South Cape May Meadows Osprey Cam UPDATE

On By nationalparkswithtIn New Jersey
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View Nesting Osprey Live at South Cape May Meadows»

The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey is live-streaming from an osprey nest in South Cape May Meadows. When I clicked on it yesterday, the male was just returning to the nest with some food for the female who was sitting on the eggs. Osprey pairs mate for life and both parents tend to the safety of the eggs. UPDATE 5/31: Two of the chicks have hatched and Mom was feeding them at 8 AM this morning (Eastern time) Update 8/5: Cam had been down for a few days, but it’s back. Looks like the chicks are all grown up, but there is still activity in the nest.

History of the South Cape May Meadows Preserve»

South Cape May Meadows sits on 200 acres of wetlands, adjacent to Cape May State Park, and is a sanctuary for migratory birds. The land was a Victorian-style settlement from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. A hurricane in 1944 washed most of the structures out to sea. Afterwards, the remaining Victorian homes were moved to the city of Cape May and the borough of South Cape May was dissolved. The Nature Conservancy has spent decades restoring the ecosystem and creating the birdwatchers’ haven.

Location: 692 Sunset Blvd, Cape May, NJ 08204

Designation: Nature Conservancy Preserve

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22 thoughts on “South Cape May Meadows Osprey Cam UPDATE”

  1. Cool! There is an osprey that frequents the river near my home. As I sat under some cottonwood earlier today (s)he flew over. Three cheers to The Nature Conservancy for providing critical habitat for wildlife!

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  4. Ospreys are one of the UK’s big conservation successes. Driven to extinction here just over a century ago by human persecution, a few returned to Scotland from Scandinavia in the 1950s. Strictly protected, and helped also by a reintroduction programme at Rutland Water in the English midlands, we now have over 300 nesting pairs. They’re magnificent birds, and it’s always a thrill to see them. I shall enjoy watching the Cape May pair on the webcam!

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    1. They have become prolific here since the banning of DDT in 1972. The photos I used in the post are from a nest we saw in the Everglades in 2017. I’ve also seen them in Maine and in various NJ parks where platforms have been erected…definitely a success story

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    1. I’m glad you enjoyed them! I actually took these photos of Ospreys in Everglades National Park, but I thought they did a better job of illustrating the story than my pics of the lighthouse. This nature preserve is very close to Cape May Point State Park, so you may have driven past it.

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