Osprey Live Stream, Stockton, Missouri


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Liberty Utilities Co. and Mid Central Contractors invite you to join us in celebrating the return of osprey to Stockton Lake. Enjoy this brief peek into the lives of this osprey family! But, please be aware, at times, nature can be difficult to watch.

On February 24, 2015, Liberty Utilities Co. moved the osprey nest from one of our transmission towers to this newly built nesting box. The pair had a nest burn in the previous summer after coming in contact with an energized electric line. The fire also did damage to the transmission tower and line, interrupting electric service. This new home for the pair of osprey is meant to be a safe nesting alternative while also increasing service reliability for Liberty Utilities customers. Click here to view photos of the installation of the nesting platform.

Above is a live stream of the nesting box. The box is approximately 4-feet by 4-feet and approximately 70-feet high. Although the power lines are visible in the background, the nesting box is approximately 50 feet away from the power lines. This nest also has night vision provided by infrared light illumination. Birds and humans cannot see infrared light, so the osprey are not bothered at night by the infrared light illumination. The cameras are powered by two solar panels. If there are several days in a row of overcast skies, the camera may run out of battery backup. But, once the sun returns, the camera will be operational again.

Note to viewer: Images presented on this live stream are the property of the Liberty Utilities Co. and may be used for educational and non-commercial purposes. Images may not be sold.

About Ospreys

Osprey are uncommon statewide, most are spring and fall migrants but a few nest here. Ospreys are up to 24 inches long, with a 5- to 6-foot wingspan. They are midway between eagle size and large hawk size.

They eat almost exclusively fish they have caught, including carp, catfish, perch, shad and suckers. Also called “fish hawks” or “fish eagles,” osprey usually fly back and forth over—and 50 to 200 feet above—the water while searching for fish. When an osprey spies a fish, it hovers a moment before diving and plunging into the water feet first. Often it will completely submerge except for the wings.

Osprey reach maturity at age 3 or 4 and usually nest near water on a tall structure, such as a tree or rocky bluff. Like bald eagles, they generally mate for life. Nests are built of sticks and miscellaneous other materials. Two to four eggs are produced and hatch in about 5 weeks. The chicks fledge after about 9 weeks. Both parents care for the young. Osprey live about 7-10 years but have been known to live for 25.

(Source: Missouri Department of Conservation)

For more information about osprey, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website here.

Comments 1,941

  4. Gail Bowler

    A Facebook acquaintance checked the nest a bit ago…..the male brought the female a fish and she took it. Yay!!
    I will see if I can borrow and post her photos.

    Reply
  9. Mike Gordon

    The Osprey Camera is rather Glitchy today hopefully it will be better tomorrow or after the weather pushes through.

    If it doesn’t straighten itself out we will see about going over there Wed. 3/15.

    Thanks,

    Reply
    1. Becky

      Unbelievable! How do they do that? Humans could not travel as far as they do and, without calendar or clock, arrive back at the same area one day (minus some hours) to the year that they arrived the previous year. Travel agents need to take some lessons from these navigators. Awesome news! Thanks, Mike.

      Reply
  11. Mary

    Thank you for allowing us to view the Osprey family and nest again this year. Can hardly wait for first sighting.

    Reply
  13. Mike Gordon

    Okay so last year we had Opsrey on March 11th, so the Osprey Watch is ON. Could show up any time between now and then.
    Those of you faithful to this blog lets try to get some more people interested. Promote it where you can on social media.

    Thank You to all of you regulars that are hanging in there for this years Osprey Watch.

    Thanks,

    Reply
    2. Marlaine Meeker

      Mike, Will the low lake levels affect the Ospreys and their nesting sites? Also is the nest near Turkey Creek been abandoned? Thanks. Looking forward to 2017.

      Reply
    4. Becky

      Just read that the camera was back on. Thanks so much for doing it again this year. We really appreciate all of the effort involved to make this happen. Here’s hoping the osprey pair has another successful year at Stockton Lake. They have been great parents in the past.

