Connecticut Audubon Society OSPREY CAM

Our OSPREY CAM is turned off for the season. Check back in mid-March 2010, when Osprey traditionally return to our Coastal Center nesting platform. Below is a re-cap of the 2009 Osprey season.

Osprey have been returning to CAS Coastal Center at Milford Point's nesting platform since 1997. Our Osprey nesting platform is located in a terrific spot -- the 840-acre Wheeler Salt Marsh, with its abundant variety of fish for them to eat. The male has an all-white breast; the female's is streaked. Click here for more info about Ospreys.

OSPREY NESTING at MILFORD POINT
2009 Highlights & Photos

Sept. 2, 2009--This is the last time our human spotters saw any activity at the Coastal Center nesting platform. One of the 3 juveniles was spotted, and the male adult was observed fishing in the surrounding marsh. Up to that point the 3 juveniles were strong and healthy and being well cared for by the adults. Our Coastal Center staff can actually see the nest via spotting scopes located inside the Center and along its picture windows, which face the Wheeler Salt Marsh. Since that time, we assume that the two adults and 3 juvenile Ospreys have migrated south to winter in the Gulf States, Florida or Central America. Ospreys normally start returning to the northeast by mid-March.

As many of you know, however, the picture was not so rosy this season for our Osprey Cam. For many years our Osprey Cam, the first in Connecticut -- has provided our website visitors with 24/7 live video coverage of the Ospreys’ comings and goings. But this season the Osprey Cam only operated sporadically, and only thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers. We thank all our Osprey Cam viewers for your patience as we have tried to diagnose and fix the various problems. We also want to especially our volunteers: electrician Douglas Brown of NJB Electrical Services, Ralph Harrison, and Bob Kiley and his crew from Hacienda Storage. Photo of female Osprey adult and 3 chicks "having a discussion" taken July 11, 2009 by Sherri Delaney.

July 14, 2009 -- Today a volunteer at our Coastal Center saw first one and then a second Osprey chick take their first (we believe) solo flights, while the third chick hovered above the nest.

Photo: Two of the chicks fledged July 15; the third fledged July 16. This photo, taken July 16 by Sherri Delaney, captures one of the chicks' first solo flights.

June 22, 2009 -- The 3 chicks are doing very well and the adults are being very attentive. But the incredibly bad June weather -- drenching rains, high winds, cold -- is playing havoc with our Osprey Cam. Our volunteers manage to get it up and running for part of a day and then bad weather knocks it out. Today, for the first time in many days, I actually caught a glimpse of the nest via the Osprey Cam.

The 3 chicks have really grown! Compare the two photos below, taken today by Pat Mischico, with those taken on June 4.

3 little Osprey rear ends, and . . .

. . . a scramble at feeding time.

June 4, 2009 -- I have a lot of catching up to do! First, thanks to everyone who sent photos and messages while I was away last week, and for your patience as I dig out from a backlog of e-mails. Second, some of you think you saw a 4th chick, if only briefly, and I believe you are right. So here are select photos from last 2 weeks with explanatory captions. What we think happened -- now confirmed by a photo you'll see below showing the 4th egg hatching -- is that the 4th egg hatched around 6 AM on May 22, and sometime between then and May 29 (and perhaps much sooner) that 4th chick died. (Volunteers working near the nest to try to fix the Osprey Cam believe they saw a 4th chick on May 22.)

Taken May 27 by Heidi Goodhue; only 3 chicks visible.
All are being well fed, per Louise at the Coastal Center.

Take May 23, 11:19 AM by Pat Mishico; 3 chicks visible.

Taken May 22, 11 AM, by Nancy Fabbri. Photo is 5 hours later than one below. Does anyone see a 4th chick?

Taken May 22, 6:13 AM of 4th egg hatching, by Joanne Tinsley.

