Attention: due to the lack of visibility on the live stream, we are currently defaulting to a playlist of old videos and highlights. You can still go to the live view by clicking the button below.
OspreyZone Live Stream
•LIVE
OspreyZone Playlist
An Intro to OspreyZone
The Story of DDT
Osprey Rescue
2020 Clips
Bald Eagles Visit Nest
Ospreyzone Highlights: May 21-29, 2020
OspreyZone Highlights: May 15-20, 2020 - The Intruder
OspreyZone Highlights: May 7th-14th, 2020
OspreyZone Highlights: April 15-21, 2020
OspreyZone Yankee
March 18, 2016 Timelapse
The Summer of 2015 by GinaM
Osprey Rescue Extended - July 30, 2015
Osprey Zone Highlights - June 28, 2015
Osprey Zone Highlights - June 19, 2015
osprey 07/11/15 squirt
First Sighting
George and Gracie's First Baby
Eggs Over Easy
Changing of the Guard
Breakfast is Served
Upgrading
Feeding Time
First Love
Let's Hang Out
Hard to Get
Little Brother
Intruder
Dinner is Served
OspreyZone Montage
OspreyZone Highlights: George Returns
Tip: If the nest is empty, use the red scroll bar to rewind the stream up to 12 hours
Please be advised that nature can be brutal – viewer discretion is advised.
Best viewed with Google Chrome.
Ospreyzone.com copyright © 2016 – 2020 Tax Reduction Services. All rights reserved.
Special Thanks to Tommy and Christina: George & Gracie’s Landlords
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.
IMPORTANT: Messages from osprey experts
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.
Paul 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.
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
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
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
Great Rescue Video!!!!!! Thank you !! Love the hat where can I purchase one???
The kids are screaming for food-they must be so hungry. No sign of Gorge or Gracie.Hopefully they are out fishing and are successful. The water looks murky and choppy due to the storm and the forecast is for maybe more rain and wind later. The only plus for today is the wind direction is keeping that garbage bag out of the nest and not blowing into the nest. Hoping for some fish delivery soon.
Although my husband and I have been watching this site since the beginning, this is the first time we are posting a comment. We just watched the new video of the rescue and were as moved today as when we first saw it unfold live. Your dedication to this project has been extraordinary! Paul, your commitment to this endeavor and Tommy’s kind and meaningful use of his property have resulted in an exceptional opportunity for the viewers. Thank you Paul, Tommy, PSEGLI, Jim MacDougal/Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Center, and anyone else involved and of course Gracie, George and the “kids”!! Also, LOVE the hat!
A couple of times I have seen what appears to be an osprey flying down close to the water. Maybe George or Gracie trying to catch a fish.
12:10 pm poor thing! One baby has been sitting in the nest in the rain and wind and nobody else in sight… I am assuming the others are in a tree somewhere using leaves and branches for protection… I have not heard a peep out of anyone so I don’t think the perch above the camera is occupied….Can I also assume the babies have oiled feathers now? Poor thing looks like a ragamuffin…..
More than 4 hours alone in the nest, poor thing – and no one in sight – and starving. I just want to scoop it up and towel it off.
I wonder why this one little guy didn’t go get shelter with the others. I’m glad he’s ok. Poor little thing!
I feel so sorry for the poor little guy stuck on the nest by himself in this storm. Wish he had found a good place to shelter along with the others (at least I hope they’re sheltering).
This has been an incredible education. To actually be able to watch these great birds on a daily basis, an travel their roller coaster existence, is something to be treasured. Thank you, Paul and Tom, and all who have been involved in this amazing project. I hope you can do it again next year.
I have to add my thanks to Tom and Paul for the wonderful experience of watching these beautiful birds. It has been a learning experience for them and us. Learned things I never knew and look forward to watching a more experienced couple raise their chicks next year. Maybe we will all be lucky and there will be a three chick family with all surviving. Having a yard with all kinds of birds and small animals visiting I have learned how cruel nature can be. I’ve had several oriole families die when their nest crashed down in a storm. I have also had a Peregrine take birds from the yard. I have learned that this is nature and there is only so much we can do. If we didn’t see it, we wouldn’t know about it. Glad we have this experience with everyone!
i just got a chance to read all of our viewers’ comments since last evening. Although I live on the south shore of Long Island, I didn’t find out about this website until I saw it in the local paper around July 2. I had tuned in just after the demise of chick #3 and I, too, felt very sad.
However, after watching the livestream frequently in the days following that sad event, and seeing the shortage of fish, it help me to understand how nature takes its course. For some reason, there was not an abundance of fish for the babies to eat. I do not know if that was because George was a new father and did not know how to fish so well, or if it was because of the fish supply in general.
No one likes to see what happened to that little chick. But after reading Rob’s comments, it helped me to understand that is nature. We are able to view our osprey nest thanks to the generosity of you, Paul. These things must happen all the time, but ordinarily we are not able to see it.
I, too, was upset by the comments made by that person. However, we must not let one person’s comments upset the wonderful opportunity that you gave all of us.
