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
Oh no! I don’t see a baby. Does anyone see it?
I don’t see it either. I was trying to get the time-lapse to load to see if it showed anything, but it seems to have stalled. This poor nest has been doomed from the get go this spring….one thing after another.
Mom is laying on nest as if she is covering baby. Strong rain hitting her. I did not see baby as she did not get up.
Would she still be on nest in heavy rain if baby not there. Don’t know.
I looked back on nest. It was empty. Sad.
They were Blown from the Nest this Morning. Makes my Heart Sad!!!!!!
I think I just saw a parent carry the baby off!! Is that what I saw?? Did the baby die???
Tornado warning again in that area…..Prayers for mom and baby…and others in the area.. 🙁
Still pouring rain, but the crazy wind just let up quite a bit….
Take that back…..wind picked back up again…
So much bad weather and the tornadoes have gone crazy this season. I hope our nest and O’s stay safe and the storm doesn’t get too rough. Such a worry with so much bad weather.
The mother is holding on with everything she has. The winds are brutal with more to come.
Will there be another baby to hatch or did just this one egg make it this year?
Denise, there were four eggs this year, but a storm in mid-April blew one egg to the upper right corner of the nesting box and another egg to the upper left corner. There were two remaining eggs that Mom sat on up until May 4 when one egg disappeared shortly after noon. It was not stormy and not caught on the time-lapse. There were several minutes when the nest was left unattended by the parents and then there was only one egg. Not sure what happened.
We are all hoping this remaining little baby does well.
Thank you, Becky, for filling me in on the events of the nest! I’m happy that Mom and Dad have at least one osprey. Now, if we can get them through these storms that are being forecast for this week. I love this osprey family!
Becky, what a great day for you…that is wonderful!!
Great to see the little one finally. Love the little striped back.
We were at Stockton Lake the last couple days with boat and binoculars and saw 5 active osprey nests, including this one. Didn’t go to the north end of the lake this trip, so don’t know if there is osprey activity up there.
A good pic of mom feeding a hungry baby. Dad adjusting sticks.
Mom feeding baby. Windy. Hope baby low enough in nest to stay there.
So Sad. Watched the Storm Blow Momma & Baby from the Nest this Morning! Made my Heart Sink!!!!
We have a hatch!!! I think it happened around 5:30 pm.
I could not see baby. Mom was covering it. But dad brought in a fish. So guess baby will be fed. High winds.
Hope family can stay safe during next several days of possible severe weather.
Hooray! I was beginning to worry.
Incubation time is said to be 34-40 days (I think)….
May 7- 8 would be day 34 for the first egg laid….
May 16-17 would be 34 days for the last egg …..
I think the first egg to hatch last year was 36-38 days…
(I am guessing at days not knowing whether to count incubation
the day or night that the egg was laid or hatched etc)
Now, if we just knew which egg this is it would be helpful! 😉
One on nest & one on perch. More greenery showing up on nest. It looked windy.
I was just reading about egg hatch times recently. ( Of course I can’t remember where) In general it said that egg #1 hatches at day 39, egg #2 at day 37 and egg #3 at day 36. I don’t remember what was said about egg #4, but probably at day 35. With the many nests I have watched over the last 7 years, these times sound pretty accurate.
Interesting, Carol….Thanks!
We have a baby!
I think it hatched!
All the other nests I know of are full and bushy compared to this nest, the weather has sure been hard on this pair. Does anyone know about when the egg is due to hatch? Thanks.
In years past egg #1 would hatch around 5/16, #2 – 5/17, #3 – 5/19 and #4 – 5/24. So depending on which egg this is, it could happen anytime in the next two weeks.
Thank you for that info Sharon.
Changing of guard shortly before 6:30 pm. I could not see if egg there. It seemed to take longer for Mom or dad to get settled on egg. I wondered if there might be a baby.
