Middle Farms Nest Update August 2026
The osprey couple on August 21st during their final nest visit.
In the days following the loss of their chick on July 17, the osprey pair spent less time at the nest, making mostly brief visits while continuing to defend the site and gather nesting materials to maintain their claim. Throughout August, sparrows and insects made the nest their home, while other ospreys and small birds occasionally stopped by.
The osprey pair was last spotted on August 21, and we were especially delighted to see one final osprey visit the Middle Farms nest in August—a female juvenile on August 22!
A juvenile osprey briefly visited the nest on August 22nd.
The video clips below capture some of the nest activities from the end of July and the month of August.
JULY 18: This time-lapse clip shows fish remains that were on the nest July 17th and were partly devoured by insects during the night.
JULY 18: A female sparrow gathers seagrass from the nest during multiple trips and a male eventually joins her below.
JULY 18: The female osprey lands briefly to chase another osprey from the nest.
JULY 19: A spider continues spinning webs at night on the nest.
JULY 24: After days of no sightings, the female osprey returns to the nest in the early morning and calls for fish, then waits.
JULY 24: The male osprey delivers fish for the female but she eventually leaves with it.
JULY 24: After eating away from the nest, the female returns and remains until after 10 AM.
JULY 26: The female osprey visits the nest for about 10 minutes.
JULY 27: The male osprey visits the nest briefly in the early morning.
JULY 27: The female osprey lands on nest with fish mid afternoon and squawks – eventually the male joins her.
JULY 27: The female eats the fish at nest and the male stands guard.
JULY 27: After the female eats, the male provides a branch for the nest and does some tending. The female leaves soon after and the follows.
JULY 27: One of the multiple times the male returned to tend the nest later that day.
JULY 27: While the osprey is away gathering more nest materials, sparrows check out the new branches.
JULY 27: The osprey finally rests as the sun begins to set, then leaves.
JULY 28: The female osprey visits the nest in the morning.
JULY 28: The male delivers a huge clump of seagrass.
JULY 28: The male leaves first, and the female remains until around 9:25 AM.
JULY 30: A mockingbird visits the nest and is chased away from the sparrows nest below.
JULY 30: One of the osprey also makes a brief visit to defend the nest that day.
JULY 31: A robin visits the osprey nest.
JULY 31: Sparrows on the osprey nest.
AUGUST 1: Two osprey visit the nest briefly before noon.
AUGUST 1: The osprey return in the afternoon to defend the nest.
AUGUST 1: The osprey briefly visit the nest again mid afternoon. The female leaves about 10 minutes after the male.
AUGUST 1: During the fourth visit to the nest this day, the male osprey leaves briefly and returns with a stick for the nest – then prevents another osprey from landing. They both eventually leave within 15 minutes of the end of this clip.
AUGUST 2: A gray catbird visits the osprey nest.
AUGUST 3: The female osprey briefly visits the nest.
AUGUST 4: After a brief visit earlier in the afternoon, the female returns to the nest and calls for fish then defends the nest – preventing another osprey from landing. She continues to call for fish and prepares to receive one – but the male does not deliver one to the nest.
AUGUST 4: The female osprey remained on the nest beyond nightfall, then left briefly but returned to receive fish – but it was another false alarm and she eventually left for the night.
AUGUST 5: After returning to the nest early in the morning calling for fish, the female remained on the perch. In this clip, she is preening with a sparrow preening below her.
AUGUST 5: The female osprey leaves in distress, then returns, but leaves again soon after.
AUGUST 6: A sparrow leaves the nest when the female osprey briefly comes to defend it from another osprey.
AUGUST 8: The female osprey visits the nest in the morning and is joined by the male soon after – but they only stay briefly.
AUGUST 8: The osprey spend more time on the nest together mid afternoon.
AUGUST 8: In the late afternoon, the female chases another osprey from the nest.
AUGUST 8: In the evening, the male delivers a branch for the nest.
AUGUST 8: The female osprey briefly tends the new branch then moves to the perch to preen. She remains until after nightfall.
AUGUST 10: A sparrow is scared away by the female osprey visiting the nest. The male osprey joins soon after but is also scared away by something. The female remains for much of the day.
AUGUST 11: This time-lapse clip shows the growth of a mushroom on the nest overnight.
AUGUST 11: The male osprey delivers a stick for the nest and seems startled by the new mushroom.
AUGUST 11: Four sparrows hang out on the osprey nest.
AUGUST 12: The osprey couple visit the nest in the morning – but suddenly leave in distress.
AUGUST 12: Sparrows hang out on nest in the evening before the sun sets.
AUGUST 13: A sparrow chirping on the osprey nest perch.
AUGUST 13: After a brief visit in the afternoon, the female osprey returns to the nest to receive fish but the male does not deliver and she remains on the nest until after nightfall.
AUGUST 14: The female osprey visited the nest in the morning during sunrise and called for fish but the male did not deliver to the nest. She remained for a few hours.
AUGUST 15: Another osprey lands on nest and gets chased off.
AUGUST 16: The female osprey visited the nest early in the morning and the male eventually joined her.
AUGUST 16: The female continues to squawk then leaves and can still be heard squawking nearby. The male leaves soon after and neither are seen on the nest again for five days.
AUGUST 17: Sparrows and a catbird visit the nest.
AUGUST 17: The catbird returns for another visit.
AUGUST 18: Sparrows feast during a moth swarm.
AUGUST 19: Two sparrows perched on backside of nest.
AUGUST 21: The osprey couple visit the nest together for the last time in August.
AUGUST 22: A female juvenile osprey visits the nest briefly.
AUGUST 25: A flock of sparrows visit the osprey nest.
AUGUST 27: Sparrows visit the osprey nest.
