Osprey Mates Rachel and Steve

Stay tuned for another season of your favorite reality show: The Ospreys from Hog Island, Maine, are back on the air.

The co-stars of this program, Rachel and Steve, are expecting three chicks this year. In early April, Daddy Steve gathered materials—such as lichens and bark—to renovate the nest, while his partner, Rachel, started up with contruction.

When it comes time to break out of their eggs, the tiny Osprey hatchlings use their powerful necks to hammer their way out of their shells. But their hardheadedness comes with a price: Once they hatch, the bobble-headed chicks will need to rest their strong, but heavy necks while they develop the strength to move around.

At feeding time, these young raptors aren't the slightest bit squeamish. They learn to chew on chunks of fresh fish like true sushi lovers. (They have a sophisticated palate from the very beginning.) As adults, they will depend on a diet that consists of live fish only.

The show's finale will air sometime in September, when the chicks leave the nest. They will head down the Atlantic Flyway alone to winter in South America—where they might finally enjoy some privacy.

Audubon’s Hog Island Camp set up this live camera—now in its fourth year—in partnership with Expore.org.

Join us for regular updates on these Osprey celebs. You can also see an intimate live feed in a puffin burrow, also off the coast of Maine, at audubon.org/news/spying-puffins.