Bird lovers can watch majestic Ospreys raising their young thanks to the new Osprey Cam that is live-streaming from the pier at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Ospreys are large, fish-eating sea hawks known for their ability to plunge feet-first into the water, grasping prey with their talons.
A camera is focused on a special nesting platform installed in late 2018 with the support of environmentalists Bev Grant and Art Cooley, who wanted to give the birds a safe place to nest.
Ospreys are seen patrolling shorelines and bodies of water in places throughout the world, but in the decades following World War II, populations in the United States were nearly wiped out due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT.
The nesting platform is a 4-by-4-foot box measuring 6 inches deep with drainage holes located at the southeast corner of the pier.
“We’re hoping the locals in La Jolla will see the ospreys on Scripps Pier and be more aware of what Scripps and the Birch Aquarium have to offer, and be more aware of the struggle that animals are having due to things like climate change,” said Grant after the platform was installed.