I have been trying to send a few messages but they don’t always show up. This is just a test message to find out if shows up
Mom has an annoying stick that she is trying to deal with……
I just tuned in to check on the family and saw an Osprey swoop low over Mom and she stood up and got all excited and chased it away. A second later Dad came to the nest to check things out. I wonder if another Osprey could have taken or damaged an egg? I do not know how they inter act with other nesting pairs.
On May 4 at 12:34 pm there were still two eggs ….left unattended, but I sure can’t see what happened
between then and 1:28 pm (13:28) when there is just one egg left. So, so sad…..
I will put pics on fb…..
I apologize, Becky, I just now found your post below about this same time frame. I had seen your other posts, but not that one. :-/
No problem, Gail. It sure is a mystery, though. The fourth egg is still sitting up in the left hand corner. So much hope resting on the last little egg this year.
On the time lapse…..May 5 at 6:22 am….I just see one egg…..wondering when the other was lost???….
I will look through more rewinds to see if I can see what happened…
Correction!! Wrong date….looking again…sorry
I just replayed that time frame again 3 or 4 times, at it looks like the 2 eggs were left unattended for maybe 3-4 minutes. Hard to tell exactly. Maybe long enough for a crow or other bird to take an egg??? Just guessing.
Poor Mom. Getting pounded with rain. Lightening around. 11:55 pm. May 6.
Changing of guards short time ago. One egg only. Hope it is ok.
Mom again having to accept rain and lightening. Stay safe.
I did a little back-tracking on the time lapse and from what I could see, there were still two eggs on Sat (5-4-19) at 12:36 PM, but by 13:26, there was only one. It was sunny, so no storm, and it looks like Mom stayed on the nest the whole time. Any ideas???
The third egg is still sitting up in the right hand corner. This is another sad turn of events for this osprey family.
Is there only one egg now?
It looks like it tome. She stood up a minute ago and I could only see one.
I was just checking in on the family and I do believe that you are right, John. Mom just stood up and was repositioning herself and I only saw one egg. I guess something could have happened during the last storm. I hope nothing happens to their last egg. Hold tight Osprey family.
Have all the replies to John regarding the single egg disappeared? I know I read them earlier in the day.
Good grief! Posted the above about disappearing comments and lo and behold, they have reappeared.
Mom looks a little bedraggled, but she’s dried out and seems fine….
Made it through the rough storms….Bless her heart!
New greenery on nest.
Mom hunkered down in the rain with lightening all around. She appears to be asleep!
Mom & Dad both on nest.
Poor mom….her feathers are blowing like crazy… the winds are terrible…. 🙁
Hold on mom…..
I hope the cam is just off because of rain and darkness…….
Those storms are scary and so many tornadoes. I hope the nest stays safe. It looks like more severe weather for that area. Take care Gail.
Thanks, Carol….we are keeping a close eye on the warnings….they are all around us!!
They are having tornado warnings again……..
I cannot believe the cams are back on!! Amazing!!
So sad. A F-0 tornado was sighted 2 miles north of Greenfield,Mo. Not too far from the nest. And the winds were mighty. We have been so lucky with this pair that this hurts. Praying for the remainder 2 eggs and glad both parents seem ok.
Poor Mom. Raining on her & nest. Hopefully, she is able to keep eggs warm & dry.
Dad flew onto nest. Arranging materials. Some leaves & soft materials on nest.
Mom continued to cover eggs. Hope they all can remain safe during rains & storms this wk.
Tragic News it appears when the storm came through mom was blown of the nest and two of the eggs were displaced, quite oddly. You can see them at the corners of the nesting box. So only two viable eggs remain.
What devastating news. I hadn’t checked in for a couple of days because everything was going well, as it always seemed to go well for these two. I hope that the two remaining eggs are viable, that they hatch and fledge. The tenacity of wildlife to perpetuate and nurture, even in the most adverse conditions, astonishes me.
A very windy day again for Mom on nest. Be safe.
