Nature Trail & Gardens

Museum of York County

Nature Trail

Explore the sights and sounds of a Piedmont forest and creek along our ¾ mile loop trail. Be on the lookout for native trees, seasonal wildflowers and resident wildlife such as birds, reptiles and insects. Pause at the edge of Big Dutchman Creek or bring a lunch to enjoy in our shaded picnic area.

Educational Gardens

Our Educational Gardens can be found behind the Museum of York County and showcase the flora of the Carolina Piedmont found in different gardens such as a Rain Garden, a Carolina Fence Garden, and a Pollinator Garden.

Other Nature Views: Osprey Cam

Culture & Heritage Museums (CHM) is proud to bring you the live feed from a webcam, perched next to an Osprey nest at Catawba Nuclear Station. Each year, ospreys incubate eggs for up to five weeks and hatchlings remain in the nest for up to eight weeks. In York County, they typically nest from March – June.

This webcam feed is provided by Duke Energy and Comporium.

Watch the Osprey Camera:

Osprey Camera Image

If the camera feed is not visible, please check back in a few minutes, only a limited number of people can view the feed at one time.

Osprey FAQs

What is an osprey?

The osprey, also known as a “fish hawk,” is a bird of prey that specializes in hunting fish.

Where do ospreys live?

Ospreys live all over the world and are fairly common in our region along the Catawba River.

What do ospreys eat and how do they hunt

Ospreys fly high above the water scanning for fish. When a fish is spotted, the osprey folds it wings and plummets to the water. If successful, the bird emerges from the water with its slippery prey held tight within its talons (claws). When flying to a perch the osprey clutches the fish with both feet and the fish’s head turned into the wind to cut down on air resistance.

Do ospreys mate for life?

Ospreys do mate for life, and use the same nest each year, adding more sticks and small branches to the nest each season, usually in March.

Where do ospreys build their nests?

Snags (dead trees) are favorite nesting sites, but ospreys will occasionally build nests on human-built structures, such as power transmission towers.

How many eggs do ospreys lay, and who takes care of them?

The female lays an average of three eggs, and both the parents take turns incubating the eggs for a month or more. After hatching, young ospreys stay in the nest for up to two months.

How can you tell the female from the male osprey?

As with most birds of prey, females are slightly larger than males.