Osprey Cam - Ayer's Island, New Hampton, NH

Direct Cam Link

In the spring of 2004, two juvenile ospreys arrived at Public Service of New Hampshire’s (PSNH) hydroelectric station at Ayers Island in New Hampton, NH. A tall structure overlooking the hydro plant and the Pemigewasset River provided an attractive site for their nest; however, it also served as an anchor for a cable car used to do repair work on the dam.

Recognizing that it would be best for the ospreys to find a more permanent, out-of-the-way location for the nest, Public Service of New Hampshire (Northeast Utilities System) employees waited until the birds had flown south for the winter. Then, in October, 2004, representatives from PSNH, the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department transferred the nest to a de-energized pole 50 feet away.

Apparently, the ospreys didn’t mind the change in address! The next spring, the pair returned and successfully produced two chicks, and ospreys have been returning to the nest ever since. Working in partnership with the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, PSNH installed the Osprey cam at the Ayers Island nest in 2006 to help educate people about these magnificent birds of prey, and to share an incredible bird-watching experience with viewers throughout the state and around the world.

The angle of the camera makes it almost impossible to tell how many eggs are laid, so we only know how many hatch and become large enough to be seen over the edge. The osprey at this nest hatched and fledged 3 chicks in 2007. They hatched and fledged two in 2008. In 2009, they again hatched and fledge three chicks. In 2010, two eggs hatched, but one chick died 12 days later; people at the site said it appeared that the adult male disappeared not long after the chicks hatched, leaving the female alone to brood the chicks and bring them food, which is likely why the younger one was lost; a new mate appeared, and helped her raise the surviving chick.

Junglejude's s'cap from June 28, 2010


Weather Report for New Hampton, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is in the Eastern Time Zone. GMT -5 during Standard Time and GMT -4 during Daylight Saving time

Link to last year's thread for this nest

Link to information and maps of Saco's travels

reserved

reserved for summary of final posts on previous thread

reserved for summary of final posts on previous thread

[Please start posting if anything happens - I'm running out of time tonight, but plan to add links to the posts from the previous thread for the sighting of an osprey (one of ours??) and the visit by the eagles - but that may not happen for a while. I do apologize for being a bit overextended at present.... Thanks! ~JudyB]

April 5

I had the cam up much of the day - was busy with other things so not watching full time - but didn't see anyone visit.

5:48am The nest is luminated by the near by lights on the power poles. It looks as though there are no over night guests on the nest.

Good morning!

10:48 am
This looks like an osprey! No clue if it's one of the regulars - perhaps they'll zoom in a bit soon.





(The forum software is having a problem with attachments saved in PNG format; Richard is working on it, but in the meantime, if you have a program that can save attachments as JPF instead, that's a better option for now. The PNG pictures are visible if you click on them - just don't show up in-line the way they should.)

10:54 am
Looking comfortable.

Thanks so much for the pics JudyB. Great to see an "O" there on the nest.
Thanks also for the info on the PNG/JGP thing.