Ospreys Steve and Rachel (Courtesy of Audubon & explore.org)
Nesting season may be winding down on many popular nest cams – but the excitement is just beginning on Audubon’s osprey cam. Ospreys Steve and Rachel are now the proud parents of two osprey chicks, and one more egg has yet to hatch.
Steve and Rachel are nesting on a decommissioned utility pole at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, the location of Project Puffin. Janine Parziale, the Video Production Manager for Project Puffin, says that the Hog Island Manager Eric Snyder installed the nest platform five years ago, and ospreys have been nesting there ever since.
Like many other birds of prey, osprey chicks hatch asynchronously, or at different times. The first chick hatched shortly after 7:30 am EST on Thursday, and the second followed within 24 hours. Viewers should look for a small puncture on the surface of the last egg, called a pip. This hole will indicate that the last hatchling is working to break free.
The first hatchling (Courtesy of Audubon & explore.org)
The osprey parents are named after scientists Rachel Carson and Steve Kress. Carson is famous for her book Silent Spring, which was instrumental in the banning of the pesticide DDT. Kress is Audubon’s Vice President for Bird Conservation and the founder of Project Puffin.
Once all three hatchlings emerge, Audubon will hold a contest to choose names for the rest of the family. The chicks will remain in the nest for seven or eight weeks as they grow and develop adult flight feathers. In the fall, both parents and offspring will migrate along the Atlantic flyway to South America, where they spend the winter.
Nest viewing is best during daylight hours. To hear the osprey’s distinctive call, be sure to turn up the volume on both your computer and the camera.
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