May 20, 2009 -- 3 eggs have already hatched! Due to OC difficulties and erraticness it was impossible to tell what exactly was going on the last several days. But today we have a confirmed on-the-spot sighting of 3 hatchlings from one of our volunteers working to fix the OC. And just before noon today, Deb Michalowski took the photo below, showing the 3 babies and 1 egg near the adult's head. We estimate, based on dates laid, that first egg hatched May 14 or 15.

May 19, 2009 -- At least 1 egg may have hatched! That's the news from CAS Coastal Center Director Frank Gallo. The adults were spotted feeding (something) today for the first time but no one (so far) got a definitive look . Unfortunately, the Osprey Cam is still down and my CC colleagues are only catching glimpses through scopes of the nest activity as they do their work. Believe me, we are as frustrated as you are about the Osprey Cam's unreliability, and we are very grateful to the volunteers (electricians and computer techs) who are trying to fix the problems. Can anyone get a photo of the chick(s)?

May 13, 2009 -- A blue "thing" has appeared in the nest.

Seems to be a plastic bag of some sort. Does that mean the Osprey adults expect that their first hatchling will be a boy, or are they just continuing to show their preference for bright colors?

May 11, 2009 -- The 4 eggs can be plainly seen, together with some new garbage that has been blown into, or more likely brought into the nest. They were left alone -- but for only a moment -- while the female Osprey went for a little spin around the "hood."

April 15, 2009, 6 PM -- Thanks to everyone who tried to take photos, and to those who succeeded and sent me photos of the 4 eggs. The female did a lot of sitting today and not a lot of posing for our cameras. Best one I've gotten so far is from Pat M., but keep 'em coming!!

April 15, 2009 -- AND NOW THERE ARE 4 --- EGGS! The good news comes from my colleague Louise at the Coastal Center. The 4th egg appeared sometime before 9 a.m. today and was seen by our colleague Amy. I can't connect to the Osprey Cam right now: CAN ANYONE SEND ME A PHOTO OF THE 4TH EGG OR ALL 4 EGGS??

April 13, 2009 -- In photo of adult and 3 eggs taken Monday afternoon by Pat M., it looks like there's not a lot of space for a growing family! When will they have time for spring cleaning -- specifically, log removal -- with all this egg-sitting to attend to.

April 12, 2009 Family photo of 2 adults and 3 eggs taken 8:56 a.m. by Sherri D. of Bethel, CT.

3rd Osprey Egg Arrives Saturday Night, April 11, 2009:
Look at wonderful photos below showing 3rd egg being laid and repositioned, taken by Sherri D. of Bethel, CT.

In this photo, the 3rd Osprey egg is actually being delivered (!) at 8:48 p.m. on 04-11-09. Photo by Sherri D. of Bethel, CT.

Shortly after, the female Osprey moves the 3rd egg closer to the other two eggs in the nest. Photo by Sherri D. of Bethel, CT.

April 9, 2009 -- 2nd egg spotted! My colleague Louise at the Coastal Center e-mailed me the good news news at 10:54 a.m. I can't connect to the Osprey Cam right now -- can anyone else? If so can you send me a photo of the 2 eggs?

3 p.m.: Thanks to Pat M. for terrific photo of both Osprey adults (you can only see part of the male's left leg) and 2 eggs, one in front of the other.

April 6, 2009 -- 1st egg spotted! Our Osprey Cam was working for several hours today. Pat M. from Lake Candlewood e-mailed me at 1:46 p.m. to say she had spotted the 1st egg. CAS staff and our wonderful volunteers are still trying to de-bug the Osprey Cam. The first egg is right under the adult's forward foot. (I told you there were logs in the nest!)

March 25, 2009 -- Nest-building is underway! Twigs large and small are being brought to the nest -- some qualify as small logs. Nothing colorful yet -- no blue teddy bear or red T-shirt.

