Peregrine falcons have four eyasses, osprey lose an egg and great blue herons tend to their eggs

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Annapolis, MD – Hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide are enjoying watching three of the Chesapeake Bay’s most iconic bird species. In partnership with explore.org, Chesapeake Conservancy’s cams feature the peregrine falcon couple called “Boh and Barb,” the osprey couple called “Tom and Audrey” and the great blue heron couple called “Rell and Eddie.”

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“Spring is often noted as a period of renewal, both in the natural world and for ourselves,” Chesapeake Conservancy Communications and Outreach Specialist Michael Bowman said. “Year after year, we look forward to the return of the nesting season, not only to usher in spring but to bring a sense of rejuvenation to our lives. Thank you to our partners at explore.org and the property hosts for helping us share these Chesapeake species with viewers worldwide.”

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All three webcams can be accessed at www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/webcams/

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Peregrine Falcon Cam “Boh & Barb”

The peregrine falcon family nests on a ledge of a skyscraper on the 33^rd floor located at 100 Light Street in downtown Baltimore, MD. This building has served as a nesting site for peregrine falcons for over 35 years and has been a key component in the species’ recovery. Boh and Barb started off this season strong, with five eggs laid between February 27 and March 7. Five eyasses hatched on the weekend of April 13, but one eyas expired several days after hatching.

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2023 Recap

Last year, Barb laid four eggs between March 17 and March 24. After a month of incubation, all four eyasses hatched the last weekend of April. The four eyasses were banded in mid-May by raptor biologist Craig Koppie with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office.

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Osprey Cam, “Tom & Audrey”

The osprey cam, located on Kent Island at the home of the “Crazy Osprey Family,” displays the daily lives of Tom and Audrey. This year, Audrey returned to the nest on March 23 and Tom on March 30. Audrey laid her first egg on April 23. Unfortunately, the pair lost their first and, to date, sole egg following a visit from a crow.

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2023 Recap

In 2023, Audrey returned to the nest on March 27. A new male osprey began to make appearances on the nest, being officially dubbed Tom in mid-April. Following the construction of their nest, Audrey laid three eggs between May 1 and 8. One chick, later named Molly, hatched on June 12 while the remaining eggs were deemed non-viable.

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Great Blue Heron Cam, “Eddie & Rell”

The property on the Eastern Shore, where the webcam is located, hosts between 10 and 12 nests, with a few in view of the camera. The two featured herons from one of the nests are named Eddie and Rell. The camera went live in mid-February following the return of several great blue herons to the rookery. The property owner confirmed the evidence of several eggs and chicks after discovering eggshells on the property in mid-April.

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2023 Recap

This season, an upgraded camera allowed a better look into a nest. On April 9, the property owner discovered an eggshell on the ground.

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On the night of Monday, May 22, 2023, Chesapeake Conservancy received a report from the property owner that a great horned owl attacked one of the heron nests. Unfortunately, one of the heron chicks fell out of the nest, and the other chick passed after the attack. Tri-State Bird Rescue rescued the fallen chick, but sadly it passed due to its injuries, bringing the cam season to an untimely close.

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Feature Photo by explore.org

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