UVic osprey-cam offers a bird’s eye view

Every summer for the last 10 years, high above the University of Victoria’s athletic fields, a little family has been going about its daily business, largely unnoticed, except by photographers and curious onlookers willing to kink their necks and squint their eyes.

Kink and squint no more—technology has come to the rescue. Thanks to a newly installed webcam, bird voyeurs can now sit at their computers and watch at their leisure the comings and goings of UVic’s resident osprey family.

Ospreys, also known as fish hawks, are large birds of prey (raptors) recognizable by their whitish bellies, brown upperparts and a distinctive brown “mask” across the eyes. They nest near water bodies, usually on tall vertical structures such as dead tree snags, utility poles or—in UVic’s case—on top of an 80-ft. tower housing floodlights for the athletic playing fields below.

“These ospreys have been of interest to us for quite a while,” says Sarah Blackstone, advisor to UVic’s provost, an avid raptor photographer and the driving force behind the webcam. “When I’m there taking photos, many people have approached me with questions about the birds, so we know there’s a lot of interest in them.”

This year, there are two chicks in the nest—a third didn’t survive—and they’re due to fledge within a couple of weeks. They’ll hang around the nest for a while, though, as they learn how to fly and hunt.

The webcam is installed on one of the tall light posts that illuminates seating in UVic’s stadium. It gives a bird’s-eye view of everything from nest renovation and food deliveries, to interactions between chicks and defence of the nest from other birds of prey.

“Most bird cams are placed very close to the nest but we’ve chosen to provide a wide view of all the activities in and around the nesting site,” says Blackstone. “This gives a better idea of the overall environment and all the factors that impact the success and failure of this nest.”

Visit the osprey-cam at uvic.ca/osprey to see and learn more about these magnificent birds. The website also includes photos, a blog, some history on the UVic nest and general information on ospreys.