Watch the birdie(s) — a welcome distraction during lockdown

If you’re a bird lover like I am (or even if you’re not and you’d like a lockdown distraction), there are live streams available of birds' nests around the country and around the world that you can watch to take your mind off any worries you may have.

You can have a bird’s eye view (sorry) of the nests, their occupants (including their chicks), and their activities.

Some live streams run only during the birds' breeding seasons. For example, the 379 Collins Street Falcons stream runs from August each year, when the same breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons return to a nesting box on a ledge high above Melbourne to lay their eggs, which hatch within 30 to 40 days (mama Falcon has just laid her first egg of 2021!). They then care for their eyeases (the name for their babies) for six weeks until they are fledglings, ready to leave the nest. Here’s a time lapse of last year’s footage.

A quick web search can connect you to free live streams from around Australia and the world of Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, and more

A warning, though: observing these birds means you see nature in full - both the good and bad. The Falcons, for example, bring live prey to the nest for their partner and the eyases, and the birds' babies don’t always survive. The volunteers who run the various streams of course cannot and do not interfere with nature running its course.

If you're prepared for these eventualities, you and your family can enjoy these live streams from home. Even pets can become fascinated with the birds. The live streams can be addictive too! So, off you go... watch the birdies!