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FortisAlberta’s Osprey web cam is up and running and our beloved Osprey couple have returned to the platform set up near Canmore. It provides a bird’s eye view of the Ospreys’ nesting activities.
Osprey, (Pandion haliaetus) are found on every continent except Antarctica. They migrate thousands of miles each year to and from Central and South America, mate for life, and return to the same spot year after year, despite spending the winter apart from each other. Their diet consists almost entirely of fish.
Last year, the Ospreys were successful in hatching three nestlings and people from across North America tuned in to watch the hatchlings feed and grow. Schools are using the live feed to observe and monitor the Osprey’s life cycle and making it part of their classroom curriculum.
Link to web cam: http://original.livestream.com/fortisab
Typical Osprey nesting activities:
- Mid April – return to nest
- End of April – build nest and mate
- Early May – lay eggs (2-4 eggs)
- May – egg incubation period
- June – eggs hatch
- July – chicks feed and grow
- August – fledglings learn to fly
- September – Ospreys migrate to warmer climates
FortisAlberta protects Osprey and other birds of prey by actively discouraging nest building on energized power poles with deterrent devices, and by relocating Osprey from live poles to pre-constructed nesting platforms on poles installed nearby. Our success with this best practice has seen more than 35 poles installed throughout our service territory. Nesting platforms are part of FortisAlberta’s commitment to its bird protection efforts.