BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Last Thursday's snowstorm proved to be too much for a pair of ospreys in Boulder County attempting to keep their three recently-laid eggs incubated.
Boulder wildlife officials said the osprey couple did the best they could to keep the eggs safe, but the 12 inches of fresh snow was overwhelming and led to the eggs being un-incubated for an extended period of time. Those three eggs are still in the nest and will remain there until they collapse and are removed.
The good news is that since the storm, two new viable eggs have been laid and wildlife officials are optimistic that at least one chick will hatch this season. Eggs can arrive three days apart, so there could be more to come.
Boulder County Open Space has been live streaming the osprey nest at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont since 2016. A pair of the birds has been returning to a nest there since 2003.
Osprey, also called sea hawks, are large raptors that eat almost exclusively fish and generally nest near a body of water.
Each September or October, osprey migrate to Central or South America. The male and female osprey separate during the winter but generally come back together to the same nesting site every spring and summer.
Osprey eggs hatch about 36-42 days after being laid and fledging — when the wing feathers are developed enough for flight — occurs 50-55 days after hatching.
You can watch the osprey cam live in the stream below:
Previous osprey coverage:
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