Ospreys return to popular Hilton Head nest cam. Here’s how to watch them
Gracie and George have some competition.
There’s a second bird duo capturing hearts on Hilton Head Island, and this time it’s not eagles.
Oprah and Oscar are a pair of nesting ospreys and the stars of the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association Nest Cam.
The pair recently returned to their nest atop to Palmetto Dunes water tower. In the coming months, fans of the raptor duo will be able to watch them lay eggs and raise their young.
High and mighty
According to the Palmetto Dunes POA website, ospreys prefer to nest in places that are secure and close to the water.
That’s why they’re commonly found on manmade structures such as telephone poles, channel markers, and yes, water towers.
Ospreys mostly eat fish, which makes the Palmetto Dunes’ lagoon system perfect feeding grounds, the POA website says.
How to tell male and female ospreys apart
According to Palmetto Dunes POA, you can differentiate male and family ospreys from the size of their bodies and their chest markings.
Adult male ospreys typically have slimmer bodies and narrower wings than female ospreys. Males also typically have weaker or non-existing breast bands - a “necklace” of brown feathers across the bird’s chest.
Based on this information, the Island Packet identified the larger bird with chest markings as Oprah and the smaller one without chest markings as Oscar.
Tuesday morning, the Island Packet tuned in to find Oprah alone on the nest. A few minutes later, Oscar appeared with a fish, which Oprah quickly devoured before flying off.
When to see osprey eggs, chicks
Ospreys typically mate for life, according to Palmetto Dunes POA. Each spring, the lovebirds reunite at the same nesting site to raise their young.
Within a month of returning to the nest, the female will lay about three to four cinnamon-colored eggs. The eggs are incubated for about five weeks prior to hatching.
Once hatched, osprey chicks start growing feathers almost immediately. They begin testing their wings at around five to seven weeks and fledge, or leave the nest, around eight weeks.
How to watch the Palmetto Dunes osprey cam
To watch the live osprey nest cam, visit the Palmetto Dunes POA website.
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Ospreys return to popular Hilton Head nest cam. Here’s how to watch them."