      Reply
    5. Greg

      I’ll be watching! Last year’s date was recorded as the earliest date for a migrant to occur in Missouri. Years ago, there was an Osprey that winters at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery near Branson, but this early date will be a returning migrant.
      Thanks for all you do,
      Greg Swick, Greater Ozarks Audubon Society

      Reply
  17. Kent

    Hello, My name is Kent. I built and placed an Osprey nest in a large tree, about 60 feet above my home. (My roof is now white 🙂 ) I have installed an HD camera to view our Osprey with. You too are welcome to view my camera. But, please, don’t stay on the website for long periods of time, as that may prevent others from viewing the nest. I am writing this on October 2, 2016 and our remaining fledgling is still in the nest. However, we expect him (it’s a he!) to be heading south soon. Here is my website: http://osprey-camera.click2stream.com
    Enjoy

    Reply
  18. Becky

    Sept 18—still osprey activity at Stockton Lake. Saw one dive about 30 feet into the water in front of our boat….came up empty-handed. Saw another flying across the lake with a fish and still a third perched on the same tree limb as Sept 4 when we were there. So they are still around. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Kris

      Thanks for your updates, Becky! It must be wonderful to watch them in action. Hope they all make it through migration and that our pair return to the nest next spring.

      Reply
  21. Gail

    We went to the lake near the cam nest Wednesday (Sept 7) for about an hour. We saw a dad in a tree eating a fish and he stayed there the whole time we were there. We also saw what I think were 3 young ones flying all around the whole time. It was a beautiful sight!! These young ones were alighting briefly on a different nest when they weren’t soaring around so I do not believe this is our cam family. I did not see any sign of what I thought would be the female in this family….she may have gone already or could have been out of our sight somewhere…. I so loved seeing them and hearing their beautiful calls!!!
    I did not see any activity at all around the cam nest.

    Reply
  23. Becky

    We were at Stockton Lake for the weekend. Yesterday, Sept 4, we stopped in a cove in our boat. It was a little ways north of the nest, but not too far. We saw an osprey (appeared to be an adult) catch a fish and take it up to a tall bare tree limb to eat. Shortly after, we saw an eagle in the same cove. It had caught a larger fish and took it up to a tree on the opposite side of the cove to eat. So there is still some bird activity. Curious about the occasional fresh greenery that appears in the nest….

    Reply
  28. Mary

    I just saw one osprey on nest. So possibly they all are still here. Thank you to everyone for fixing the
    Camera and giving us the opportunity to watch this family and the four little ones grow up!

    Reply
  29. Mike Gordon

    Ok, Everything is back up and working…….have not seen any birds while at site but they still may be around some. Sorry about all the delays.

    Thanks,

    Reply
    1. Becky

      Thanks so much for pursuing this, Mike! Love being able to check on the birds again. Saw one of the immature birds on the nest just now. Can’t call them babies any more. 🙂 Thanks to all involved with getting the camera up and running again.

      Reply
    2. Robert J Roberts

      Thanks, Mike. My wife and I, along with many of our friends and acquaintances, have missed the birds and are happy to see them back. It is a unique feeling to watch such awesome creatures in the wild.

      Bob

      Reply
  30. Mike Gordon

    Okay going over to give this my personal attention tomorrow. Or at least that’s the plan. Will post more when I have more to report.

    Reply
  31. Mike Gordon

    Okay we’ve been working on this all day……..and are still facing challenges as to why we are not making headway. Anyway we are working on it.

    Reply
  33. Mike Gordon

    Quick Update, We hope to have the Camera back up and running by late next week. Unfortunately we are tied up on other projects at the moment and between that and mobilizing equipment we are planning on working on it Thursday Aug. 11th.

    Thank You for your patience.

    Reply
  34. Mike Gordon

    Well Unfortunately the camera is down. I don’t have an estimate on repair. I have a higher level of concern this time as the WOW Camera is still working, which means there is something wrong with the actual Nest Camera and/or Power Supply to it. I’ll post more when I know more, but it may take some time to get the appropriate equipment there to work on it.

    Reply
  35. Marlaine Meeker

    Is the camera down or is the end, hopefully till they come back? What a great time we’ve had with this wonderful family. Thanks again.

    Reply
  38. oldollady

    thank you so much for this wonderful cam. learned a lot about raising 4 young osprey chicks. it really does take two. dad not only fished he fed the young and helped shade them. look forward to a wonderful year next year . again many many thanks

    Reply
  45. Kris

    Dad and one fledgling on nest, each eating a fish. Mom on perch nearby. Can hear another bird (osprey?) calling incessantly nearby.

    Reply

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