Egg Alert: Watch Live Footage of a Boulder, Colorado Osprey Nest
The Boulder County osprey nest camera has been very entertaining for bird-lovers tuning in to the live feed lately.
The female osprey recently laid eggs, which she is now guarding until they're born. Boulder County officials have documented the timeline and will continue to do so until the babies hatch. The first egg was laid on April 14 at 6:26 p.m. The second egg arrived on April 18 at 1:53 p.m. The third egg followed five days after that, on April 23 at 8:46 a.m.
It's possible that the mother could lay one more egg, but BoCo officials explain they aren't expecting that to happen because she was non-responsive to the most recent mating attempts. This means that her hormones have tapered off, and the clutch is likely complete. If she did lay a fourth egg, there's a strong chance it would be infertile.
According to Boulder wildlife officials who monitor the nest, the first hatch could occur any time after May 18, but it will probably be a tad later than that since there was a bit of delayed incubation with the first egg.
At various times in the day, the male osprey can be seen visiting the nest. In one action-packed occurrence, a viewer observed the dad bringing leftover fish back to the female. The female wasn't interested in eating, but a lingering crow was. The crow attempted to fly directly into the osprey, but the male protected his mate and the nest from the intruder.
Sometimes, the mom and dad also switch spots in the nest. The female will sit perched on the ledge, and the male rests on top of the eggs.
Keep an eye on the extremely active nest through the live camera feed located at the Boulder County Fairgrounds.
Ospreys live in Colorado during the spring and summer but migrate south for the colder months. They build their nests high up in trees, on top of man-made platforms (like the one in Boulder), or on rocks.