You gave us the chance to learn about this magnificent species, and I consider myself a true fan of ospreys. I have shared this website with so many of my friends and relatives, and have even gotten my husband hooked on it!! In the morning, when I turn on the computer, he asks me how are the birds? And he does not seem to mind when I have the volume up high so that I can hear if something is going on in the nest when I am in another room.
I just love nature. It is so beautiful. God has given us so much beauty in the world. We must treasure all of this.
Thanks for a job well done, Paul and Tommy. I’m sure you did not anticipate all of the obstacles that you have run into!!! Hopefully, you will have a few months to rest and recuperate. Cannot thank you enough for everything that you have done.
The new video is awesome! Love, love this nest……
the new rescue video is very well done…thanks for saving the babies…they would have died if you didn’t intervene…thanks to everyone involved.
Paul, Tom and everyone involved in Ospreyzone – I would like to add my thanks and gratitude to those expressed by the other posters. I also hope that you will not take the ranting of one person to heart and shut the site down. I watched the eagles nest in Hanover, PA from Feb until they fledged. And although there were times when I had to turn it off when mom and dad brought home food that was still moving, I was hooked watching the family dynamic and eaglets grow. I was going through withdrawal when I came across Ospreyzone and had the privilege to watch another feathered family grow. I was prepared this time for what might occur and took the warning “viewer discretion is advised” to heart. I have tuned in daily while at work and have laughed, cried and yelled at the chicks as if they were my own. I think we have all learned a lot of lessons – especially about recycling. I hope to come back to the site next year to watch George and Gracie bring another brood into the world. Thank you so much.
I did the exact same thing as Jara. I, too, watched the eagles in Hanover until they fledged and then came across this wonderful site. I also would like to thank you, Paul, for all of your patience and hard work you put into this. We have all enjoyed it so much. I feel like I have met new friends and will miss everyone. I have had a summer to remember!
Just published the new version of the Osprey Rescue Video, It’s the first highlight on main page, next to the live stream window.
Enjoy
Paul
Great job on the updated rescue video! Hats off to PSE & G, the Osprey Rescue team, and of course you Paul, who got the experts involved. You clearly put a team effort together to save that young chick’s life!!!
Love the new video. Where can I get one of those ball caps?!?! I LOVE it!!
Here, soon.
Yay!! I will buy one to help support what you do…and wear it proudly!!!!
Great video Paul. It would be nice to have both versions there to see since they give different views and comments. Thanks again.
The older version of the Osprey Rescue should still be on the highlights page.
Paul
Love the ‘new’ rescue video!! Great job!! I’ve watched it twice so far. 🙂
The new video version of the rescue was another great contributory piece to this amazing osprey story we are all following. I found myself choking up (again) as I watched the rescue, and enjoyed learning a bit more about the process of how all of it was coordinated, as well as ‘meeting’ everyone involved. As so many others have said, thank you for giving us the experience of this nest, this gift of beauty.
Super job on the video. No words can be found to properly express our gratitude. May Gracie, George and the kids LLAP (Live Long and Prosper). I am not a huge Star Trek/Spock fan but seemed appropriate as we say goodbye to them.
10:45am one chick back in nest and does not look very happy! Nasty up there. (but we do need the rain badly) Hang in there baby chick.
Even if there had been an intervention, the condition of the chick… it would have never survived. This site is a great opportunity to teach what goes on in an Osprey nest. You may not like what you see but this is the cruel reality of nature. The strongest survive and carry on. Thank You Paul for taking the time to maintain this site and hope to see it return next Osprey season.
Thank you Paul and Tommy for an incredible adventure in ospreyzone. How amazing to watch these first time parents learning to do a difficult job under sometimes very difficult conditions. Next year, they will be old pros. I think George has finally figured out the provider part of his job and next year, things should go smoother in those critical first few weeks. Now we have two lovely fledglings and soon they will all be on their way to warmer climates. I hope Tommy and Paul get some much needed rest and decide to carry on the George and Gracie show next spring. Thanks so much for an amazing wildlife experience and for helping our osprey out when they were entangled in the fishing line.
I too have learned so much about Osprey’s and for that matter nature. I am in awe that these young birds will soon fly all the way to Cuba, the DR, South America….. I read that hundreds of Osprey’s are shot in the DR and other islands that have fish farms. I am sure the food source for the birds is irresistible. I can also understand why the fish farmers want to protect their investment. Combine this with normal weather hazards and flying across large bodies of water at night (without stopping) using celestial cues……WOW all I can saw is WOW. I am humbled by this experience.
Paul—I hope you understand how this has positively affected our lives and appreciation of nature.. Bravo!!!
Paul, So sorry you had to again explain the reason why human interference was not used in the case of chick #3. I know it was a very difficult time for you. So many were pleading with you to intervene but you trusted the experts and held your ground. This has been an incredible experience it is a “real” reality show. Thank you and Tommy for allowing us to have this “birds eye view” of this event.
The kids are out playing in the rain right now but the weather pattern is that the storm is moving west to east so the heavy rain will be getting to that area soon. It will be in bands , heavy rain then lulls then heavy rain again all day. I hope this won’t mean little food for today. They have been so well fed the last few days but today could be different. Let’s hope not.
