.

      • KarenH August 4, 2015 at 11:51 am - Reply

        My co-worker and I feel the same way. We are members. What a great experience. We have learned so much and will do a better job of taking care of our planet.

      • Karen August 4, 2015 at 12:13 pm - Reply

        Same here! Then the worrying starts again next spring waiting to see if George and Gracie make it back from their migrations.

      • Vickie August 4, 2015 at 12:50 pm - Reply

        So glad I’m not alone with my OOP (Osprey Obsession Problem). I mean really…how many times in 1/2 hour can I check to see if the webcam is back online?!?! LOL

        • Another Elaine August 4, 2015 at 3:34 pm - Reply

          HA! Me, too! LOL
          The storm skirted Stamford-Darien with no harm done … thoughts and prayers to those affected as well as Our Osprey Family.

      • CarolV August 4, 2015 at 1:37 pm - Reply

        I’m in too! Paul and his video people will have to post Highlights weekly to get us thru to next season, sometime around the end of March!

      • June c August 4, 2015 at 3:43 pm - Reply

        I have to join..can’t believe how much I miss watching..so close to taking off…..

      • Cynthia August 4, 2015 at 4:48 pm - Reply

        I feel the same way!!!! I miss them so much already.

      • Susan August 4, 2015 at 5:21 pm - Reply

        OMG that is THE funniest post ever! Right with all of you on this one. once you start, you just can’t stop!

    50. Janet F August 4, 2015 at 10:41 am - Reply

      I think the chicks should be named after the kids in the show. Sandra for the older chick, and Ronnie for the younger. The first chick is likely female. Thats why I reversed the names.

    51. Johnny August 4, 2015 at 10:26 am - Reply

      That was a really cool storm this am, hope it makes the highlights was able to watch it a couple of times.

    52. CarolV August 4, 2015 at 9:44 am - Reply

      I live on LI’s South Fork and we had no rain that I can tell. Heard thunder early and was hoping!!!!! We really need it! But even my cat who hides at the first hint of rain was unfazed this a.m. Guess we are all afraid those chicks are so eager to go that we will miss it.

      • CarolV August 4, 2015 at 9:45 am - Reply

        And thanks to Paul for the nest check and update.

    53. Kathryn k August 4, 2015 at 9:40 am - Reply

      Sorry if I got the name wrong. I think it is Tommy nest where the birds are

    54. JB August 4, 2015 at 9:36 am - Reply
      • Rjoneal August 4, 2015 at 11:25 am - Reply

        JB thanks for sharing the videos and pictures and new story of all the damage that was done. I live in Florida and that almost looks as bad as when we have a storm with hurricane winds come through. My prayers are to all those who are suffering right now with no electricity and having to clean up all the damage. I hope all of our Osprey viewers that live around that area are OK

    55. Kathryn k August 4, 2015 at 9:36 am - Reply

      Paul hope u didn’t have any damage to your property.hope to be back soon

    56. Marlene August 4, 2015 at 9:30 am - Reply

      Paul, thanks for the update. I bet this is like a full-time job for you! But it sure is rewarding. Yesterday was so exciting, watching them getting ready to take off. They’ve become a big part of my day. Yes, I will sure miss the Burns & Allen family when they’ve gone south.

    57. bea August 4, 2015 at 9:17 am - Reply

      Don’t know I’ll do when they leave. Viewing this has become addictive.

    58. Helen August 4, 2015 at 9:00 am - Reply

      All is well in the Osprey nest outside my house on Shelter Island. I think they take these storms in their stride. Power is out throughout Southold Town which is where Paul’s nest is.

    59. Rob Bierregaard August 4, 2015 at 8:59 am - Reply

      Wow, no shortage of drama at this nest! Glad the rescue (and lens cleaning!) went so well. Young Ospreys “play ‘possum” when they hear their parents’ giving alarm calls–so the docile behavior of the young while the rescue squad was working on them is typical.
      Unfortunately, the fishing line problem is not that unusual.

    60. Helen August 4, 2015 at 8:40 am - Reply

      Fortunately all seems well with the nest outside my house on Shelter Island. I get the feeling they all deal with these storms very well. Power is off throughout the town of Southold so I understand.

    61. ospreyzone August 4, 2015 at 8:33 am - Reply

      OK, the nest is still there and from what we can see from the ground, everything is ok and the chicks are still flapping. Judging from the look of the water behind the nest right before we lost power, that was a serious blow. Power is off for the whole area and should be restored sometime today.

      I’ll send a memo to mom not to let the kids play in the wind like that!

      While the live feed is down please enjoy the highlights posted on the side of the live feed window. We will be adding additional material periodically.

      Thanks for all the concern.

      Paul

      • GinaM August 4, 2015 at 8:48 am - Reply

        THANK YOU for that report!!!

      • Janet F August 4, 2015 at 8:50 am - Reply

        Wow what a storm! So happy both chicks are ok and the nest too. =) Thanks for the update Paul!

      • Shar August 4, 2015 at 9:08 am - Reply

        ♥ Sooo glad they survived that, it got pretty scarey looking right before the video cut out! Thanks so much for the update! ♥

      • Jara August 4, 2015 at 9:50 am - Reply

        Paul, thank you so much for the update. I know we all appreciate your efforts to keep us informed.

