Olga and Ollie

Independence’s most famous Osprey Pair!

Watch them live, here on a webcam sponsored by the City of Independence, Pacific Power and us…..we’re birders!

The webcam is amazing, but watching them live from our rooftop deck can’t be beat.

Olga and Ollie

The Ospreys were here first. Before The Independence Hotel was built, Olga and Ollie (Independence’s resident bird celebrities), were onto our incredible location on the banks of the Willamette River, adjacent to Riverview Park, and for many decades the avian couple has made this spot their romantic summer getaway.

With respect for Olga and Ollie and the nest they call home, plans for the hotel were built around protecting their nest, and we worked with the City and Pacific Power to place a new pole and new camera, for a “bird’s eye” view of this majestic duo.  While the camera provides compelling viewing and has made reality stars out of Ollie and Olga, there is nothing like watching them in person. With visibility from our rooftop deck, several balcony rooms and the Riverview Park trail system, all of our guests are honorary and enthusiastic birders during their stay.

Ospreys mate for life and return to the same nest annually. Each spring, Ollie, then Olga arrive and begin diligently nesting.  Olga does most of the work “renovating” and expanding last year’s nest. In late April, Olga lays 1-4 eggs. True co-parents, they take turns incubating the eggs and then their chicks hatch! They teach the chicks how to fly, then how to fish. In the fall, the family migrates separately to their Winter homes in Mexico. Then Olga and Ollie meet up again in spring and their offspring, once mature enough to migrate, generally build their nests in the same general geographic area as their parents.