Now we have two Osprey chicks!
Richmond and Rosie, the Osprey pair at the center of our live video feed in Richmond, hatched their first chick on Friday morning, May 12! Then their second hatched on Sunday, May 14, Mother’s Day. Osprey fans suggested and voted on names for the two youngsters — Whirley (in honor of the Whirley Crane where the nest is sited), and Rivet (in honor of the nearby Rosie the Riveter memorial).
Here’s a clip of the first chick and parents shortly after it hatched:
And here are some photos from the video feed of new the new arrival:
“Ospreys are successfully nesting along the edges of San Francisco Bay for the first time in recorded history,” said Cindy Margulis, Executive Director of Golden Gate Bird Alliance. “The presence of these charismatic raptors highlights the environmental progress that’s been made in our region, and underscores the opportunities for people to help Ospreys prosper here. We believe that witnessing the life of an Osprey family along our urban shoreline can inspire the whole community to protect Ospreys and other Bay Area wildlife.”
Nest and wildlife cams have become a media phenomenon in recent years: Last year, a nest cam focused on Bald Eagles in Washington D.C. drew over 63 million views. The Bay Area’s Peregrine Falcon cameras have been popular for a while too. However, the unique vantage point of the Whirley Crane nest will thrill wildlife watchers as the Ospreys are raising their family on historic real-estate, with a commanding view of the Bay and the S.F. skyline from the nest camera.
Ospreys are one of nature’s wildest raptors, yet they are now choosing to breed near people – even using human-made structures like the Whirley Crane. While Ospreys historically nested along Northern California lakes, none had been documented nesting on the Bay’s edge before the 1990s. Their numbers started growing in the 2000s, and by 2016 there were 42 known Osprey pairs nesting and 51 new Osprey fledglings joined the summer population last season.
Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s new Osprey nest cams operate 24/7, with infrared cameras allowing night viewing without disturbing the birds. The Whirley Crane pair have been named Richmond (for the location of the nest) and Rosie (for the Rosie the Riveter historical monument nearby).
Information about Ospreys and how local residents can help them is available on the web site that hosts the nest video stream, SFBayOspreys.org. The site also includes a chat room where Osprey fans can ask questions and share observations about developments at the nest.
And it includes a set of free, downloadable lesson plans for secondary school teachers (grades 6-12), using the nest cam to inspire enthusiasm for wildlife and ecology and interest in STEM (science/technology/engineering/math).
Check out the Nest Cam and then share it with friends!
Read coverage of the Osprey Nest cam in the San Francisco Chronicle and East Bay Times.
View some recordings from the nest cam:
View the Nest Cam live feed and web site: sfbayospreys.org