WARNING: This camera displays live views from migratory waterfowl ponds at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. The cam will display raw, unfiltered nature that might include wildlife interactions and weather calamities that we cannot control. We have a no-intervention policy, as we are just observers.
User Tip: If the wind sound is too loud, you can mute the speaker on the video player.
* See Waterfowl Cam videos on our YouTube channel! *
The Cam
The Waterfowl Cam is a project of the Friends of Blackwater, a nonprofit citizens group that supports Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Our camera is a pan-tilt-zoom video camera with a microphone and is mounted on a special pole that we designed and installed on a dike within man-made freshwater impoundment ponds at the Refuge (see gallery below). The cam rotates between a variety of different vantage points every couple minutes (we will occasionally change the views based on the wildlife). If you see the birds suddenly become airborne, it might mean they were spooked by something, such as a bald eagle. We plan to leave the cam on during the fall/winter migration seasons (October through March). The cam feed is also visible on a monitor in the Blackwater NWR Visitor Center. If you enjoy the Waterfowl Cam and the Osprey Cam, please join the Friends and support our wildlife conservation and education efforts.
The Wildlife
Blackwater NWR was established in 1933 as a waterfowl sanctuary for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. The best time for viewing waterfowl at Blackwater NWR is between October and March, when wintering species such as tundra swans, Canada and snow geese (snow geese arrive with colder weather), and over 20 species of ducks visit the Refuge. The most common ducks are mallards, black ducks, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, wigeons, and pintails. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Refuge and conducts surveys of the migratory waterfowl during the fall/winter seasons. You can find those survey reports on the Blackwater NWR website.
Our cam makes periodic sweeps of the action around the ponds, as the birds enter and exit the area throughout the day. Cam watchers might also see bald eagles, hawks, falcons, harriers, vultures, herons, deer, red foxes, and other animals on camera as they fly over or visit the ponds to feed and rest.
The Moist Soil Impoundments
The area where the cam is located contains man-made freshwater impoundment ponds, or moist soil units, that are designed to mimic natural seasonally-flooded freshwater wetlands. The Blackwater NWR Wildlife Drive separates the brackish water in the river from the freshwater in the moist soil units. U.S Fish and Wildlife Service staff have the ability to regulate the water levels in the ponds. Water-control structures act as plugs for these wetlands. In the fall, water control structures are closed to capture and hold rainwater. The plants that grew throughout the summer, their seeds and tubers, and a variety of invertebrates then become available to the ducks and geese when they arrive in the fall. The water is held in these units throughout the winter months, until late spring, when the cycle begins again. Although these freshwater ponds are managed primarily for waterfowl, if the drawdowns are timed right, the Refuge can also provide great habitat for migrating shorebirds who feed on invertebrates in the exposed soils, and wading birds year round.
Waterfowl Cam Gallery
Copyright Notice: Images/videos presented on this site are the property of the Friends of Blackwater and may be used for educational and non-commercial purposes; they may not be sold. All images/videos must be accompanied with a photo credit (example: Image or Video Courtesy of the Friends of Blackwater NWR).
Acknowledgements: Your memberships and donations to the Friends of Blackwater support this cam. Join or donate to the Friends if you enjoy the cam. The Friends thank the following groups for their support: Maryland Heritage Area Authority | Dorchester County Office of Tourism/Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area (grant) | Bay Country Communications | Choptank Electric Cooperative | HDOnTap