I lived in Ontario and have to drive about an hour east in order to see an osprey nest. To have been able to watch this live cam has been an amazing opportunity. Thank you Paul for having taken the time to set this up.
Hope everyone is okay, the nest has been empty for over an hour. Hopefully they are seeking shelter somewhere safe.
I should mention, I am not the Linda that posted the comments discussed earlier. lol.
Have the names been chosen for the chicks yet…. I see everyone still calls them chick 1 and chick 2…… When
will the names be chosen if not already done. Oh and the little one too…..
Storms coming through, maybe that windshield wiper in the nest can be useful ☺! 8:45am-Everyone has left the nest, and I assume to hang out on a branch on the leeward side of a tree nearby. Until the storms go through, I wonder how much fishing will take place.
Tues 8:45 am just got own and don’t see anyone in the nest. Do hear a lot of chirping.Perhaps they’re on the outer edge and can’t be seen.
whew! ‘thank you’s to paul and tom for the opportunity to watch this osprey family grow and prosper… and, sadly, prepare to move on… thanks to newsday, i started watching sometime before the loss of pee wee; and, like so many, had to stop until nature mercifully took the little one from us… i, too, was torn between wanting to rescue and the certain knowledge that nature does not support weakened/damaged/diseased newborns; often in fact, as many of us already know, the parent will actually kill- and sometimes eat- the offspring in question… kudos to paul for deftly navigating through all emotions expressed, staying the difficult course ahead… my home is in connecticut in an osprey-free area; for much of this year, i have been staying on long island, which allowed the privilege to regularly pass 4 osprey nests… what another great privilege to view inside this nest! thanks again to paul and tom! the miracles, beauty and harsh realities of nature are often hard to reconcile, as has been so aptly expressed here by other ‘posters’… the beach posting is a great idea; if someone produces one, i will work towards getting it cleared for posting at my haunts… thanks also to lynn for info and to all- ospreys, paul, tom and ‘posters’- for this wonderful experience… i, too, would enjoy an oa meeting and look forward to our reunion next year!
Paul, just read the comments this morning concerning “Linda”, and I say kudos to you for your excellent response. I’m choosing NOT to read what she wrote, as I know it will just raise my blood pressure, but I must add that she obviously must think National Geographic should be banned from the airways! Nature is nature. As you so eloquently stated bad things happen in nature. Just don’t watch it if it bothers you. But the good so much out weighs the bad with Osprezone.com, and I am so appreciative of yours and Tommy’s dedication to this nest. I have so enjoyed watching these magnificent birds this summer, and have laughed sometimes so hard that I cried. Yesterday when one of the chicks was trying to eat the fish on its own while Gracie had hold of it, and he was pulling her around the nest was priceless! Watching the chicks learn to fly has been so exciting and I am thankful you provided us the means to experience this. I had hoped to visit my daughter and son-in-law in Southold this summer and come see the nest in person, but it looks like we will be coming in the fall after the family will have left to head south. Maybe next year!
Again, thank you both so much for all you have done, and thank you fellow fans for all the information you have shared. It has been a learning experience that I will never forget!
Hope to see everyone back next summer.
I have learned so much from this webcam, it has truly been educational in many ways. And I thank Paul and all of the experts for what they have done. I have lived on the south shore of Long Island all my life. I remember several years ago, maybe as far back as 20, Ospreys were dwindling in population. Many of the beach associations were erecting towers for Ospreys to build on, hoping to repopulate the species. It looks like it has worked. Having a beach house, I have seen many more Ospreys flying around. However now with this site, I can see what goes on up there. Some of it was not/is not pretty.
The comments made by Linda I felt were a bit hostile to everyone. It was not an easy time for me to watch little Pee Wee. However, the posts and comments from Paul and those in the know made me realize this IS nature in the raw. I decided to stop watching for a few days until it was over. What Linda doesn’t realize regarding human intervention is if “we” did go up to the nest to save Pee Wee, it would have put the other two babies in danger. There was a chance George and Gracie could abandon the nest leaving the other two to starve. When it was decided to intervene with the fishing lines, the chicks were much older and had a better chance of survival, just in case. Gracie immediately flew back to the nest to check out her “babies” when all was done. Perhaps even appreciative of what we did.
The other thing I have learned is how remarkable all of you who have been avid posters are to this family we have all adopted. I especially want to thank Paul for this wonderful experience we all have been sharing.
Looks like the kids were trying to learn how to fly with wet wings. I am sure the first time dealing with rain is a learning experience.
Hope the chicks will be okay today. Heavy rain and winds are expected.
Chicks up and out for a spin. Is this the chicks first real rain storm? Aside from the straight line storm recently, I don’t recall the last extended rain on this end of the Island. Be nice if breakfast could get here early.
They have predicted heavy rain for the East End. Hope these guys hunker down and do okay.
Tuesday morning at 4:30 AM although the nest is dark I can see both babies are up and sitting on the edge of the nest plucking at their feathers. Boy did I miss a lot yesterday ! It was the first time I spent one day without being able to see our family I rewound as much as I could when I was able to read all the comments late last night . Paul as you know I’ve been watching the site since you had it up and prior to that I was watching when Rachel had her babies taken by the eagle it was very sad. And before long came peewee and poor pee-wee his faith was determined from the moment he was born. At the beginning there was definitely not enough food for all three babies and Gracie and George knew this.