March 24, 2009 -- They're BAAAAAAAAAACK! Sadly, our Osprey Cam is only working sporadically, but at least we get occasional glimpses. Since March 12 our wonderful volunteers have been trying to fix our Osprey Cam. It's not working today, but Louise, my colleague at the CAS Coastal Center at Milford Point, spotted both adult Ospreys early this morning, flying around the Marsh and occasionally landing on the platform. Louise has a great vantage point: the Coastal Center's wall of picture windows directly faces the Wheeler Salt Marsh.

Below is a re-cap of what happened in 2008 when a record-breaking
(for our nest) 4 eggs hatched & all 4 chicks fledged!

OSPREY NESTING at MILFORD POINT
2008 Highlights & Photos

Sept. 2, 2008: It's not over yet!
At least one Osprey chick is still hanging around the nest (see photo at right, taken today). We believe the 2 adults and its 3 siblings may have already departed on their southbound migration.

Aug. 13, 2008:
One or more of the adults may have departed for points south, but we believe all 4 chicks are still using the nest. In this photo you can see the shadow that a fourth Osprey (adult or chick?) is casting on the nest as it sits atop our Osprey Cam!

July 16, 2008: Not To Worry -- all 4 chicks are fine!
Since the weekend I've gotten e-mails from many Osprey Cam viewers (including a Nova Scotia resident) who are worried because they can't see all 4 chicks in the nest. But all 4 are fine: they are starting to explore beyond the nest's confines, sometimes sitting on top of the Osprey Cam Itself (you may see a chick's or adult's shadow) and in some cases taking very short flights (mostly straight up and down) off the nest. Photo below of all 4 chicks was taken yesterday. Today our Coastal Center staff confirms -- looking out their picture window at the nest and through spotting scopes -- that all 4 chicks are fine. Photo by Mara Neville

It costs money to operate our Osprey Cam, both to maintain and upgrade the equipment and for the staff needed to post photos and create a running commentary of what's happening.

Please consider a donation to Connecticut Audubon Society to help defray these costs. We know thousands of visitors every day are enjoying the Ab Fab comings and goings of our Osprey family.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of membership.

Click here to make a donation and support our Osprey Cam.

July 1, 2008: One of the chicks is getting an Osprey-eye-view of the camera we have set up to record the comings and goings on the nesting platform. Many people have noticed lots of wing flapping activity among the chicks, so we're waiting for next big step: short solo flights off the nest. The 4 Osprey chicks have gotten so big that often the female adult has to perch at the very edge of the nest to feed them! Photo by Mara Neville.

June 28, 2008: On Saturday night we found our Osprey family polishing off the last of their fish-and-chips dinner. (In second photo below, the adult at right is standing on the fish head.) Both photos by Deb Michalowski.

June 16, 2008: It turned out to be a wild and stormy weekend with lots or rain, thunder and lightning. But the Osprey nest proved sturdy and all 4 chicks are fine.

June 14, 2008: It was nap time for 3 of the Osprey chicks on Saturday at 2 p.m. while the fourth chick (and one of the adults) remained on guard duty. Maybe they sensed the storm approaching. Photo by Deb Michalowski.

June 11, 2008: With the intense heat of the last several days, the adults have been using their bodies as an umbrella to shield the four chicks from the sun. We've also seen the adults skimming the surface of the water to wet their breast feathers and return to the nest to cool the chicks down. Today's 3 p.m. snack was a lovely flounder (the adult is standing on top of it), which was enjoyed by all.

June 3, 2008: The chicks are getting bigger and so are the portion sizes they're being fed! One of today's snacks appears to be a bright orange Koi. Photo by Deb Michalowski.

May 22, 2008:  Crowded House at CAS's Osprey Nesting Platform. Sometime before 7:22 a.m. today the 4th of 4 Eggs Laid Hatched --a first for our Milford Point nest! Click here to read our press release.

