Newfoundland Power’s Osprey Cam is back up and running, watching activities of Beaumont, Hope, and their chicks living in their nest after a long winter.
Osprey are birds of prey that feed mostly on fish. They like power structures and poles because of the high, 360-degree vantage point, and solid base—making it a good location for keeping an eye on predators and their nests.
However, with that comes the concern of knocking out power and the osprey harming themselves.
Jason Dalton, an environmental specialist with Newfoundland Power, says they’ve built a stand-in-place on Snow’s Lane in St. John’s where the birds can build their nest and move away from power structures.
Dalton says once the eggs are laid in the nest, things start to get interesting.
He says typically, the mother will stay in the nest as the father goes out for food and you get to see a lot more of the parenting aspect, watching as they protect their chicks and learn to fly.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Newfoundland Power announced the arrival of Beaumont and Hope’s first egg of the season.
There’s an egg in the nest! Congratulation to Beau and Hope on becoming parents again! Could there be another egg in the next few days? Keep watching our NestCam for a birds eye view. https://t.co/LlL9gjDn2G pic.twitter.com/KO1e66xxm8
— Newfoundland Power (@NFPower) May 18, 2021
The osprey cam has become increasingly popular over the years, something which doesn’t surprise Dalton.
He says it educates everyone about the Osprey and gives Newfoundland Power a heads up that there may be a nest on their structure, handing them the ability to protect the nest and their infrastructure.
To watch the Osprey in their nest yourself, visit Newfoundland Power’s website.