Norway Osprey Webcam – Watch Fru Rauer’s Island Nest

The Norway Osprey Webcam looks down into the nest of Fru Rauer, an osprey whose seasons have been followed on Norwegian national television, on the island of Rauer in the outer Oslofjord off Fredrikstad. A broad platform of sticks fills the bottom of the frame, and beyond it the slope falls away to a rocky shore and open fjord water, with a low, wooded coastline on the far side. From April to September the nest can show courtship, eggs, chicks being fed and first flights. Volunteers in the osprey project in Ostfold run the camera on solar power and a mobile connection, and an infrared light keeps the nest visible in black and white at night. The ospreys spend the winter in Africa, so from mid-September the nest stands empty until Fru Rauer comes back, usually in the second week of April.

About Rauer and Its Ospreys

Rauer, also called Rauoy, is a 3.01 square kilometer (1.16 square mile) island in the Oslofjord that belongs to Fredrikstad, about 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) west of the fishing village of Engelsviken. Its highest point is 51 meters (167 feet) above sea level, and the whole island is given over to the Norwegian Armed Forces. Rauoy fort, part of the Oslofjord fortress, fired on the German invaders without effect on April 9, 1940, and was abandoned the next afternoon after German infantry attacked. Five nature reserves were created on the island in 2010.

Fru Rauer, Mrs. Rauer in English, shares the nest with her mate, Herr Rauer. The project’s notes record chicks hatching here every season from 2021 to 2026, and in 2023 the pair took in an orphaned chick found in another nest during ringing. Her return dates barely move: April 13 in 2023, April 8 in 2024, April 13 in 2025 and April 12 in 2026. She has carried a satellite tracker, and NRK journalists followed her south for 5,700 kilometers (3,540 miles) for the documentary Fru Rauers reise. Scandinavian ospreys mostly winter in West Africa, much like the British birds whose autumn flight is traced on our bird migration map.

The 2026 season opened with a contest for the nest, after an unmarked pair the project calls Mr. and Mrs. Bogen moved in before she arrived. She laid eggs on April 26, April 29 and around May 2, and the chicks hatched on June 1, 3 and 6, nicknamed Yr, Bris and Sol. Yr fledged on July 26 and Bris on July 29. With fish hard to catch during a long hot spell and the youngest losing out to her siblings, the project moved Sol to an adoptive nest in July. Yr left Rauer on September 5 and Bris on September 10.

Weather and Climate on Rauer

The open fjord keeps Rauer milder in winter than inland Ostfold. Over the last ten years, January on the island has averaged highs of about 2 C (36 F) and lows of about -3 C (27 F). Early October frames show grey skies, rain and whitecaps driven across the water by autumn wind.

Spring is still cool when the ospreys return, with April highs near 10 C (50 F) and nights around 3 C (37 F). By the time the chicks hatch in early June, afternoons reach about 19 C (66 F), and July averages about 20 C (68 F) as the young birds near their first flights. September highs of about 16 C (61 F) see the family leave, and October drops to about 11 C (52 F), when the shrubs on the slope below the nest turn yellow and brown.

Things to Do Near Rauer

Rauer is a military island, so the nearest stretch of coast to visit is Engelsviken, a fishing village of about 1,000 people on the mainland east of the island, where shrimp boats work out of the harbor and Engelsviken Brygge is known for its fish soup. Hanko, the best-known island in the Fredrikstad archipelago, is car-free apart from the hotel shuttle from the ferry, with walking trails, the Trouville beach and the Hanko Fjordhotell and Spa.

Fredrikstad’s Gamlebyen, or Old Town, lies about 15 kilometers (9.4 miles) east of Rauer. It is a star-shaped fortress town founded in 1567 under King Frederik II, with water-filled moats, earth ramparts and cobbled streets of museums, galleries and cafes. Farther south, Ytre Hvaler National Park, Norway’s first marine national park, takes in a chain of more than 800 islands and skerries, and its visitor center at Skjaerhalden explains the marine life under the surface.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More bird nests and Norwegian views on the site:

• Alyth Osprey Webcam
• Kemeri Sea Eagles Webcam
• Drammen Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Fru Rauer osprey nest located?

The nest is on Rauer, an island in the outer Oslofjord in Fredrikstad municipality, Ostfold, southeast Norway, about 13.5 kilometers (8.4 miles) west of central Fredrikstad and 76 kilometers (47 miles) south of Oslo. The project does not give the nest’s exact position on the island.

What can you see on the Norway Osprey Webcam?

The stick nest fills the foreground, with the fjord, a rocky shore and a small square concrete building on the rocks beyond it. In season the camera can show Fru Rauer and Herr Rauer at the nest, eggs, chicks and fish being brought in, and the operator zooms in and out and turns to the perches where the birds sit. At night the picture switches to black and white under infrared light.

Why is the Norway Osprey Webcam nest empty right now?

Ospreys that breed in Norway spend the winter in Africa. They start south in September or October and most return to their nests during April. Fru Rauer left on September 14 in 2023, September 13 in 2024 and September 16 in 2025, and came back between April 8 and April 13 in each of the last four springs, so the nest is empty from mid-September to early April.

Who is Fru Rauer?

Fru Rauer is the female osprey that breeds in this nest, named after the island. NRK has covered her since at least 2023, and in 2026 she spent about 150 days at or near the nest.

What happened to Sol, the youngest osprey chick?

Sol hatched on June 6, 2026, the last of three chicks. As food ran short and her older siblings outcompeted her, the project took her out of the nest in July and placed her in an adoptive nest. She left it on August 11, was later spotted in good health, and has not been seen again.

What is the weather like on Rauer?

Mild for Norway, thanks to the sea. July afternoons average about 20 C (68 F), and January about 2 C (36 F) by day and -3 C (27 F) at night.

Can you visit the osprey nest on Rauer?

No. Rauer is a military island used by the armed forces and police, and boat traffic close to the nesting shore is banned all year. Norway’s Nature Diversity Act forbids disturbing nesting birds, and the project asks boaters to stay away, because a parent chased off the nest leaves eggs and chicks open to crows, gulls and mink.

Source: Fru Rauer – Norwegian Osprey