It's Not Over Yet -- Third Chick Appears! For the first time in at least 3 years, a third egg hatched today (Monday, May 18 at around 2:30 p.m.). In 2007 only two eggs hatched of four eggs laid. In 2006, only 1 egg hatched of 4 eggs laid. In Deb Michalowski's photo below, all three chicks seem to be staring intently at their parent as if to ask: "okay, we're here and what's on the menu?" 

Wasting No Time, Two Chicks Hatch in Two Days! Busy, busy, busy doings at our Osprey nest starting Friday, May 16, 2008, when sometime before 10 a.m. the first chick hatches (In Deb Michalowski's photo, below, chick is to the right of the clutch of eggs and staring straight at the camera.) 

The second chick hatches sometime before 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2008. In Deb Michalowski's second photo, below, follow the yellow brick road -- I mean ribbon -- to find both chicks nestled near the adult Osprey at right. Thanks to everyone who sent photos!

April 15, 2008: Now there are 4 eggs!

And Theodora Baker was first to let us know. (See her photo, taken at 8:15 a.m.)
Our Osprey couple is 4 days ahead of last year, when 4th egg was laid April 19.

April 12, 2008: And then there were 3 . . . eggs!

Third egg is laid sometime before 8:15 a.m., spotted by Kathy Doonan (see her photo). In 2007 the third egg was laid April 16 or 17 so we're ahead of schedule.

April 9, 2008:
Second egg is laid!

First to spot it was Theodora Baker at 7:12 a.m. It wasn't easy to get a photo -- the adult was staying very close to her eggs and rarely moved position.

April 6, 2008:
First egg is laid!

And first to spot it was Osprey Cam viewer Frank Pascucci (around 9:20 a.m. on Sunday, see his photo, right) followed by viewer Mary Gillette and many other Osprey Cam watchers. 

March 23, 2008:
Female Osprey returns!

March 21, 2008:
The male Osprey returns!

(Photo taken March 25.)

Read our press release about the Ospreys' return.

March 19, 2008: We turned our Osprey Cam on today and await the return of our nesting Osprey Pair. It could be any day now . . .

OSPREY PAIR AT MILFORD POINT
2007 Highlights & Photos

Click here to read our March 22, 2007 press release about the Ospreys' return and Connecticut Audubon's Osprey Cam.

Tragedy was averted on June 16, 2007! The Milford Fire Dept. came to the rescue, helping CAS volunteers and staff free an Osprey chick entangled in bubble wrap. Read the Connecticut Post story.

Sept. 4, 2007: Our Osprey Cam link has not been working for the past several days and we are investigating the problem. We are having new computers installed and it's possible the Osprey Cam has been de-activated accidentally. However, my colleagues at our Coastal Center at Milford Point -- who can actually see the nest from a telescope in our Nature Center -- report seeing the smallest hatchling today still hanging around the nest. The adults (and, we believe, the larger hatchling) have left the nest and are heading for points south, somewhere between Florida and Venezuela. But it is not unusual for this remaining Osprey chick to elect to stay around the nest (even up until mid-October)-- hunting, honing its flying skills and fattening up before beginning its southward migration. Photo below was taken Aug. 23, 2007 of the remaining Osprey chick.

July 23: For past 10 days each chick has been observed flying from the nest and returning. Don't worry -- they haven't left permanently yet. Photo below was taken July 22, 2007 by Debra Michalowsi as the two siblings sharing a sushi lunch.

July 13: First flight off the nest for one of the Osprey chicks, observed by CAS staff at Milford Point and several Osprey Cam viewers.

July 8: Finally! A good strong rain this weekend cleaned off the lens of our Osprey Cam and we can see the growing chicks in good, sharp detail. See photo (below) taken July 8 by Debra Michalowski.

June 26: Compare foggy photo taken today (below) with photos taken May 29 and May 31. The chicks have grown enormously.

