Two Osprey Chicks Hatch At Island Beach State Park, 1 More To Go

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ - Bay and Bandit are the proud parents of two osprey chicks, with another one hopefully on the way very soon.

Bay and Bandit have sat on the nest outside the park's Interpretive Center through rain storms, heat, cold and maybe even snow to keep their little ones safe.

Their dedication has paid off. Two of the three osprey eggs hatched recently and now there are four mouths to feed, maybe even five soon.

Bay and Bandit arrived in late March, after a long, arduous journey, possibly from South America. Bay, the female, laid a clutch of three egg several weeks later.

You can watch two of the babies on the Pete McClain Osprey Cam. The Osprey Cam was named after Paul D. McClain, who brought the osprey back to New Jersey back in the late 1960s.

The eggs typically hatch in late May or early June. You can watch the activity from their arrival until the chicks take their first flight here.

McClain was deputy director of the state Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife when he decided to bring the osprey back to the Jersey Shore and Island Beach. To read more about how he did it, click here.

Please donate for the upkeep of the Osprey Cam, which is often subject to rough weather during the year. To make a donation, click here.

The Friends of Island Beach State Park is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and your donations are tax deductible.
Photo: Courtesy of the Friends of Island Beach State Park