Osprey Perch, Clark Fork River, Missoula Live Cam

This camera on the north bank of the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana, watches a wooden pole where ospreys stop to eat their catch. Rapids run over rocks below the pole, with shrubs and a stony far bank behind it.

The spot lies at the mouth of Hellgate Canyon, on the eastern edge of the city. An osprey nest stands a short way upstream, beside a care home, parking lots and a railroad. The pair fishes the river and nearby Rattlesnake Creek and flies south for the winter.

The camera switches between two views. The close view centers on the weathered top of the pole, which once carried a plastic owl. The wide view looks across the river to the University of Montana campus and the stands of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.