Arboretum nest cam

For anyone looking for more information about the Arboretum osprey cam...do scroll down for other postings about those birds. Also click on the link to our Facebook page, to the left, for more info and conversations with viewers about the cam.

In my twenty years of studying ospreys I have discovered that most ospreys incubate for 39 days before hatching. Osprey researchers in Pennsylvania, who did the first reintroduction and early research on these birds, also documented the same incubation period. Some others have stated there is a 38 day incubation with ospreys.
Also we did observe a broken egg on the Arboretum nest. There were originally two eggs laid, but broken egg shells were observed a few weeks ago. Viewers have observed intruding ospreys causing commotion at the nest,( video on the Facebook page) so it is presumed that it was during nest defense that the egg was damaged. The remaining egg should hatch anyday now if it is fertile. The second egg was laid on May 16 and 39 days would bring us to June 23... Tho we do not know which egg was broken, but we should see hatching by the 23rd. Many eggs are not hatching this year ...probably due to the cold rainy weather which may have caused eggs to die, and a delay in copulatory behavior as a result of late returns and frozen lakes (no food source ). The timing of copulations may affect the fertilization of eggs.

Ospreys can and do break eggs ...as was evidenced by an osprey in Montana who destroyed a nest full of eggs that were fertilized by a different male. 

Also for the record...Xcel Energy was the power company who put up the nest pole which the cam is on. Much appreciation to them for all they have done over the years. 

Read on for more info about these amazing raptors!