I too like others had to stop watching for about a week until pee-wee was gone but immediately started watching again so I could learn and hopefully see the other to grow up to be beautiful ospreys like their mom and dad. I am so glad I decided to continue watching even though it was upsetting and human nature just wanted to save pee-wee. So glad,thankful and proud of you since you consulted with experts on how to deal with the situation. Not only with the nest but you also had to deal and explain and try and calm all of us down to deal with all our human emotions and do what was safe for our birds based on the expert opinions. We have lots of osprey nest and ospreys in Florida but I never got to see what goes on in the nest this gives me a whole new outlook on the Osprey family not to mention all the educational information all of your viewers have received from you and from each other. I have been watching Osprey live cams two years and every nest in different states seem to have some differences due to environment usually but by far Osprey Zone has been my best experience yet ! This is due to your dedication,the landlords and team,expert professionals,the rescue teams, your viewers. Most of all your quick response to us viewers keeping us informed. I hope that you decide to continue this next year. We all know you got more than you bargained for we do appreciate everything you did put into it and you didn’t give up. I will continue watching till the end but I’m not saying goodbye but so long for a while and hope that you’ll be on air next year ! So to all you viewers here’s hoping will get together next year again and see a new family born in this nest . Like I said I will watch to the end but probably won’t be commenting much trying to minimize my watching as they move on.
God bless everybody and watch over each and everyone of us especially our Osprey family .
A BOOK – YES, A BOOK.
Someone had mentioned this idea to you before and the more I see – think and ponder, what a bright idea.
Either a book for children (maybe with captions in “osprey-talk” as they communicate with one-another) or a coffee table edition or documentary – a short film.
You have so much material here – all the comments of the people – the rescue. You and Tommy started something unique – make it last for generations to come. When the snow hits the East End, sit by the fire with Tommy and at least think about it.
It is evident that the OSPREY FAMILY would pass the hat. RH
Giving the chicks a name makes it even more exciting and personal.
Paul your comments to Linda were exactly correct. I have to wonder what she thinks of what Planned Parenthood is doing to unborn babies. Wonder when she last saved one of those helpless babies. In my opinion what is being done is interfering in what nature has created and certainly is a human caused destruction of life. Nature can be cruel, that’s for sure ;but humans can be much more than cruel.
The one chick looks very sleepy. He is sitting upright with head bent over and eyes closed. The other chick is just looking around. It is bedtime.
Great response to “Linda” Paul. Thank you for sharing.
8:25EST ; do I see more wiper blades in the nest ?? Interesting decor choices ! Love getting home from work and relaxing by spending time with our Osprey family ?
Paul, WOW! Quite the controversy! Gives us all something to read at least (the very least)! Well once again this person’s, Linda, comments prove that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! I take umbrage at her comments regarding us “viewers”, which she apparently is one of! DUH! I have to wonder if she has ever set a mouse trap in her home? Sprayed insect spray! Worn or used any leather products? Eats – meat, eggs poultry or seafood? Uses products of any kind that were first tested on animals to deem then safe for”her” use? Has had to make the very difficult decision regarding a beloved elderly or I’ll pet! I was utterly devastated regarding the situation with the “little one” and wanted someone, anyone to fly up, climb up , do anything to help, as everyone watching was. But guidelines and laws are put forth to assure a protected species is just that “protected”! And that is what all of you involved did. We can ask for nothing more than that. The fish line débâcle was caused by human errors, which we are very good at. Unfortunately we are not anywhere as good at fixing them! But you did! Kudos! You have the deepest gratitude of all of us “evil” viewers!
P.S. To whom it may concern : ” if you do not like what your are viewing there is an off button usually right next to the on button! Push it!
Katherine
Aug. 10th @ 7:48PM
Just read about “linda” and read Paul’s response. After all the effort, expense and time you,Paul, have put into this nest for the education of all of us, the last thing you needed was a “linda”.I do not live on LI so i will never get to read her tirade. What I can say, though, is you gave a well thought out response. Speaking for myself, i found myself cringing and crying when the littlest chick was attempting to get more food, and avoid his sibling’s attacks. i did not watch those episodes when things got bad, because it was tormenting. Nature can be cruel but I did not want to witness it. I do remember the blogger and the remarks, but this person also clarified them, saying he /she wanted to view for educational purposes. i am not going to judge someone’s heart.
All of us became very attached to ALL the ospreys: Gracie’s tender loving care, George’s tireless food gathering, the chicks themselves growing and thriving, then flapping and hopping and now finally flying!! And, never forgetting the little one! So many of OUR lives have tragic, hard to understand events in them; maybe that was part of the appeal of this web cam. All of us on the earth, whether human being or not, are striving to live our lives, whatever the circumstances, just like this family. Thank you very very much for all your work and for making this intimate look into an osprey family a reality.
