Osprey Nest, Kent Island Live Cam

A large osprey nest of sticks stands on a pole above open water off Kent Island on Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. The fixed view looks across the water to a low, distant shoreline.

Kent Island lies in Queen Anne's County and is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. Ospreys build in the open on poles and platforms near fish-rich water, and this bay is one of their main breeding grounds. Pairs usually return to nests here in March, lay eggs in spring, and chicks fledge at about eight weeks old. In autumn the birds migrate south for the winter.

The camera keeps one steady angle on the nest and the pole that carries it, with the bay as the backdrop. From autumn to early spring the platform usually stands empty, while in the nesting months this is the frame where the pair rebuilds the nest and raises its chicks.