HELENA — Iris the osprey in Missoula has gained more notoriety over the years thanks to the Hellgate Osprey Cam. Well, now, after years in the making, you can check on an osprey nest in Helena.
(WATCH: Bird's-eye view — Spring Meadow Lake welcomes osprey livestream)
“This is just a really cool connection we can have with wildlife,” Lee Rademaker, the Montana Wild program manager, said.
The construction of both the webcam and nesting platform was a collaboration between Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Last Chance Audubon.
Members of the Audubon contributed several thousand dollars for this project to honor the lives of Bill and Mary Anne Rainey and all of their work in conservation.
Leslie Smith, Last Chance Audubon board president, shared, “You get involved in their lives and see what they go through having to sit up on that platform in bad weather or losing a baby.”
The effort started a couple of years ago and came to life on Wednesday. The public can now appreciate the osprey at any point in their day from anywhere.
“It’s a real slice into an osprey’s life, and I imagine at some point we will name these osprey and involve the public in naming them,” Smith noted.
For birders who frequent the park, they say it's an exciting and important opportunity for Helena.
George Oberst said, “For folks to get up close and personal, look like on a TV screen, and sense what bird life is like will increase sensitivity.”
The platform and camera will also serve the surrounding schools and students who visit Montana Wild a lesson on birds of prey.
Currently, two osprey are calling the nest home and can be seen enjoying a fish dinner or catching the wind in their wings.
“They built up their nest, but so far we have not seen an egg,” Rademaker shared. “We are hopeful, but we are coming toward the end of nesting season for osprey.”
To follow the journeys of the osprey, you can visit Spring Meadow Lake Osprey Cam on YouTube and Facebook.
