Ospreys construct nests high in treetops or atop poles to keep their young safe from roaming predators below.
But this strategy is hardly failsafe.
The accompanying footage shows a black bear, after it had scaled a 25-foot pole in Montana, poking its nose into an osprey nest containing three eggs.
The footage was captured Monday via live-feed as part of an osprey-cam project in Mission Valley, involving the Owl Research Institute and Explore.org.
Viewers will see the pole shaking as the osprey mom and dad take turns buzzing the bear during its ascent.
When the bear’s head appears in the footage, at about the 1:00 mark, the dive-bombing intensifies.
Ultimately, the bear gives up, leaving the eggs untouched.
The second video shows the bear wandering across the valley floor toward the foothills while the osprey parents continue to stand guard.
Their eggs will hatch beginning about June 10.
–Image and videos courtesy of the Owl Research Institute and Explore.org
