Alcoa OspreyCam: Three baby chicks have arrived

The Alcoa OspreyCam, a live webcam that follows a pair of osprey at Badin Lake, has captured the hatching of three baby chicks. Over the next two months, viewers can watch the parents feed and care for the chicks as they grow and prepare to take flight.

Osprey chicks usually fledge — or leave the nest for their first flight — in late June or early July. The chicks can be seen making practice flights across the nest as they get ready to take flight.

“It’s a great way to see the wonder of nature, right here in our own backyard,” said Mark Gross, technical manager for Alcoa Power Generating Inc. “It’s fascinating to watch these little chicks grow and take flights.”

The OspreyCam can be viewed at www.alcoa.com/ospreycam. Visitors can follow updates through the website and join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #AlcoaOspreyCam.

Naming Contest

Alcoa will launch an online contest on later this week to select names for the trio of Osprey chicks. Students from Badin Elementary School suggested names that will be used in the online vote.

“The students had a lot of fun suggesting names for the birds. We got some terrific suggestions and are excited about seeing which names are chosen,” Gross said.

About the OspreyCam

Alcoa launched the OspreyCam in May 2012 to follow two osprey — named Oliveea and Oscar by Alcoa employees — who return every year to a nest situated atop the Narrows Dam. The OspreyCam has received more than 541,000 hits from 87 countries since it was introduced.

Ospreys are large birds — with a wingspan of 5-6 feet — that resemble bald eagles. The birds live along rivers, lakes and other large bodies of water where they can feed on fish. The open water and large tracts of undeveloped shoreline at the Yadkin Project provide the perfect setting for wildlife such as bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons and great egrets.