Every Osprey Streaming Cam (or, for that matter, any wildlife streaming cam) should be required to post an emergency number. There should be one for normal daytime hours and an emergency number. Why?
This evening at 7:15 Eastern time, one of the three chicks at the Patuxent River Park Osprey Nest 2 fell into the water! These chicks cannot fly, and it is unclear to me how they are to float or swim after dropping from the height of the nest. This is the nest where an additional foster chick was placed just yesterday.
I was approached by a friend. ‘S,’ trying to find a number to call because the regular park office had just closed. So, here is the emergency Wildlife number for Maryland, everyone. 1-410-8888. This is actually a fish and game issue, but the nice young man on that emergency number put the calls through to them. Thank you! So this is a shout-out to all these streaming cams – many, many times, your citizen birders see an incident first. Put an emergency number there so they can call without wasting time and perhaps the animal’s life.
There is another issue at hand. What is the regulation for the size of an Osprey nest over water? We all know that nest sizes vary, but what should the size accommodate three growing, almost fledging chicks and two parents?
I urge you to write, e-mail, or phone the steaming cams that you watch and encourage them to include an emergency 24-hour number on their YouTube channel.
So very sorry to be bringing this news to you. I hope that there is a good ending to what well could be another horrible tragedy in this year’s ospreys. Thank you for caring.
Thank you to the Patuxent River Park Osprey Cam 2, where I took my screenshot, and to the young man at the Wildlife Emergency Services in Maryland who took my phone call seriously and acted.
