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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.”
Thursday, 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(4) | 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) | TrackbackThursday, April 18, 2013Oliveea or Oscar?
 We had several questions come in asking how to tell the difference between Oliveea and Oscar. I was lucky to get a shot of Oscar this morning sitting on the eggs. When I checked back in, Oliveea returned and they traded places. I am including a picture of them side by side. Oscar is much smaller than Oliveea and his neck is mostly white. Hope this helps! Posted at 1:01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments(4) | TrackbackTuesday, April 16, 2013View of the nest
Oliveea appears to be happy and taking short naps. At some point, Oscar or Oliveea decided to bring in another stick for the nest. Hopefully they move it soon so we can get a better view of the eggs.
Every so often, you will see us zooming in or out on the nest. Sometimes we are looking for eggs and other times we are giving our personnel privacy when they are within camera range. We try to keep our distance as much as possible. Oliveea lets us know when we get too close! Once we start seeing the chicks, we will adjust the camera to try and get the best view. It should be another beautiful week with highs in the upper 70’s to mid 80’s. Posted at 3:35:07 PM | Permalink | Comments(11) | TrackbackFriday, April 12, 2013Update on Audio
We have come to the conclusion that the existing microphone is not repairable. But the good news is, we with a solution. A new microphone and accessories can be erected without causing Oliveea too much stress. The new equipment has been ordered and hopefully be successfully installed next week. We monitor the nesting site daily and make it a high priority when problems arise. However, all technical difficulties and equipment failures are not always a quick fix.
Oliveea and Oscar made it though the storms overnight without any problems. I don’t think the storms were as strong as first projected (thank goodness!). They should have smooth sailing through the weekend with temps in the 70’s and a little breezy at times. Posted at 9:25:10 AM | Permalink | Comments(16) | TrackbackThursday, April 11, 2013Audio Issues
As most of you are aware, we have been experiencing audio issues. We plan to install a temporary microphone, but it will be later on next week at the earliest. We appreciate your patience while we are working on getting this resolved. Also, the storm that knocked out the Eaglecam is coming our way and will be here later this afternoon. Hopefully this will be a fast moving storm and the winds do not get high enough to damage the nest.
Posted at 2:27:56 PM | Permalink | Comments(5) | TrackbackAlcoa's Eaglecam
Alcoa has another webcam – the Alcoa Eaglecam. Eaglecam features two adult eagles, Liberty and Justice, who recently hatched two baby eaglets. Over 125,000 votes later, the two baby eaglets were named Honor & Glory. We would like to welcome all #AlcoaEagleCam visitors to Alcoa Ospreycam and remind everyone that later this month we expect the two osprey eggs to hatch. We are planning to launch our first ever “Name the Alcoa Ospreys” poll at that time. In the meantime, join the conversation on Twitter by using hashtag #AlcoaOspreyCam.
Posted at 9:16:19 AM | Permalink | Comments(12) | TrackbackFriday, April 05, 2013Home
The dam was built in 1917 on the Yadkin River between the Uwharrie National Forest and Alcoa private property. Morrow Mountain State Park adjoins the Alcoa property so the wildlife in this area is abundant and thriving. You can see Otters playing in the water and around the rocks where they like to sit and munch on fish. The tailrace section of the dam is heavily occupied with Herons and a few eagles. It is a safe beautiful haven that is kept natural, which has helped in re-populating our Ospreys that were once very limited in their numbers. It is a place that Oliveea and Oscar consider home.
Posted at 9:49:20 AM | Permalink | Comments(29) | TrackbackTuesday, April 02, 2013Ospreycam
We were experiencing technical problems this morning with the camera, but it seems to be working now. We apologize for the inconvenience. Oliveea looks content in her nest this morning and taking short naps. Her chicks should be making their appearance around the week of the 23rd. The eggs need to incubate for 5 weeks, so that is our best guess! We are so happy to add the audio this year (except when the wind is blowing hard). It is relaxing to hear all the background bird calls. Today will be another gorgeous day with highs in the low 60’s and light wind.
Posted at 10:24:35 AM | Permalink | Comments(12) | TrackbackMonday, April 01, 2013Oliveea's Nest
 We've received some comments about the nesting site. The picture you see here is a view from Oliveea's nest. Once you take a look, it is easy to understand why the pair return each year! It will be a beautiful day with highs in the low 70's. Posted at 10:38:54 AM | Permalink | Comments(14) | Trackback
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