Nature Watching

Village of Bellville LIVE STREAM of Osprey Nest

A couple years ago ospreys (Bernie & Sharon) decided to build a nest on the Clear Fork ball field #2 lights.  Instead of just removing the nest or running the risk of burning it with lights, the Utility Department (under the direction of the naturalist from Pleasant Hill Lake Park) built a platform to move the nest to a safer place. AEP graciously installed the pole, and the Village Utility Department installed the platform and relocated the initial nest. When Bernie & Sharon (the ospreys) returned from South America last year, they took to their new home nicely and raised their offspring.

Bernie & Sharon (Bellville’s osprey couple) will eventually take flight and leave the nest this fall. The entire osprey family will head to South America in September. The parents will return sometime in March 2024 (usually on the exact day every year) to the nesting platform to add to their family.

Huge shout out and thank you to everyone for such a wonderful collaborative effort that made the Bellville osprey nest live stream possible for everyong in the Valley and beyond to enjoy!

We would like to thank the Belcastro Family, Trebel Energy (camera), AEP (and their dedicated and determined fix-everything crewman), Gorman Rupp Industries (for providing internet access for streaming), our terrific Utility Department Crew, and Cardinal Rental (donated equipment to bury electric line). We would also like to thank Elzy Milling & Trade (the Clark family) for sponsoring the first six months of live streaming.

NOTICE: This is a wild osprey nest and anything can happen. While we hope that healthy osprey chicks will end up fledglings and leave the nest, things like sibling rivalry, predators, and natural disasters can affect the osprey family and may be difficult to watch. As hard as it may be to see anything happen to our osprey, we will let nature take its course and will not intervene.

We use infrared light for nighttime viewing. Infrared is not visible to the ospreys or to humans.

 

How can you tell if an Osprey is male or female?

Male and female ospreys look very similar. Females are significantly larger than males and have more dark plumage in the breast band as the most obvious visual marker. Females also have longer wings, tails, claws, and beaks. Male osprey typically weigh between 42-53 ounces, while most females weigh between 56-70 ounces, a difference between 15-20%.

Migration

Migration is one of the most amazing feats performed by osprey, with distances of 3,000 miles or more from breeding to wintering territories in South America. The annual return of nesting osprey to breeding sites ranges from March through May in Ohio. Upon arrival, pairs begin to repair old nests or build new nests. Osprey nests are large stick structures often built in trees or man-made structures near or over water. Ambitious pairs have been known to build nests as large as 10 feet deep and several feet wide. As nest building nears its conclusion, courtship and mating intensify, resulting in the laying of 2-4 eggs. Eggs vary considerably in coloration but typically have a cream-colored base with blotches of some secondary color. Both adults alternate incubating eggs for approximately 35 days before hatching. Males are responsible for most of the hunting in the early part of chick rearing, while females brood and feed the chicks. The young grow rapidly and begin to fly around 8 weeks of age. Young birds remain on the winter grounds (South America) until they reach 2 to 3 years old, when they may return to breeding grounds where they were born to prospect for nesting territories. They typically breed for the first time when they are 3 years or older. Adults have high mate fidelity, and many pairs mate for life.

Diet

Osprey are fish specialists, with live fish representing more than 99% of their diet. They are dramatic hunters that fly or hover over the water to locate fish below the surface and then plunge into the water feet first to capture prey, sometimes becoming completely submerged. Their nostrils close to keep out water. They have an unusual opposable toe that can face forward or backward. When they capture or hold fish, they have two toes oriented forward and two oriented backward, similar to an owl. They have highly specialized barbs on the pads of their feet that allow them to grip fish. Their feathers are also very oily for extra waterproofing as they plunge into the water. Their wing configuration gives them a great deal of lift to emerge from the water carrying large fish. As they fly up from the water surface, they frequently shake the water from their feathers like a dog.

QUICK FACTS

  • Eat mostly fish (99.5% of diet), but sometimes eat lizards, insects, muskrats, or even squirrels
  • Migrate south to South America every year, flying 3,000 miles or more
  • Mate for life – their first nest is small, but they add to it every year
  • Almost disappeared because they were being poisoned by the pesticide DDT (now illegal) – ospreys are coming back
  • Are also known to be called “river hawk” or “fish hawk”
  • They can live up to 20 years in the wild
  • Can be found on every continent except for Antarctica
  • Prefer to hunt in shallow waters but can dive over three feet in the water if need be
  • They can catch fish similar to their own size
  • Raccoons often eat osprey eggs while great horned owls will eat the young chicks and sometimes even adult ospreys
  • Have a wingspan up to 6 feet
  • Chicks are ready to test their wings when they are only 7 or 8 weeks old – after 2 or 3 weeks from their first flight test, will go hunting with their dad

Information provided by: Pleasant Hill Lake Park, Perrysville, Ohio

Village of Bellville Live Streaming and camera is maintained by HD OnTap, which hosts over 200 live streaming nests throughout the country. Check them out!

Please contact the Village directly with questions or concerns at 419-886-2245 ext. 5 or villageadmin@bellvilleohio.net.

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