Poor Mom is hunkered down again in the wind. I just wonder if birds/she realize that there is something missing under her. She is trying so hard to keep them covered.
I think she must know……At a nest in Virginia an egg got moved to the edge and the dad worked and worked until he got it back….It was out in the open for hours, though, so I doubt if it makes it…..
Just now a changing of the guards on nest. Good shot of two eggs.
Also saw a slight pic of a set of wings at top of screen. Do not know what it was.
Definitely just 2 eggs left in the nest cup on the time lapse at 1:08 am and one in each of the far corners, I think….Heartbreaking!!!
Such a loss….they are such good parents….
I sure hope and pray that the other two are okay….
It looks like that storm last night did a lot of damage to the nest. Papa is bring in some big sticks to rebuild. Is she still on 4? There’s a couple of round things in the corners that look a little like eggs?
This morning sometime between 7 and 8 am I took a quick peek and when Mom stood up I thought that I only saw 2 eggs. But then I got busy and could not watch any more. I thought that maybe I had just missed something.
Dang, John….it does look like at least one, possibly two are in corners of the nest! 🙁
Dad checking in ever more frequently…Mom keeping her head down more? Yes, those look like eggs on the corners.
Rainy, wet and cold all night….Poor Mom……
A good view of 4 eggs. Only one parent on nest.
I definitely saw 4 eggs at 4pm on the time lapse! I thought I saw 4 at 11:34, but couldn’t be sure. Let me know what you all think.
You are right, Carol! I thought I had checked the whole day, but must have missed
a section. I’ve also learned that if I refresh rewind will catch up to within several
minutes….
Sure wish we had a quick flip-back on our cam…..
We have Four!!
First good view at 2:54 pm… full view at 4:02 pm.
I could not catch her off of them long enough on rewind
to have any idea what time she laid it.
I just saw your comment after I posted mine, Gail. 4 eggs again! Did you see 4 at 11:34? I took a screen grab but can’t post it here.
Almost constant buffering for me on Chrome this morning. I don’t think I’ll be able to see any eggs.
Thanks, Carol…..I do not have buffering, but Mom will Not get up!
Maybe because of the cooler weather? I keep checking the cam
and the rewind, but no luck so far in seeing eggs…..
…and, of course, while I was typing that she got up….so, I’ll check again
when the rewind catches up….
As of 9:14p.m. still three eggs….It will be interesting to see if she has a fourth egg and if so, she lays it
in the same time range as the others…..They were all laid between 9 and 10:30 a.m…..
12:09 am…….still three….
Still 3 eggs at 8:15am
It looked like mom was just alarming and dad flew in to give chase…..I never saw the intruder….
Mom & Dad traded places on nest. I could only see three eggs. They both rearranged a few twigs. Maybe getting ready for 4th egg.
She just laid the 3rd egg!!!
I thought I saw that too, Carol…right after I posted my last comment!! LOL
I see them now pretty well at 11:36 ish….. Have been trying to get a look
for two hours….every time mom would get up dad would stand in front of her!
I did notice Dad being a camera hog. LOL! If I hadn’t been watching in real time, I probably wouldn’t have seen the egg right away. I could tell by the way Mom was acting that she was in the process of egg laying, so I just kept watching. I did grab a screen shot of the 3rd egg barely visible, too. Glad you finally got a good look, Gail. Well, now we wait and see if there will be a 4th egg this year.
Carol, are you on fb? We post pics and updates and keep a file of dates there
on the Stockton Nest page…..
Yes, I am on Facebook. I follow a lot of nests that way, but didn’t know there was a page for this nest. I’ll see if I can find it. Thanks, Gail.
Carol, it is Stockton Mo. Ospreys…..it is a closed group, so be sure to answer
the questions in the queue…..
Mama is kind of liking that tube in her nest….it is in just the right spot to
scratch her chin and cheek on while she’s incubating…..
Watching for egg three today…..
Of course, dad was ignoring my requests to move over, but
as far as I can see still 2 eggs at 9:00….
