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
One on the nest, one on the perch with a flopping fish…..and…….Sunshine!!! Woo-Hoo!!
Sharon…..I answered your question below…..
Thank you Gail for the answer to my question. That makes sense.
If you click on the link in the paragraph below the nest where it says “click here”
and click on each picture they will enlarge. Great pics….and the ones of the
installation on the platform really give you a good idea of it’s size…..
Hey Everyone,
Blame the weather. The cameras have been consistently shutting down during the early evening hours. This results from the lack of adequate sunshine to fully charge the batteries. One of the big challenges of solar energy. When adequate sunlight arrives today (HOPEFULLY) they should reactivate. It looks like this weather pattern is going to continue a bit longer, so this may be the situation for a while. If we get 3 to 5 days of sunshine we should get a good charge on the batteries and be able to carry through the evening hours.
Thank you everyone for watching.
Thanks, Mike for filling us in. I kind of figured it was something like that. The lack of sun gets to me too.
Thanks for the update, Mike. We are so enjoying this peek into osprey life the camera provides.
Bummer. The camera is down!
Dad on perch & Mom on nest w/fish. Looks like there are more pcs of filler on nest.
Ms Osprey was walking around with a large tuft of grass in her beak trying to find just the right spot to put it while walking into and tripping over those two cross pieces. If birds can get annoyed………that would probably do it.
Well, I don’t think any woman wants two big “whatever those are” sticking up out of the middle of their floors do they?
LOL, you two!!
At least the tube things are getting shorter….good measurement for how much
nesting material has been added…..
What the heck are those tube things anyway?
The nest was originally on an electric pole and the O’s had built their around the tubes.
When the men moved the nest they wanted to keep it intact so they left the tubes in it.
Momma was biting at the two cross pieces and trying to move them…they wiggled a bit.
One on the perch, one on the nest decorating……maybe a rain break?
….I guess not a rain break…..
One on nest sitting in corner. Couldn’t see rain falling at that time. Wet day for them.
Nest taking shape as one osprey on perch preens his/her feathers in the rain. Bath time!
Both on nest 11:00am casually looking around.
Both on nest 11:53. Dad moving sticks around on nest.
wonder where the nest would like to take some pictures while in flight?
Osprey at nest at 11:36 trying hard to pull out the two cross pieces. No luck so far and she/he was pulling very hard on them.
Funny…..I doubt if they will budge…
Thanks Gail & Oldollady for info. I had the female as being the largest. Didn’t realize females talked more,
but fits pretty good I think!
With some of the female O’s we watch that “talking” turns into incessant nagging!! LOL
Both on the nest now….mom is having dinner….
5:39 pm female and another Osprey talon to talon and off-scary
are these the same ospreys as last year? they do seem comfortable with each other and the nest
there is a facebook page with some great pictures i think you have to join,but worth it <3
Stockton Mo. Ospreys is the name
Gail, which one is Mom & which is Dad. When they R both there, I think I have it, & when only one on nest or perch I’m not sure.
Thanks
the mom will have more brown on her breast-called a necklace. she is the one ‘talking’ all the time,so far that is how i have id’ed her
(the male is silent unless he lets out a warning whistle)
Ditto….. 🙂
Female is also usually larger which is hard to tell with the camera angle.
You were probably correct this morning, Mary, they may have changed
places and had a different fish by the time I saw them an hour later…….
I think our male has some spots on his chest also, but she has more.
There are a couple of other things about their markings that I’m keeping an eye on to see if they are
good things to go by to tell them apart.
Now mom was on the perch and dad on the nest with a fish.
Then, both on the nest to scare off apparent intruder….
Dad on perch. Mom on nest w/foot on a fish.
Dad flying in w/materials for nest building.
7:15 am. One on perch looking around. (Maybe waiting on breakfast)?
Mom on perch eating fish.
Two just hanging out on the nest enjoying the sunshine….
One osprey continues nest building activity this morning while the other sits on the perch eating a fish. I wonder if our original male has returned or if the female has taken a new mate?
Beautiful Osprey on nest at6:48 pm. It looks like there are new sticks!
Two on the nest….male just brought his lady a fish!!
He is rearranging furnishings while she eats…..
He keeps taking off and flying for a bit and then returning to the nest….
I think he might have brought in a stick or a few, but I keep missing his fly in….
Oh, that is hopeful news!
Male flew off, circled around, came back & landed on female. Maybe, just maybe, it begins.
Two on nest @ 4:28 pm. Both had a fish. I do believe we have Mom & Dad together.
I hope so!
Two osprey on the nest, one inching closer to the other. Both then engage in a sort of dance. Suddenly, both fly off and a third osprey lands in the nest flapping its wings as if to claim the site.
Osprey on nest eating a fish. Flew to the perch leaving fish remnant behind. Then flew off to the lake.
I hadn’t checked in for a few days. Just came to the website and saw one fly in at 8:00 am. Just sitting there looking around. How do you tell male from female?
There is one on the perch right now eating a fish.
…and still….or another O…..the fish is still flopping so it’s fresh……
A couple of birds flying around, but I think they are our black vultures….they look completely dark….
…and one just came to the perch
Looks like part of a fish left on the nest.
Great!!
There are two on the nest at the same time. Must be our pair.
Great!!
Osprey on perch eating a fish at 5:28
One just landed on the nest, another quickly followed and the first one took off…..
One on perch 11:15 am. Flew off. Came back & landed on electric pole. A 2nd one flying over tree line.
I have not seen 2 on nest at same time.
Our female flew in and landed on the perch. Four ospreys then flew in from the lake and landed on the utility pole to our right. Two of them stayed. Is our girl being courted?
Four…Wow!! There are other nests nearby too, so could be some of those….
A beautiful, very large, red tail hawk sitting in the nest at 12:45.
Oh, oh. One osprey flew off the nest and then came back and chased away the osprey on the perch.
Oh dear…..was hoping that was our man!!
Sorry about my earlier cryptic message….had just
looked in on my phone while out and didn’t have
time to get a photo or type….
Two osprey on the nest and no fighting! Could it be our male has returned?
TWO!!’
Thank you for the info, Greg….hope to get up that way again sometime this season.
A few miles east of this Cam is an Osprey on the nest: where Hwy 215 crosses Stockton Reservoir just west of Bona. It was first reported to eBird on March 10.
I saw her on perch & then drop to nest approx 9:25 am. I also saw a large bird flying above tree line &
Appeared over the water. I waited to see if it would come to nest. It did not. Then she flew off. I waited again to find out if she would come back. She did not. Nest empty again. As they say “timing is everything”
We wait & wait! ☺️