Osprey Cam - Florida Wildlife Extension at UF/IFAS

Hello Osprey Fans: The UF osprey cam has been turned off. I am pleased to inform you that the one chick (Talon Jr.) was doing well and has fledged. Thanks for all your interest and comments. I know we had some technical issues with the camera this year (especially when it rained). We will go back up to the nest and fully repair this in time for the nesting season in 2025. We do still need contributions to make this happen (https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/026439-osprey-cam-support-fund/). Should be quite interesting when Stella comes back next year (with a new mate?) or there may be a new pair of ospreys. Stay tuned! Cheers Dr. Mark Hostetler

Hello Osprey fans! Well... we have had quite an interesting season with the osprey family. I will attempt to recap what has happened. Unfortunately the father, Talon, went missing sometime around April 16th. As a result, Stella had to do all the feeding of the chicks and only one chick survived. This chick has successfully fledged and has left the nest. A fourth grade class in Bronson, FL aptly named the chick Talon Jr, in tribute to the father. Talon Jr. periodically comes back to the nest so continue to watch! The camera will remail live until the end of June. As you know, the camera had connectivity issues .... especially when it rained. We will go back up there sometime in November to repair the camera. Of course, we still need operating funds and need your continued support and accept contributions here.

We hope to have it the osprey cam live again next year ... Stella may have a new mate, or we may have a totally different pair of ospreys. The osprey family continues to amaze me how resilient they are and of course, how entertaining they are to watch! Below is a picture of Stella Jr.; the chick is now flying and hunts fish with her mom Stella. I occasionally see both of them on the nest even now in June.
Cheers Dr. Mark Hostetler

Hello Osprey Fans: Just a note about the family and the camera. Unfortunately, the camera is on and off and most recently it is off. We think it is a water (sealant) issue at the control box at the top of the pole near the nest. We cannot go up there without disturbing the nest (and getting attacked by Stella!). As for the osprey family, Talon (the father) is missing, and two chicks have died. The one chick is doing fine, and Stella is feeding it. I was out there recently and could see and hear Stella bringing fish into the nest and hear the chick calling. The camera may or may not come back online, depending on how much rain we get. Just check back periodically. So sorry but I will give updates about Stella and the chick at least once a week. Cheers Mark Hostetler

Feb 21 First egg is laid!
Feb 23 Second egg laid!
Feb 27 Third egg laid!
March 31 First and second chick hatch
April 2 Third chick hatch

OSPREY CAM IS LIVE! Talon and Stella are back!

Watch the osprey family raise another family! The nest is located on a light pole behind the SW Rec Center on UF Campus. Thanks to HdonTap for streaming the live feed, UF’s SW Rec center for allowing the camera to go back up, and a host of people from UF’s IT and Facility Services that helped to install the new camera and get things working. It truly took a village to get this up and running (again)! Special shout out to Wally Sanchez from IT that helped to troubleshoot the camera! A generous gift from Wild Goose Farms in Umatilla, FL provided the needed funding for the equipment. We continue to accept gifts of support for ongoing maintenance and management of the camera, and we are grateful for the support from our generous donors!

To date, I have seen Talon (the male) and Stella (the female) on the nest as of January 30th. In fact, Stella just arrived January 30th – much to the delight of Talon! Talon (the father) and Stella (the mother) built a new nest in the same location (in 2023) after the bank of lights were switched out for more efficient LEDs. Professor Mark Hostetler, who is an urban wildlife ecologist in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida, has been watching with earnest to see if they would rebuild. He helped direct a few structures on the new lights to entice them to rebuild the nest (nicknamed The Cheap Seats or Home Plate). In 2022, we had over 70,000 viewers from around the world (see https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/ospreycam/). We really got to see the osprey family daily (and nightly) activities. Your contributions were much appreciated.

2022 Activities - Osprey Cam Turns off June 30

It has been a successful viewing of the Osprey family. We have watched the birds since February 1 and two chicks have fledged. There were ups and downs and a lot of fish eaten! Talon (the father) and Stella (the mother) will be back next year. Breezy and Windy are off and fishing on their own. We hope to have the camera on next year but we do need funding to turn the camera back on so if interested - please click on the contribution button above. - Cheers Mark Hostetler

Name the Osprey Family and Nest Contest

Well, the Osprey cam has shown a plethora of interesting Osprey behaviors. Parents bringing in fish to feed the two chicks is a daily occurrence. We are conducting a name the Osprey chicks and parents and the even nest contest. We will take suggested names until May 7th. No rewards for the winning names – just bragging rights. Once names are submitted- we will select a few names for each category and put it out for a public vote. Please nominate names for the following (click on https://forms.gle/V44rRHEyR8MwUX9E9 ):

Osprey chick #1
Osprey chick #2
Male parent
Female parent
Nest home

Osprey Family Name Contest Results

Thank you all for your suggestions and votes. The chicks are getting big fast! We wish the osprey family well. The names are as follows:

Chick #1 Breezy
Chick # 2 Windy
Female Osprey - Stella
Male Osprey - Talon
And a tie for the name of the nest - The Cheep Seats or Home Plate

Welcome to Osprey cam brought to you by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida. The nest that you see is located on the top of a pole at the Southwest Rec Center ballfields at the University of Florida. Nesting pairs of ospreys have been coming to this site for a number of years. This is a wild osprey nest and anything can happen. While we hope that the osprey lay eggs, and that all the osprey chicks hatch and grow up healthy and successfully fledge each season, things like sibling rivalry, predators, and natural disaster can affect the osprey family and may be difficult to watch.

Cool Facts About Osprey
Audubon
National Geographic Photo Ark
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Britannica Kids
National Geographic Kids

Osprey can be seen in many places throughout our community! Here is a fun coloring page from the City of Gainesville's Sweetwater Wetland park for you to download and enjoy.