In 1996 Atlantic Security, Inc installed its first camera overlooking an osprey nest in a tributary of the Chester River. In the past 29 years we have had many hours of enjoyment watching the ospreys lay and hatch their eggs. There have been good years where all of the eggs have hatched and all of the chicks survived. One year we had four eggs and four survivors!! There have also been years plagued by owl attacks which have resulted in no surviving chicks. In 2024 there was no nesting pair and the nest remained empty.
In the past 29 years the nest had become overbuilt and was beginning to look somewhat like a skyscraper. In early March of 2025 we decided to do some housekeeping and removed a large portion of the stacked mud and sticks in an attempt to make the nest more welcoming for summer guests. At the same time we installed a new camera, a Canadian Security (CASE) camera.
Our efforts did not attract any ospreys, in fact we saw very few in the area, which we believe may have to do with decline in a menhaden in the surrounding waters that is a staple of the osprey diet. We do not know this for certain, it is only a guess. We do know, that a pair of Canadian Geese seemed very interested in the nest and spent some time trying it out before they decided to make it more permanent. As of April 16th, we have seen 3 eggs in the nest with the female ( from what we have learned through research) incubating them. Maybe they were intrigued by the Canadian camera? Who knows. We have found out that it is not unusual for geese to use osprey nests, even though we had not seen more than a passing pair before now.
It should be roughly a month before we find out if there will be any goslings. Stay tuned!!!!
For more information on the osprey cam and ospreys in general, and for a live feed of the nest visit our ASI osprey site.