June 25: Why has our Osprey Cam live footage looked so "cloudy" in recent days? According to my colleague Frank Gallo at our Coastal Center at Milford Point, our Osprey Cam gets fogged when one of the adults sits on the camera and defecates across the lens, and there's nothing we can do about it until it rains and washes away. It usually happens at least once each summer.

On a brighter note, even though the last two eggs never hatched, our 2 chicks are doing quite well, getting fed daily and growing rapidly. Hopefully a nice cleansing rain will fall soon so I can post new photos (that are not foggy) of the chicks, who seem to have have tripled in size in the last two weeks.

June 16: Thanks to quick action on the part of an Osprey Cam viewer in Maryland, the Milford Fire Department, CT Audubon staff and volunteers, one of the Osprey chicks that had become entangled in plastic bubble wrap (brought to the nest by one of its parents, we believe) was freed quickly and is OK. Click here to read the Connecticut Post story.

May 31: The 2 hatchlings are getting bigger and hungrier. Both adults are increasingly busy with nest duties and bringing home the fish.

May 29: In photo below you can see both parents feeding the 2 hatchlings. (Just above the center of the photo you can see the backs of the hatchlings' heads, very close together.)

           2 Osprey hatchlings and parents. Taken May 29, 2007 by Mara Neville.

May 25: Hatchling #2 appears sometime before 11:45 a.m., according to my colleague Louise Crocco at our Milford Point Nature Center. We now have 2 hatchlings and 2 eggs remaining -- and are definitely in a better place than last year, when only one of four eggs hatched. In photo below, taken May 26 by Chris Swindal, a parent is feeding one baby while another (near top center of the nest) waits its turn.

May 26, 2007, 2 hatchlings and 2 eggs remaining, by Chris Swindal.

    First hatchling being fed by its parent. Taken May 23, 2007 by Dave Carey.

May 22: 1st Osprey egg hatches sometime after noon. Soon thereafter the hatchling is eating a fish provided by its mother!!

May 15: Down for 2 days, our Osprey Cam is now up and running as of 11 a.m.  First egg hatching expected "any day now."

April 19, from Diana Beeton: "YES! (4 eggs) --
and photo from my friend Linda Chandler." (See below.)

                          Photo by Linda Chandler of 4 Osprey eggs, on April 19, 2007.

April 19, from Diana Beeton: "Looks like four!" (See below.)

                     Photo by Diana Beeton of 4 Osprey eggs, taken April 19, 2007.

April 17, from Diana Beeton: "She was on the nest all day yesterday (April 16) when I looked. This morning she was off and there were THREE eggs! Don't know when they were laid, but they're there now! (I see the decor has changed from denim to purple!)" (See below.)

                                Photo by Frank Pascucci of 3 eggs, on April 18, 2007.

April 15, from Frank Pascucci: "I have not noticed an update of the commentary regarding a SECOND EGG! The snap has the date and time I caught it." (See below.)

                         Photo by Frank Pascucci of 2 eggs, taken April 15, 2007.

April 11, sometime before 7 a.m., First Osprey Egg is Laid! Spotted by Diana Beeton of Burr Elementary School in Fairfield.

March 29: Our Osprey pair are also famous. Channel 8's Matt Scott arrived in Milford at 5:15 a.m. today to interview CT Audubon's Ken Elkins and film the Osprey pair, which was featured during most of Matt's weather segments from 6-8 a.m. Re-broadcast scheduled for noon today on Channel 8 and possibly during tonight's news. You can see a portion of this morning's filming online at www.wtnh.com (on the home page, in their Top Video list, select "watching Ospreys with the Audubon Society -- by Matt Scott") Thanks Matt!

March 22: They're Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Examining the nest, sitting on top of the Osprey Cam (according to CAS Coastal Center staff who are also using binoculars) and flying away for long periods of time. Believe they want to re-decorate; they've already added some darker sticks to the nest (upper left). Last year's blue teddy bear is long gone.

