Once listed as an endangered species as a result of the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, osprey today thrive just about anywhere there’s water and a healthy supply of fish. Boaters often see these birds nesting atop navigation markers, snags or even docked or anchored boats.
These fish hawks recently returned to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast from their wintering grounds in South America and the Caribbean to nest. Pairs generally mate for life and are monogamous. This webcam provides a live view of a nesting pair found on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Off the nest, osprey are acrobatic birds that hover hundreds of feet in the air looking for a meal before diving talons-first into the water to grab a meal. Once they’ve secured their victim, they take flight, orienting their catch head-first for aerodynamics before returning to the nest to feast.