Just replayed the plastic bag incidence with Gracie and Chick #2. So glad that they both are okay. Hopefully tomorrow’s storm will not play havoc like last week with the birds, internet and all the people who lost power out east. This has been the best entertainment this summer along with learning so much about birds. I cannot thank all involved for letting us be witness to nature in the raw. I started watching after PeeWee and hope that people who do not understand nature should not be so shortsighted in their thinking and blame the wonderful hosts who are doing an excellent job. Thank you Thank you Thank you. I will certainly miss the birds when they are gone and hope to see them again next year.
Paul : good answer. I clicked on like but it didn’t click. Kudos to you, Tommy and crew.
i have been watching since the chicks hatched, i’ve never made a comment until now. i loved watching the whole process, and cant wait till next year. the circle of life can be cruel to watch but that’s how it is. i felt bad for the 3rd chick, had to turn it off sometimes too but in reality i was just hoping one would make it.. i’m so happy to see two beautiful birds, and there parents making it happen. my kids, who are 23 and 18, i made them watch some of this so that they can see how hard it is for wildlife to make it. next thing you know, how’s the birds dad, they would ask and i would show them the progress. so, to all whole made this site possible, thanks and look forward to next year.
OK- I think Gracie is a hoarder….she keeps bringing the strangest stuff into the nest! I love her to death, but the black plastic doesn’t go with the whole seaweed motif! 🙂
Thank you Paul for giving us the opportunity to see a live family of ospreys. This is the first site I watched, and I love it. Unfortunately I left your site for about a week when Pee Wee was near death and died. However I returned and have watched and enjoyed your site. I was so excited to see the two chicks start to fly, but am saddened that they will soon be gone, as well as Gracie and George. I will be anxiously waiting for Gracie and George to return in early spring to have another family. I love animals and wildlife very much. I live in an area where there are ospreys, even though I haven’t seen them. I don’t think any of the nests here have camera attachments.
7:03 pm the whole family is in the nest and mom is not objecting…… that;s nice to see….. I think the nest sitter is a momma’s girl….. 🙂 one more thing….. Paul, if you send us your address I betcha a lot of us viewers would send you a lot of aspirin…… You could probably use it…. Thank you for everything you have done and are doing…..and for putting up with our ups and downs as life in the nest went through its ups and downs. This has been an educational and mostly fun experience and I am looking forward to G&G’s next set of kids 🙂
Ps don’t forget to give us an address to donate for another camera or to hire a tiny action figure in an osprey suit to clean the camera lens every once in a while… 🙂
It’s 7 p.m. and there are 4 osprey in the nest, that is the longest I have seen George be allowed to stay when Gracie is feeding the Chicks. It is a rare sight and really nice to see the family all together. Usually Gracie screams at George to leave once he has brought food. At 7:04 George flew off He wasn’t forced to leave just quietly left.
This plastic bag event happened about 6 EST. When I replayed it again it also showed the plastic when it was still attached to Gracie almost pulled the Chick out of the nest before Gracie got free of it. And the plastic wasn’t under her wing it was wrapped around her wing.
just watched. Yikes. Glad they both got untangled!
I just watched it and that was a very dangerous situation for both birds. I also saw the chick picking at the plastic trying to remove it from her wing. Very dangerous situations that could have ended badly but thankfully didn’t. I hope the wind gets that bag out of there and a neighbor finds it and disposes of it properly.
I could not agree more. Its such a “Terrible” thing to watch a little chick die at the hands of nature. Yet we have no problem watching fish get eaten alive. I was just wondering if folks were to watch an eagle cam And saw Rachels two little chicks From the Main nest being fed to the eagle chicks. which is what most likely happend……….Anyway.
It has been a sad year for us watching the birds. I watched the hail storm in Missoula , Montana, as it beat the two osprey parents and broke their 3 eggs that were days away from hatching. And, I saw the eagle take Rachal’s babies. The eagles at Decorah lost their two eggs Trying not to think of the little one in this nest killed by its siblings.. Not a good year..
I just watched Gracie fly off with the plastic stuck to her talon and when she freed herself of it and it is now wrapped around Chick #2 it is even under her wing. I just looked and she was perched on the edge of the nest that plastic was definitely under her wing when suddenly she took off. My heart stopped for a moment thinking she would be dragging that entire piece with her or that the piece would be stuck and she would be stopped from flying away and get caught dandling from the nest. But she did get free. I raised two children with less anxiety.
i know, right?! the garbage that is out there for them to bring to nest is shocking me.
I sure hope no one gets hurt from the plastic. What is that woman thinking when she brings all that junk in !! :)))))
Do “weak genes” really exist? …or was PeeWee’s fate determined because he was born third and 3 days later than Brutus? Considering how fast they grow in just one day,
the little guy didn’t have a chance. I personally did not think of him ever as “weak.” He was a fighter and got right in there to eat. I just have never before heard of
“weak genes.”
He was Plan C. If needed. thats how it works.
I see Gracie brought in a big piece of plastic. She must have heard we are expecting a storm tomorrow and plans on making a tent over the nest. It won’t blow away because she or one of the chick will always be on it – it’s covering the entire bottom of the nest. Now she is ripping at it maybe she will make smaller pieces and then it might blow away in tomorrows wind from the storm. I just looked and the piece seems to towards the nest close to the camera side-no bird standing on it so I hope a gust of wind comes right now and it can blow away. More drama!!!
