Ospreys and beavers … Jane Adams explores how livestream webcams bring wildlife wonders to everyone, even if you can’t leave the house
I’ve spent more time at home over the last month than I normally would. It has reminded me of the lockdowns in the warm summer of 2020, when none of us could go far and I discovered every nook and cranny of my garden. This year, I have a new pond to enjoy, and with it, I’ve gained an entire cast of new wildlife characters drawn to the water.
But what if you don’t have a garden? Or, like my husband, you simply find it hard to get out and about? What to do if you love wildlife but can’t always get to see it?
Blessings of technology
A couple of months ago, one of the white-tailed eagles released on the Isle of Wight flew over our house. My friend and neighbour Hugh tipped me off with a phone call, and for a few unforgettable minutes, we watched this huge bird – once extinct in the UK – climbing the thermals above our garden. Something I never thought I’d see.
It got me thinking about another bird of prey that has made a welcome comeback to Dorset: ospreys. Thanks to the incredible work of Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, ospreys are nesting and successfully fledging young in Dorset, for the first time in nearly 200 years. For the last three years, we’ve been able to watch them. This summer, one pair has four chicks, and, if all goes well, they’re due to fledge in mid-July. Some lucky people have watched their progress in person through binoculars from a viewing platform at the harbour’s edge. But even if you can’t make the trip, you can still follow their story on the live webcams, joining hundreds (maybe thousands) of other people, all commenting on what they have seen and leaving notes so that you can rewind and see anything you missed.
Dorset Wildlife Trust also has cameras set up to watch the Beaver Project – there’s no live webcam, but they do post regular updates with video footage of the beavers: see below to watch at least three members of the beaver family working together to build a dam. Over the course of six nights, the beavers spent almost 15 hours on construction work, pausing now and then for snacks and a bit of grooming.
Watching wildlife shouldn’t just be for those who can get around easily or can travel without difficulty. It should be something we can all enjoy, whatever our circumstances.
I hope you find a moment to watch the Poole Harbour ospreys online.
It’s wonderful that even if you can’t get out in person – whether due to health, mobility or simply a busy life – the internet brings these magnificent birds, and so much other wildlife, within easy reach. It can also help you feel more connected to nature and other nature lovers.
If you’ve never watched a webcam before, now’s the perfect time to start!
Live webcams worth watching:
Poole Harbour ospreys: Two webcams from different angles, and on each you can see comments from other webcam watchers from around the world:
See the Landscape view HERE
and the Aerial view HERE
There are two live webcams from Brownsea Island Lagoon, with beautiful views and bird sounds, especially at dusk and dawn birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/brownsea-webcams
Badger watching in Essex: Another one that is best at dusk when the badgers venture out: essexwt.org.uk/wildlife/webcams/badger
Further afield, Explore features a wide array of live nature cams, including brown bears in Katmai National Park and African river wildlife: explore.org
