The osprey are back in Montana- Missoula osprey cam

Iris the osprey is back in Missoula and is currently rebuilding her nest.  There was some worry that all the construction on the new Missoula College building may cause Iris not no nest here.  Turns out that is not the case.  You can watch two construction projects at once, the college and the nest.  There is also a little sparrow that keeps stopping by to take little bits of nesting material while Iris is away.

Stanley, the male osprey of the couple should be back in town any day now.

This camera is hosted by the Montana Osprey Project  and the Cornell Ornithology Lab

You can make a donation to help fund the project here.

Iris the Osprey laid an egg

Watch live streaming video from hellgateosprey at livestream.com

Iris has laid at least one egg and is incubating it. Good luck Iris!
The AXIS P5534-E camera, computer infrastructure and internet connection were donated by the Riverside Health Care Center. Real time High Definition TV - available in Riverside HCC's lobby - was donated by Raptors of the Rockies. Logistic support provided by Northwestern Energy. This camera is also supported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and their Bird Cams Project. Check out The University of Montana Biogeochemistry Labratory's website for more information.

O Osprey, Where Art Thou?

Squeaky Oar Lock from Headhunters announced on the HH blog that osprey made it back to the Missouri River about 2 weeks ago.  After that, I spotted one on the Bitterroot that looked like he was still on the move.  Then on Tuesday, the Missoulian ran an article about the osprey couple that nest in the outfield at the Missoula Osprey's baseball stadium.  Last year, the pair was in the news and people were all upset because some geese claimed the nest before the osprey got there.  I see this happen around here every spring.  The geese, perched high up in the in the nest, just stand their ground and honk as the osprey dive bomb them over and over again.

This year, Dr. Greene from the Montana Osprey Project installed a "goose excluder" (otherwise known as a cone made out of chicken wire) on the nest at the baseball field.  It proved successful and those osprey are on that nest.

 

Osprey nest at Allegiance Field (baseball stadium) RBM 2008

So, while there are some osprey back in Montana, where the hell are the rest of them?  On his Facebook feed, Dr. Greene says, "...well over 90% of the osprey nests in Missoula still have no one there."  And most importantly, where are Iris and Stanley, our Hellgate Osprey Cam superstars?

MPG Ranch Montana

They are still on winter vacation!

The dots are satellite tagged osprey that summer in Western Montana.  If you visit the interactive map at MPG Ranch website, you can zoom into each point to get a closer view of exactly where they are and follow their voyage all the way to Montana.

If you just can't wait to see a western Montana osprey, in its nest, while you drink coffee, or whatever, check this out.




This nest is on the Dunrovin Ranch in Lolo, Montana near the Bitterroot River.  Meet Ozzey and Harriet, and what sounds like a billion other birds.  If you are stuck in a shitty place right now, turn up the speakers!

Stay tuned for updates on the Hellgate osprey etc.

Montana Osprey Project's Hellgate Canyon Osprey Cam!

No osprey in Missoula yet but this is one of the coolest sites on the net as far as I'm concerned.  Dr. Greene says they're on their way!




"The AXIS P5534-E camera, computer infrastructure and internet connection were donated by the Riverside Health Care Center. Real time High Definition TV - available in Riverside HCC's lobby - was donated by Raptors of the Rockies. Logistic support provided by Northwestern Energy. This camera is also supported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and their Bird Cams Project." - Environmental Biogeochemistry Lab

One of my favorite ecology/biology professors I had when I attended UM was Dr. Erick Greene.  He has done extensive research on osprey on both coasts.  One of the projects I've been most familiar with is the studies on the Clark Fork osprey regarding the long term effects of heavy metals on both the osprey and the river system as a whole.  These pollutants are a result of intensive mining in the headwaters and tributaries of the Clark Fork River which is itself, a headwater to the massive Columbia River. 

If you tune into this blog, you will certainly hear more about the history, plight, management, restoration, astonishing fishing, and future of my favorite stream in America, The Clark Fork River. 

Please visit: http://cas.umt.edu/geosciences/osprey/nestCams/hellgate.php to learn more about the project, the people involved, and most importantly, the osprey-the coolest bird that lives!

I'll re-post this when the osprey arrive.  I'll be volunteering with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks doing a temporary rehab on a local fish ladder tomorrow.  Stay tuned for some info on the ladder and some great pics.