Have been away from viewing for couple hours..who brought home the garbage bag.. Mom or Dad?
Thank you Paul for sharing your reply to “Linda”. Thank you too for representing probably all of us who feel the way you do and how the experts responded to your inquiries as to what to do with the unhealthy chick.Most forward thinking people respect the word the the experts and leave nature to take it’s course. If someone had interfered with the care of the unhealthy chick, we might not be seeing the glorious fledging of the surviving chicks. This was just “common sense” to leave the nest alone. As you said, she is entitiled to her opinions. I just wonder why she wasn’t brave enough to post it here on this site? As far as the rescue is concerned, that was 100% the right thing to do. Yes it was a gamble, but the babies were far enough along in their development that someone interfering in the nest would most likely not be an issue. If the parents and the species are bright enough to feed and nurture their young, I truly believe they “just knew” you were helping their chicks. And yes it was a manmade problem and how would we feel knowing what we saw and not acting upon it. Linda is comparing apples to oranges and just doesn’t get it. Again, thanks for this wonderful journey!
I agree..we were given a gift this summer..most amazing adventure..Sometimes nature is cruel and its ashame you have people like “Linda”
Bravo Paul. She lives in Colorado. I wonder how she would react to a “deer cam” when a Mountain Lion is hungry?
Paul, this has been a fantastic adventure for me this summer. Nature is beautiful to watch and anyone who doesn’t agree doesn’t have to watch. That being said, thank you for making watching this nest possible. While I’ll feel bad when they leave, I’m
Looking forward to next year
Paul, I just wanted to thank you so much for allowing us to watch this beautiful osprey family through heartache and triumph. It was very hard to lose our PeeWee, but seeing the other two chicks grow to become beautiful strong birds is wonderful. Thank you so much for orchestrating the rescue of our #1 chick, it was thrilling and heartwarming to see. You have given us a wonderful gift and I have watched it every day. Seeing our birds fly is awesome and bittersweet at the same time. I miss them already, but am so glad I got to know them. Thanks, again.
In response to one of our viewers threads in the comments section of our local paper, The Suffolk Times: http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2015/07/61026/livecam-osprey-chick-rescued-after-getting-ensnared-in-fishing-line/
If these comments were posted on our site I would have just marked them as trash but they were posted on a public forum where my only recourse was to respond:
Linda, out of the 30,000 or so visitors that visit our site every day, one, and I repeat one viewer, requested to replay some of the footage because he wanted to know what happened. After we consulted many experts in the field it was determined that everyones policy was not to interfere with nature unless there was a problem caused by man or a man made object. Some have a policy only to intervene if the camera equipment is the cause but no one in the “know” thought that we should intervene in a textbook “survival of the fittest” situation. In addition I would note that the Osprey parents did not intervene either, maybe we should trust their instincts. How would we be effecting nature if we caused a weekling to be able to propagate and bring inferier genes forward. In the event of fishing line wrapped around a leg, that was considered a man made problem and fortunetly we were able to act with the generosity of PSEG to be able to reach the 85 foot nest. You of course are entitled to your opinion and we respect it, but I take issue with your charactorizations of those who don’t share your opinions. Please note that we all share your grief and are just as disturbed about this. Please review the exchanges with the Osprey experts at the top of our comments section at ospreyzone.com. Linda, people don’t like to watch things die and it was horrible for everyone. I’m curious how you know that many of us chose to watch and re-watch the horrible death. For you to rant about our viewers as “sick” is insulting and ignorant. I’m wondering what your thoughts might be concerning the poor fish that the Ospreys eat alive everyday, have you watched any of that? Do you think we should save them?
Like · Reply · 1 hr
….
Thank you for your response to that viewer. I have been watching since shortly after the eggs hatched and I too mourned when the little one died. I did not see it happen because I chose to stop watching a few days beforehand because the brutality was too much for my heart. and I kind of saw the handwriting on the wall so to speak. I love the cam but did not want to witness the end. As hard as it was I totally agreed with the decision not to intervene. After I logged in that morning and saw the lifeless body of chick #3 I was unable to watch for a week or so. I just couldn’t. However, the successes of the other two have been amazing, fascinating, and a privilege to watch and I thank you all so much for making it possible for all of us to take a peak at what goes on in the nest. There are always going to be naysayers and haters out there….no matter what you do.
Paul, We are all lucky to have the opportunity to view this Osprey nest.. Thanks to you….Yes it was heart wrenching to watch peewee getting hurt, but I chose to watch and learn about nature like never before. Forget the haters. We all love this site, at least 99% of the viewers. There is always someone who takes it to the extreme level of insulting comments. I’m sure the 30,000 viewers who watch this site daily will back you up completely. I never witnessed a more amazing site of nature as these babies developed. Thanks again for making this happen.
Paul, I don’t know what you were responding to as I don’t live in the area. I can guess as to the topic and I just wanted to say that you summed it up well by mentioning the fish brought live to the nests. I dont know if at any time during the incident being talked about did anyone mention how awful it was to watch the fish die. It may be even worse now as the chicks are learning to self feed and it takes them much longer which means ” you know what ” ! Thank You for all you have done.