Gail, I just saw the 3rd egg. She just laid it at about 9am!
4/9/19 @ 8:30am there are two eggs for sure!
I was away from the cam for a little bit…..and now I think I see two!!
If so, it would have to have been laid between 8:45 and 9:15, I think…..
Waiting for the time lapse to catch up to those times….
I believe you are right, Gail. It looks like there were 2 eggs at 9am?
Thanks, Carol….and just found a good view of both eggs at 9:50. Yay!!
Mom is doing a lot of late night standing….I wonder if she is laboring with egg #2……
Bright lights crossing in the distance…..night fishermen enjoying the nice evening, I guess…..
She must have just been enjoying the warm evening too….it’s not here yet….
Did anyone see the wild turkey gobbler strutting yesterday? There were also 3 deer that came out just before dark.
Missed that, darn! Did see some last year – turkey, deer, and a fox — and even some hunters walking along the road next to the tree line.
Youth turkey season starts today so they were probably scouting.
Mom was standing up. Still only one egg. She was adjusting some twigs. Maybe getting ready for 2nd egg.
Getting a good look at the egg. Mom just got up and took a short flight to stretch her wings and Dad is just standing there staring at the egg. LOL It is like he is thinking……….”Where did that come from?”
First Egg 4/4/19 – 1030 hrs
Mom & dad both on nest. Changed places covering the egg. Only saw one egg.
Mom & Dad both on nest. Changed places covering egg. Saw only one egg.
Thanks for the time on the first egg, Mike. I guess we should see egg #2 tomorrow, 4/7.
We have an egg now!
We have an EGG!!! Hooray!! Congrats, Mom and Dad!!
It had to be laid recently because it wasn’t here when I checked not long ago…..
Has this pair ever had an egg before? She isn’t laying on it … plus both seem to be more concerned about whatever might be flying by.
First Egg Last Year was April 8th.
Been in the shadow’s watching, We have an egg!
First egg!! I just saw it at 11am
Mom was sitting on nest. Wonder if there is an egg!
Thanks, Mike. I was wondering about that.
I thought I saw an egg but think it was just one of the tubes.
Definitely at least one egg!
I thought I saw an egg but think it was just one of the tubes.
Lots of cooperative nest padding and building this morning. Are we soon to have an egg?
I think any day now, Kris….I keep checking…..
Around 9:20 am. this morning the male leaves the nest for about 30 seconds and circles and comes back in and does his part for the egg making and then leaves and brings back another limb for the nest. I believe we are going to have some eggs before long!!!
Well if that is all the male has been doing, that is not going to give us an egg!
What was he doing, Mary?
I’m pretty certain we will have some eggs before long. Just sayin’……. Hahaha
**Fertilized eggs that is!!
They’ve been bringing in a few arrangements, I see…..Now for the perfect placement….
The nest is starting to take shape nicely. It is so amazing to watch them work.
I see the tubes are still with us. but if Ospreys don’t mind, I need to get over them.
I agree. At the same time the nest is looking more and more like a home.
Are you talking about the white tubes that are crossed and just off center? What are they?
Ken,
The Tubes are short pieces of PVC that were initially installed on the Power structures to deter the Osprey from building their nests there……well the joke was on the utility. It might have been a deterrent to other birds but the Osprey thought they were great for anchoring the nest in place. So when they moved the nest for this project they just cut them off underneath the nest and picked the whole thing up as one unit. The nest is more fragile then it looks especially when it’s built on an open structure. In the box it’s much better. However the PVC was not real obvious during the initial move but over the years it’s become more prominent. We will attempt to remove them, if during the OFF SEASON we can get a 90ft Truck to the location. Thus far scheduling, site conditions, and other factors have not worked out. Plus we are not even sure these pieces will come out without disrupting the nest. We cannot and do not want to disturb the Osprey during incubation or while there are chicks on the nest. So we are most likely going to need to live with them another year.