      • Birdviewer August 4, 2015 at 10:10 am - Reply

        Thank you for the update. Glad to know they’re it through the storm.

      • Diane S August 4, 2015 at 10:18 am - Reply

        Thanks for the update…I’m also powerless, and look forward to watching the Osprey’s, when your back online!

      • Leanne August 4, 2015 at 11:19 am - Reply

        Thank you so much for keeping us updated. We all love those birds so much.

      • Deborah August 4, 2015 at 12:10 pm - Reply

        Thank you for the update.

      • June c August 4, 2015 at 3:50 pm - Reply

        Is it possible to see what cam recorded before it went down…just the 10 minutes before storm hit..

      • Cynthia August 4, 2015 at 4:50 pm - Reply

        Thank you for the update Paul..

    62. Barbara August 4, 2015 at 8:27 am - Reply

      Got to watch them around 5:45am….thet were both flapping their wings against a strong wind…started raining heavily and they both bunkered in and then the link was gone

    63. Jan August 4, 2015 at 8:27 am - Reply

      What a terrible storm! Hope the babies are safe and that Mom returned to the nest to protect them! Just want to no they are ok…

    64. Phil August 4, 2015 at 8:17 am - Reply

      Watching the kids practice flying as the storm was approaching was harrowing!! Wind, lighting…… I found myself yelling at the screen….”Get down guys before you are blown off!!!” Amazing instincts. They knew just when they needed to get down and point their heads into the wind. Great experience.

    65. JB August 4, 2015 at 8:11 am - Reply

      It’s 7:04 AM CST, and 8:04 EST. Approximately 2-hours 15-minutes ago from that mark, you could see the winds were very heavy and the sea was tossing and turning. Both chicks were up flapping wings at that time trying to maintain balance. It was clear the nest pole was swaying and some of the nest material was blowing away. Then, a flash of lightning appeared from the distance and the video feed was lost a few moments later.

      Fortunately, both chicks are able to fly if necessary, so a lot better off than they were during the storm when they were only a week or two old. I think they will be fine, but hopefully that can be confirmed when power and the video feed gets restored.

      • JB August 4, 2015 at 8:28 am - Reply

        The storm blew in very quickly. There was an eerie light from the sky illuminating the area and all was calm. Then, it took less than two minutes for the strong wind to begin tossing the surf of the sea and even causing the nest pole to sway. Most likely a power outage in the area is the problem, and a good education for the chicks on how to weather a heavy thunderstorm. It all lasted less than three minutes before the video feed was lost.

        • Leanne August 4, 2015 at 11:16 am - Reply

          It was eerie to watch that storm blow in from the right hand side. You could just tell it was gonna be a doozey.

    66. June B August 4, 2015 at 8:10 am - Reply

      This better not be the time when the juvies decide to take their first flight.

    67. GinaM August 4, 2015 at 7:37 am - Reply

      Paul, while we wait for power to be restored, can you tell us if they are safe?
      Thank you

    68. Diane S August 4, 2015 at 7:26 am - Reply

      Wow, what a storm, came through between 5am-5:30am by me (I’m about 35 miles from the nest)! My power is out, and there are trees and wires down all over. Hope the chicks are ok…hail, lightning, thunder, that was a beaut!

    69. Mary August 4, 2015 at 7:24 am - Reply

      Saw a flash of lightning on the video then the screen went blank.

    70. GinaM August 4, 2015 at 7:18 am - Reply

      God I hope they are OK. The storms were terrible with 80mph wind gusts and lightening that brought down many trees. Our babies are on top of a 90′ metal pole.

    71. BirdViewer August 4, 2015 at 6:01 am - Reply

      6:00 am bad thunderstorms and strong winds. I hope the chicks are okay!!

      • GeGe3 August 4, 2015 at 8:04 am - Reply

        The last image is kind of dark but doesn’t it look like there’s something wrong with the smaller chick. The way she’s laying makes me think something is wrong unless it’s the light playing tricks on me….hopefully. But I thought I saw some strange movement in the nest late last nite.

        • ospreyzone August 4, 2015 at 8:24 am - Reply

          In reviewing the kids up to power lose they both seemed well, a little bolder then I would have liked, but I see no problems, they were both standing and flapping normally.

    72. Deborah August 4, 2015 at 6:00 am - Reply

      The site is down. Is that just because of the storm going through or did lightning damage the system?

      • ospreyzone August 4, 2015 at 6:07 am - Reply

        Chances are we lost power or internet on site, lots of highlights to view till we can restore signal.

    73. Leanne August 4, 2015 at 5:49 am - Reply

      Storming BADLY at 4:48 CST

      • Leanne August 4, 2015 at 5:50 am - Reply

        Lost feed at 4:49

    74. Karen August 4, 2015 at 1:16 am - Reply

      I thought I’d lost all the recent comments but I opened a new tab and they are now current.

    75. Rich August 4, 2015 at 12:16 am - Reply

      Wow, this is like raising kids all over again. They make me a nervous wreck when they get so close to the edge of the nest. It’s amazing how invested in this little family you become. This has been a wonderful experience – not always happy, and sometimes filled with anxious moments – in other words – just like life. TV would be hard pressed to come up with a reality show as gripping as the saga of our Osprey family.

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