Paul, I just read the thread, she is ridiculous. This is and has been an awesome journey and I for one am humbled by it all. If you left the man-made fishline that would have been “sick” if we all just watched that unfold without at least trying to help. But you and others did an intervention that was successful and I believe appropriate along with everyone else.. Well accept for one person.
Best,
Karin N. From Pearl River, NY
Paul, you did absolutely the right thing in that situation. I know that it was as hard for you to watch as it was for us. I had to walk away many times because I couldn’t handle it. I found Rob’s words very comforting when he wrote that if the youngest chick had been born first, he would have done the same thing to the weaker sibling. It is how nature works. Man can step in when man causes a problem, like the fishing line, but it is not our place to interfere with mother nature.
We all love these ospreys, no one “enjoyed it” as the posted suggested. I have said it before, I will always hold the beautiful moment shared between Gracie and George and Peewee as the siblings slept and each parent fed Peewee as the sun set behind them. That is the memory I choose to have.
As for you providing us with this privileged glimpse into this amazing osprey family all summer long, I have nothing but the deepest gratitude for you and Tommy. Thank you. We will all be bereft when they leave us, but the memories (and the windshield wiper) will remain forever.
gina
Well said, sir, well said. I went back and read the entire article and comments. You are right on target. “We”, corporately, caused the fishing line and other cord to be an issue and so, I feel, that we had an obligation to prevent harm to the chicks from our waste. The little one was not suffering due to our waste. While I would have loved to have seen it rescued, I certainly concur with the experts on the way it was handled. Thank you for your diligence and a little glimpse into the wonderful world of Ospreys.
Ospreyzone has done an AMAZING job providing us a glimpse into nature. It was hard to see baby chick die but in in our hearts i think all of us knew that nature has reasons for these things happening despite how hard they are to see. Many of us at first wanted intervention but cooler heads prevailed and they did the right thing allowing nature to take its course. Speaking of “seeing” yes we had a “birds eye” view of something that most of us never even knew happens, or rather we choose not to think about. But it is nature, and it can be brutal, beautiful and rewarding to witness. I cannot imagine a more caring person than someone who erects an 85 ft tower, goes to the expense and time to film, and manage a website to allow people around the world to see this beautiful experience first hand, than Ospreyzone (Paul?). That is a demonstration of a love of nature and selflessness, and deserves applause not criticism or personal attacks.
.Thank you for writing this reply.
Paul, Well said!
Bravo…well said. Thank you for everything you are doing!!!
Totally back you on this one. Although I chose not to view the chick being attacked, I knew it is the reality of nature and natural selection. Don’t get yourself aggravated about nonsensical comments such as the one you addressed. The fish comment is hysterical! Well done!
I add my voice to all the others who stand with you Paul, and I loved your response to the rant that should not have seen the light of day. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you and Ospreyzone. And as someone else posted, I too, talk about George and Gracie and the kids, and my extended family is like, who are they? haha Thank you 🙂
So glad you were able to respond in the public forum where the ill informed comments were published. Her remarks were so offensive and insulting to you and to all of us who have followed and rooted for this osprey family from the start. No one wanted to watch nature at it’s worst, and many of us limited our viewing, but the family survived and we have been able to witness nature at it’s finest. Two healthy and well prepared osprey chicks are about to set out on an unbelievable journey. Hopefully, someday they’ll be able to return and begin building and creating their own osprey families.
Thank you for all that you have done for everyone!
Very well said, Paul ! That poster was just showing her ignorance and trying to make trouble. If she’ s been watching and reading long enough to know that many called the little one PeeWee, she also knew what the experts had to say about the situation.
8:00 pm est
Paul, Thank You for trying to explain all of our feelings regarding ” lil`bit”, my name for C3. Just want you to NOT fall for the “guilt trip”. WE are all past that after reading various sites on what the correct procedure should have been and are thankful C2 made it after learning how to work around C1 to get fed. I still remember when C2’s neck was stretched out by C1 and thought it doomed. I feel in “life’s” way, the sadness of losing C3 gave C2 a chance to grow big enough to survive C1 which I am very thankful for. Hopefully the broad reddish brown band will remain for 2+ yrs. so if it returns we might recognize it….so beautiful in the early evening light with the crown blown up from the wind….Again Paul, Tommy, property owner..heck…ALL..THANK YOU ALL for the new knowledge I now have for these AWESOME raptor’s…God Bless~
Paul, I want to thank you for having giving us the opportunity to observe Gracie and George and the chicks. I chose to turn off my computer as I could not watch the little guy being beaten. His only mistake was being born last and to have a young father who didn’t understand he needed to bring more fish to the nest. But that is nature. I also tune out when live fish are delivered. It’s horrible to see them being torn apart while they’re still alive. Again, that is nature.
I want to thank you Paul for having taken the time to arrange to have the chick rescued from the fishing line. We will be able to see two very healthy chicks fledge and start their own journey soon.
Saturday I watched a young Osprey swoop down near the surf and pick up a piece of sea grass and fly to a tree. I’m not sure if it was one of ours but it was the beach to the left of the nest.
