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About the OspreyCam
Alcoa launched the OspreyCam in May 2012. The OspreyCam is a live webcam that follows a pair of osprey (named Oliveea and Oscar by Alcoa employees) at Badin Lake. They return year after year to a nest situated atop the Narrows Dam. The OspreyCam has received more than 541,000 hits from 87 countries since it was introduced.
The OspreyCam has captured the hatching of three baby chicks. Over the next two months, viewers can watch the parents feed and care for the chicks as they grow and prepare to take flight. Osprey chicks usually fledge — or leave the nest for their first flight — in late June or early July. The chicks can be seen making practice flights across the nest as they get ready to take flight.
“It’s a great way to see the wonder of nature, right here in our own backyard,” said Mark Gross, technical manager for Alcoa Power Generating Inc. “It’s fascinating to watch these little chicks grow and take flights.”
Monday, June 17, 2013Storms
We have lost audio on the OspreyCam due to the strong storms that blew through the area last Thursday. We are aware of the problem and are in the process of getting it repaired. We are sorry for the inconvenience and apologize to all of our faithful Osprey viewers.
Ollie, Olive, and Oscar Jr are working very hard getting their wings strong enough for flight. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Ollie (our oldest) fledge within a week. As for the parents, Oliveea and Oscar are busy feeding their growing brood and chasing off unwanted predators.
To answer a few questions: The nest does not swing as much as the pole the camera is mounted on. After the chicks leave the area, we lower the nest down to inspect and repair if needed . Also, the noise you hear over the microphone is water flowing down the spillway.
Posted at 9:30:00 AM | Permalink | Comments(6) | TrackbackTuesday, June 11, 2013Lift off
The rain and storms are over for now. I'm sure our Osprey family is ready for some sunshine. The chicks are now 6 weeks old and learning how to use their wings to lift off the nest. They should fledge between 8-10 weeks.
Posted at 9:16:29 AM | Permalink | Comments(16) | TrackbackWednesday, June 05, 2013Exercising
You've probably noticed the chicks exercising their wings. This will prepare them for their first flights, which should happen in a few weeks. One day their wings will have grown to a wingspan of nearly 6 feet! As Oliveea tends to her young, Oscar is always close by. We usually see him in the dead tree across the spillway, keeping an eye out for intruders.
Posted at 9:22:25 AM | Permalink | Comments(21) | TrackbackThursday, May 30, 20134 Weeks Old
  The chicks are about 4 weeks old now and growing fast. You can begin to see the first sign of juvenile feathers appearing. They are now able to look over the side of the nest and can be seen from below. Mom and Dad are taking great care of their chicks and still bringing in fish, sticks and nesting material. As the temperature rises in the afternoon, Oliveea will keep them shaded under her wings. Temperatures this week will be in the mid to upper 80’s. Posted at 10:00:00 AM | Permalink | Comments(20) | TrackbackTuesday, May 21, 2013Nest Maintenance
 The chicks just got done eating lunch and Oliveea decided to tend to the nest. She brought in a large branch (practically dropping it on the heads of her brood).
We have decided to call the larger chick Olive. Most likely Olive was the first to hatch. She is the largest and most dominant.
Posted at 1:04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments(68) | TrackbackMonday, May 20, 2013And the winner is...
Say hello to Ollie, Olive and Oscar Jr! The winning names received 43.9% of the 40,867 total votes cast in our poll. I think Oscar Jr. is the perfect choice for our smallest chick. Don't you agree?
Thank you for participating in our first "Name the Alcoa Ospreys" poll. We would also like to thank all of the students from Badin Elementary School for their help.
Posted at 7:37:05 AM | Permalink | Comments(19) | TrackbackWednesday, May 15, 2013Keep Voting!
 Voting for the names of this year's osprey chicks will continue until Friday at midnight EST. As of this morning, we have almost 14,000 votes logged. Hunter, Fisher and Rey are in the lead followed by Ollie, Olive and Oscar Jr. Please continue to vote for your favorites and we will announce the winning names on Monday. Posted at 10:16:08 AM | Permalink | Comments(34) | TrackbackTuesday, May 14, 2013Busy Parents
 The triplets are enjoying the warm sunshine today. Dad has been busy catching fish, while mom stays busy feeding her chicks and cleaning house. The larger chick requires more attention than the other two and makes sure he is first in line to eat! It looks like Oliveea needs a bigger house as the chicks are a little over 2 weeks old and have more than tripled in size. Both Oscar and Oliveea are such wonderful, attentive parents! Posted at 12:18:26 PM | Permalink | Comments(12) | TrackbackThursday, May 09, 2013Time to Vote
It's time to to select the names for our trio of Osprey chicks. These names were suggested by the students from Badin Elementary School. They had a lot of fun and had some terrific suggestions. We are excited to see which names are chosen.
To vote, click on the circle next to your selection and click the "Vote" button. You may vote as ofter as you like!
Posted at 9:20:00 AM | Permalink | Comments(16) | TrackbackWednesday, May 08, 2013Audio Working
 Audio is now working on the OspreyCam, although you will hear a lot of background noise because of flood waters being passed. Oscar was very vocal earlier while other Ospreys were near the nest. The triplets are growing bigger each day and its seems that Mom is constantly feeding them! All look to be healthy and content as they enjoy a comfortable 75 degree day. Posted at 3:36:51 PM | Permalink | Comments(5) | TrackbackMonday, May 06, 2013Three Chicks
 It's confirmed, we have 3 beautiful baby chicks again this year. We were lucky to grab a picture. They are growing so fast! This weekend was very windy with rain and the temps were only in the 50’s. Not a typical May weekend for this part of North Carolina. There are storms in the forecast through Wednesday, but I know Mom and Dad will keep their brood safe and sound. Posted at 1:07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments(8) | TrackbackFriday, May 03, 2013Naming Poll
We are happy to announce that we will be launching the "Name the Ospreys" poll next week. We look forward to your responses. Stay tuned for more information.
Posted at 12:27:00 PM | Permalink | Comments(16) | TrackbackThursday, May 02, 2013Peek-a-boo
  I was lucky to catch Oscar and Oliveea switching places. One little guy poked his head up in the process and I was able to catch the shot. Mom and Dad are doing an amazing job taking care of their little ones. Posted at 1:34:05 PM | Permalink | Comments(16) | TrackbackTuesday, April 30, 2013Congratulations
 Oliveea and Oscar are parents to twins, possibly triplets. Two chicks have been sighted, but we are not sure if another chick or egg is hiding deep in the nest. Thanks so much for all the amazing pictures you’ve sent in and awesome video! We are sharing a picture from celia duck and a video from Carolyn http://youtu.be/L9YlTNBIU1s.
Mama was feeding herself and the chicks breakfast this morning around 6:40am. Oliveea seems content today and looking more beautiful than normal as she keeps her babies warm and safe. The weather today should be warm with only a slight change of rain this afternoon.
Posted at 9:47:09 AM | Permalink | Comments(11) | TrackbackFriday, April 19, 2013Hang on
Hang on Oliveea, you're in for a rocky ride today! Strong storms and possible high winds through late afternoon.
A comment came in about spotting a chick. We haven’t been able to confirm, but will keep a close eye out. If you happen to catch a glimpse, please grab a snapshot and send it in. We love to share pictures from our viewers. Posted at 2:09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments(44) | Trackback
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