Connecticut Post story:
"'Osprey cam' leads to rescue"
by BILL McDONALD bmcdonald@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 06/16/2007 05:40:03 PM EDT

MILFORD — It wasn't exactly like rescuing a cat from a tree for the Milford Fire Department, but it was close.

Or call him one lucky baby osprey. This bird's particular problem was first picked up by a Connecticut Audubon Society "osprey cam" watcher in Maryland.

"We do cats in trees, swans on ice. We take care of animals," said battalion chief Brad Ross. The fire department's rescue unit provided a ladder long enough Saturday afternoon to rescue a month-old osprey entangled in bubble wrap in its platform nest near Milford Point. "We got a call about bubble wrap stuck on one of the babies," Ross said of the 1 p.m. report. "We called in a ladder truck to bring in an extra long ladder, and it did the job. I didn't know you could see this bird from all over the world."

Ken Elkins, director of education at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point, said he got a call from a Maryland resident who saw the bird's problem on the Internet. A small television camera shows real time activity on the nest both through a television monitor at the center and on the Internet (www.ctaudubon.org/action/osprey.htm). "He said he tried e-mail in the inquiry but the mailbox was full," Elkins said. "We hear from people all the time who like to watch the nest on the Web."

Ospreys are also called fish hawks and are slightly smaller than eagles. Like eagles, they were an endangered species in the 1950s and 1960s due to DDT spray causing fragile eggs to crack when females sat on them. But the birds have been making a comeback since DDT has been banned.

Two young birds on the osprey cam nest are being cared for by a mother and father osprey that circled nervously during the rescue operation but returned to them once it was over. "I ran back into our TV monitor and saw the problem," Elkins said. "The bird somehow got tangled in bubble wrap and kept falling every time he stepped on it. We weren't sure if he was being strangled but we had to do something." The center did not have a ladder long enough to reach the platform, so the fire department was called.

The rescue operation consisted of two canoes from the center pulling a rubber Zodiac boat carrying the 20-foot ladder 100 yards out to the platform nest perched on a small island. Matt Hoyt, former CAS animal handler helping as a marsh canoe trip volunteer, climbed the ladder and cut off the offending wrap in several seconds, all covered on the osprey cam TV monitor. "It was uneventful," said Hoyt, a science teacher at Wilton High School. "The bird was entangled and was exhausted by stepping on the wrap. It definitely looked relieved after I cut it." Frank Gallo, CAS coastal education director, said a dozen calls came into the center from Internet watchers, and he appreciated their concern. "We certainly thank the Milford Fire Department and the people who took the time to call," Gallo said."

OSPREY FACTS 2006

March 26: Male Osprey returns.

March 29: First sighting of female Osprey in the nest.

April 11: First Osprey egg appears in the nest.

April 14: Second Osprey egg appears in the nest.

April 17: Third Osprey egg appears in the nest.

April 19: Fourth Osprey egg appears in the nest.

May 31: First egg hatches.

June 6: Three of the Ospreys' four eggs failed to hatch this year, due in part, we believe, to a long, cold wet spring.

July 28: Baby Osprey takes its first solo flight. All went well, ending with Baby's safe landing back in the nest.

• Our live Osprey Cam will be back starting mid-March 2010.

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Rare Purple Martin Cam in Westport, CT!

A long-time friend and supporter of Connecticut Audubon Society has erected the equivalent of a Purple Martin condo complex in Westport. One of the nesting gourds is equipped with a 24/7 camera. For the 2009 season a total of 6 eggs were laid in the nest and all have now hatched. According to Miley Bull, CAS Senior Director of Science and Conservation: "The first Purple Martin egg appeared on May 28, 2009, and the first egg hatched on June 19, about four or five days later than we expected. All the chicks seem to be doing well." The purple Martin adults and juveniles have now flown the coop on their way south.

Visit us again in April 2010 for live 24/7 coverage of the Purple Martin nest with commentary by Milan Bull, CAS senior director of science and conservation.