After last week’s transmission failiure, viewers of the Port of Ridgefield’s Raptor Cam will have to wait until next year to watch ospreys at the Ridgefield Waterfront due to technical difficulties.
The Port of Ridgefield and Clark Public Utilities set up the raptor cam live stream providing a view of a local osprey nest on the Ridgefield Waterfront, situated on a pole and platform.
Ridgefield Port Deputy Director Ethan Perry said the project began as an educational initiative to help people learn about the lifecycle of ospreys, a bird of prey. Since the stream started on April 1, viewers have watched two ospreys lay three eggs, one of which hatched successfully. The young osprey took its first flight in late July.
“We got to watch the baby grow from being a small bird, all the way to lifting off and taking off out of the nest,” Perry said.
The live stream has faced several technical challenges, however, culminating in its shutdown last week. Perry explained that the camera was positioned too low, becoming level with the nest built by the adult osprey, resulting in “white-outs” on four occasions. While rain temporarily resolved this issue, the camera’s Wi-Fi transmitter overheating has posed a significant challenge for the port. Due to these technical difficulties, the live stream may remain down until the fall, when the ospreys leave their nest. This means viewers will miss the birds’ final takeoff for its southern migration.
“The Port of Ridgefield or contractors can’t fix the camera at the moment,” Perry explained. “We want to give the birds space, [and] we are required by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife not to approach the nest until they have [left the nest].”
The shutdown of the Raptor Cam, named after the Ridgefield Raptors baseball team, is a disappointment for both port staff and fans of the osprey family. Earlier this year, Ridgefield School District students participated in a naming contest held by the Port and christened the two adult ospreys Oscar and Olive. The chick has yet to be named.
Considering the osprey’s migration pattern, the birds may leave the nest between late September and early November. Perry plans to address the current issues by raising the camera and fixing the overheating transmitters. Additionally, he plans to add sound to the live stream for better nature coverage in the future.
The Raptor Cam is a collaborative project between the port and Clark County Public Utilities, the Ridgefield School District’s CAPS program and the Ridgefield Raptors baseball team. The live stream’s opening caused a surge in traffic to the Port of Ridgefield’s website, attracting nearly 20,000 visitors throughout April and May. After this period, the stream averaged 20 to 30 viewers a day until technical issues arose. The live stream peaked at 50 viewers when the chick hatched.
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