A LIVE VIEW OF SEVERNA PARK'S OSPREY NEST - Home of "Oscar" & "Olivia"
Brought to you by the Maryland Raptor Rescue, Inc. • Powered by HDOnTap
ABOUT THE SEVERNA PARK OSPREY
Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, ospreys are superb fishers and indeed eat little else - fish make up some 99% of their diet! It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upper parts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
Ospreys breed near freshwater lakes and rivers, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks, driftwood, turf or seaweed built in forks of trees, rocky outcrops, utility poles, artificial platforms or offshore islets. Generally, ospreys reach sexual maturity and begin breeding around the age of three to four, though in some regions with high osprey densities, such as Chesapeake Bay in the U.S., they may not start breeding until five to seven years old, and there may be a shortage of suitable tall structures.
Ospreys usually mate for life. In spring the pair begins a five-month period of partnership to raise their young. The female lays two to four eggs within a month, and relies on the size of the nest to conserve heat. The eggs are whitish with bold splotches of reddish-brown and are about 6.2 cm × 4.5 cm (2.4 in × 1.8 in) and weigh about 65 g (2.3 oz). The eggs are incubated for about 35–43 days to hatching. The newly hatched chicks weigh only 50–60 g (1.8–2.1 oz), but fledge in 8–10 weeks.
The Severna Park osprey nest was originally located on a light pole on the athletic field at Severna Park High School. After the ospreys migrated south in 2014, the light pole was removed for construction. When the osprey returned, they tried to build a new nest on top of a construction crane, beginning a daily routine of the construction crew removing the nesting material followed by the ospreys bringing it back. Ultimately, the ospreys built a nest on a live utility pole at the construction site, which was later rendered safe by BGE. The osprey completed their nesting season and migrated south again.
While the ospreys were gone, BGE erected a dedicated osprey platform to allow the ospreys a safe and long-term nesting location. This occurred largely through the efforts of neighborhood couple Mark & Heather Jeweler, who also arranged the partnerships and planned to provide live streaming of this nest. They encourage anyone that recognizes a need to become a peaceful, encouraging activist and make a difference.
ABOUT THE SEVERNA PARK OSPREY CAM
Located at Severna Park High School in Severna Park, MD, the Severna Park Osprey Cam is made possible by Maryland Raptor Rescue, Inc. in conjunction with HDOnTap, BGE, Comcast Business, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Severna Park High School and the Chesapeake Audobon Society.