Ugggg……Gracie just brought in a huge black plastic bedspread for the nest. She probably saw the weather report calling for rain. LOL WHAT a bag lady she is!! Very funny, but I hope none of the talons get stuck.
Does anybody know if the fledgelings have tried to catch a fish or at least a “test” dive (fee first of course) into the water?
Around 3:04, one of the babies must’ve had a disagreement with another bird and was practically tossed onto the nest from the perch above. Wonder what happened?????
It’s 2:50 p.m. EST and Gracie is back to being a bag lady. Maybe it’ll blow out, like the other piece. It’s unfortunate that people don’t pay more attention to litter, and it’s also unfortunate where some of it ends up.
2:02pm Nest has been empty for a while now. We should be playing the music from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ when contestants are thinking about their answers…. lol
Continued from previous Post
Lyn, if you could indulge me I have a few questions. When Ospreys start the great migration South you mentioned that the Ospreys leave the nest individually and not as a Family Unit and may except for the Parents never interact with one another for the rest of their lives.
With this said. As a Family Unit has any research proven with tracking and banding that these birds will meet up wth one another sometimes in their lives. You mentioned that the route they take South may possibly be effected by celestial cues and by the Eath,s Magnetic Field. If possible can you explain these phenomena a little better.
When the Ospreys arrive at their Winter home does research find that if the Mates nest in the same general area and do they live amongst other Ospreys and for that matter do they live with Bitds in particular.
And lastly with all of the extensive research being done is there one Clearinghouse that all of this research can be disseminated and shared with other Research Groups.
Dear Lyn, Paul and All of Our fine Experts
Thank you for the FAQ’s on Osprey migration. I have been watching a few other sites such as Nantucket and Manton Bay in the UK. These Sites are involved in the research of Ospreys. They also participate in the banding and tracking of Ospreys.
I’m no expert in Raptors or Osprey. What I put in my comment was a “cut and paste” from the original website where I found the information. I’m just an avid nest watcher and stumbled upon the website and felt that posting the information may eliminate a lot of questions viewers were likely to have as time went by, as it did for me. I don’t have the slightest answers to your questions, but the names of the real experts are posted by Paul on this page, titled “Important: Messages from osprey experts”. Perhaps he can give you their email addresses.
12:57 EST and Gracie is feasting alone now, she deserves a break and some mommy sanity time ?
12:49 I’ve noticed that Gracie has been calling to the missing chick and has received answers, but the chick has not flown back to the nest. She has held onto a small portion of fish and is continuing to call.
Is it possible that he has gotten himself tangled somewhere close????????
In another nest I watch at work, this year’s chick perched about 150 yds, from the nest for more than 6 hrs. Sometimes they just need some incentive, like hunger, to get them back. I’ve been happy to see these chicks have returned so quickly so far. There are trees around the nest with nice branches for them to land on. Sometimes a chick may even be on the camera perch. Teenagers! So unpredictable……
Monday morning/afternoon blues: there’s MOM with a massive fish, but no one is home to share it with( one chick left after a snack)
Sign of things to come, I guess.
Soon MOM will think: I’ve done my work, now off I go!!
These moments are bittersweet, as we also know in the human world!
When the season ends, pick up a copy of David Gessner’s book “Return of the Osprey” it will soften the blow of the empty nest.
A little bit after 11am, young #1 takes flight, leaving Mom and sibling alone in the nest. But not for long… about 90 seconds later, young #2 takes flight. Mom remains and watches as both her offspring take to the skies. That was amazing!!!
Tug-of-war between Gracie and chick for fish dropped off by George. Gracie won!
Around 11:45, Dad drops off lunch for Mom & one of the young… looks like a decent sized scup.
11:40 George brings in a medium sized live fish for Gracie and one of the kids.
I wish I understand Osprey language?
Does anyone know why Gracie always flaps her wings when George drops of a meal. It’s like she wants him to leave?
She’s telling him the fish is hers and she does want him to leave. It doesn’t seem to be a typical behavior. All I can figure is that they were always so short of food, plus in the early days, George wanted to stay and eat with them. I guess she doesn’t trust him to not take the fish away.
Do they have names??? how exciting they flew……
Totally suffering from “Empty Nest Syndrome” toady! 🙁
me too! I’m actually starting to wean myself off the cam!! So pathetic! 😉
9:54 am EST Both chicks back with mom. Brunch ?
Whatever is going on below the nest has the birds terribly frightened and concerned.
Looks like an empty nest! But sounds like someone is definitely nearby!
How I spent my summer vacation! Never in a million years did this LI girl think it would be spent watching the cycle of life as demonstrated by a couple of osprey and being mesmerized by their two chicks. What a glorious summer it has been and what a wonderful lesson about the beauty of nature and all that it is. The range of emotions I and others here have experienced has been like a roller coaster, but it’s been an amazing trip for all of us. I can’t imagine my day without George, Gracie and the two chicks, but life must go on and soar they will until one day soon we will all meet again. Thank you, Paul, for your efforts to bring this summer blockbuster to us. Kudos to you for everything you did. You certainly deserve an award.
Agreed!!
Well said. I live in the desert and would never get to experience anything like this without this site. Thank you. And ya its hard not knowing what future holds for them!