In this time of social isolation coupled with the beginning of spring, many of us long to hit the road and see new sights, listen to the call of the wild, or just soak in the wonder of a new place.
With most states calling for residents to remain in their homes due to coronavirus concerns, many of us are itching to just experience something beyond our own living rooms.
Webcams to the rescue! If you’re longing to see something cool, explore a new vista or just commune with nature, hundreds of both live and static webcams are available to anyone with an internet connection. Here’s a list (by no mean exhaustive) of views of Pacific Northwest mountains, lakes, oceans and animals. Some cams take static images that update at regular intervals, some are addictively live and if you stick around long enough, you never know what you’ll see.
This bald eagle’s nest in British Columbia was occupied all morning Friday. Three new eggs are being cared for and careful watchers could see hatchlings soon. You can even “adopt” a nest of your very own.
Bald Eagle nest at Delta, British Columbia
Passages of the Deep exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
Several zoos and aquariums across the country offer live cams that track certain animals.
Newport’s Oregon Coast Aquarium offers three live cams that are turned on at various times. You can watch otters at play or during feeding, coastal birds preening, and sharks and stingrays as they swim in the aquarium’s giant tank. A cool feature of the otter cam is the ability to move the camera angle to various parts of the enclosure. Use the tab at the bottom of the cam.
The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle offers three webcams with glimpses of the lives of bears, tigers and bats. The cams aren’t always on, but when they are, check in the corners for sleepy tigers or napping bears. The quality of the images is high.
The Yaquina Bay bridge in Newport.Dave Killen / The Oregonian
Some cams are silent, but some offer tantalizing audio that adds to the experience. In Newport, the Yaquina Bay live cam shows boats docked at the marina, seabirds flying above and often viewers can hear the call of sea lions and seals or the roar of a storm. You can almost taste the salt air.
For those who long to stroll the beaches, several cams offer live views both in Oregon and Washington. Here are a few that should have stunning shots or sunsets or storms in the coming days.
Beach webcams:
The beach isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There’s still plenty of snow in the mountains and ski sport enthusiasts are mourning the loss of what should have been a good spring skiing season. See snowfall and some spectacular view on these live cams:
- Timberline
- Hurricane Ridge, Washington state cam
- Mount Hood Meadows offers three cameras
- Mount Bachelor, Bend
For those who love birds, the options are vast. Spring is prime nesting time and many birds are either building nests or getting ready to lay eggs.
Here’s a list of fun bird-watching cams from all over the country.
The audio on this bird feeder cam is worth the visit alone. See how many different types of birds you can hear at a time. Also greedy squirrels often visit this feeding station in New York state.
More bird cam options:
- Osprey cam in California (with audio)
- Barred owls from AllAboutBirds.org
- Chicken cam Not in Oregon, but still fun to watch and has audio.
- Maryland wild waterfowl camera moves to give 360 degree views of the area
Note that all cam links were tested. Variations in internet speeds could cause some cams to not load. Some cams are inoperable at certain times of the day. Check the websites for details.
— Rosemarie Stein, events@oregonian.com and rstein@oregonian.com
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