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Anne Arundel

Severna Park osprey camera goes live

By Christina Jedra
Capital Gazette
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Viewers can listen in and get a birds eye view of the two ospreys on a new platform in Severna Park. The project was organized by a Severna Park husband and wife, Mark and Heather Jeweler, who had admired the nesting pair for years.

Viewers can listen in and get a birds eye view of the two ospreys on a new platform in Severna Park. The project was organized by a Severna Park husband and wife, Mark and Heather Jeweler, who had admired the nesting pair for years. (Courtesy pf Mark and Heather Jeweler / HANDOUT)

Bird lovers can peak into the nest of two Severna Park ospreys with a video stream that went live Thursday.

Viewers can listen in and get a bird's-eye view of the nest on Benfield Road, a new home for the couple since they returned from their southern vacation in mid-March.

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The project was organized by a Severna Park husband and wife, Mark and Heather Jeweler, who had admired the nesting pair for years.

"Their behavior is fascinating to me, how they share responsibility in nest-building and the pair-bonding behavior, as well," Heather Jeweler said. "I could watch them for hours."

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When construction started at Severna Park High School, the birds lost their home atop a light pole that was removed. The couple relocated to an electrical pole, but Baltimore Gas and Electric deemed that unsuitable for the birds and service recipients.

BGE constructed an elevated platform for the ospreys last month. The task of moving birds to newly constructed homes may become more frequent for the company after the launch of its Osprey Watch program, for which customers are encouraged to report birds on electrical equipment. The ninth nest since the program's launch was moved earlier this week on the property of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation outside of Annapolis.

For the Severna Park nest, BGE installed the camera, donated by the California-based streaming service HDonTap. Comcast is providing free Internet service for the stream.

The Jewelers, who coordinated the effort, said the project shows that just two people can make a difference in their community.

"As a wildlife lover, I can't think of anything more fulfilling than to help provide for wildlife," Heather Jeweler said.

Osprey fans can learn more about this project at severnaparkospreys.com.

Bird cameras have become increasingly popular. The Chesapeake Conservancy runs a stream of ospreys Tom and Audrey from Kent Island and is fundraising to finance another a great heron rookery camera on the Eastern Shore. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation erected a camera earlier this week at its headquarters.

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