The Port Lincoln Osprey nest has a second egg. Mum laid egg #2 on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the nest overlooking Proper Bay in Port Lincoln, South Australia, just over three days after her first egg of the season.
As the afternoon unfolded, there were signs something was changing. Mum became increasingly restless, her breathing grew heavier and she shifted repeatedly over the nest bowl. Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Mum stood and revealed two eggs sitting together in the centre of the nest. Afterwards, she carefully worked around the nest bowl, moving soft material with her beak before settling back over her growing clutch. Three days after the first egg transformed the start of the 2026 season, Mum and Dad now have two eggs beneath them.
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Port Lincoln Osprey Mum Becomes Restless Before Egg #2
Much of the afternoon had been fairly quiet at the Port Lincoln nest. Mum remained close to her first egg, occasionally getting up to adjust the nest before settling again. But as the afternoon wore on, her behaviour began to change. Her breathing became heavier. She shifted her position repeatedly and vocalised as she settled low into the nest bowl.
Then came the new egg.
At first, only part of egg #2 could be seen beneath her. A little later, Mum rose again and gave a clear view of both eggs side by side. The single speckled egg that had occupied the nest since Monday morning now had company.
Mum remained a little unsettled after laying. She stood several times, shifted nesting material and worked around the nest bowl with her beak before lowering herself back over the eggs. Before long, there was another clear look at the pair of eggs together.
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Egg #2 Arrived Just Over Three Days After the First
Mum laid her first egg of the 2026 season at about 7:15 a.m. on August 24. Egg #2 arrived at about 4:18 p.m. on August 27. That puts the two eggs 3 days, 9 hours and 3 minutes apart. The timing fell very close to the expected window.
Eastern Ospreys usually lay a clutch of two or three eggs, with several days often separating each one. After Mum’s first egg arrived on Monday, August 26 and 27 were the days to watch most closely.
She made everyone wait until late Thursday afternoon. Then the second egg appeared. In the space of just over three days, the Port Lincoln nest has gone from an empty nest bowl to a two-egg clutch.
Dad Takes His Turn With the New Two-Egg Clutch
The afternoon was not finished yet. Less than an hour after Mum laid the second egg, Dad returned to the nest with a fish. Mum took the fish and left to eat while Dad moved towards the eggs. He stood over the clutch briefly, adjusted some of the nesting material around the bowl and then settled down.
For the first time this season, Dad was sitting over two eggs. Mum later returned and resumed her place on the nest. It was a familiar exchange between the pair, but after everything that happened last season, the sight of two fresh eggs beneath them carries a little more weight this year.
The 2025 Port Lincoln Osprey Season Ended Without a Hatch
There is good reason for the cautious optimism surrounding this year’s clutch. Mum laid three eggs during the 2025 breeding season, arriving on September 4, September 7 and September 11. For weeks, Mum and Dad continued incubating them. But none hatched.
As October progressed, Mum began spending longer periods away from the eggs. Eventually they were left uncovered for extended stretches and it became clear the breeding attempt had come to an end.
The Port Lincoln Osprey team removed the eggs on October 15 and sent them to Adelaide for examination. All three eggs contained well-developed embryos, but none remained viable. The exact reason the entire clutch failed could not be determined.
After three eggs and weeks of incubation, the 2025 season ended without a single chick. That history is impossible to ignore as Mum and Dad begin again in 2026. Two new eggs do not guarantee a successful hatch. But they do mean the pair has another chance.
This Season Has Started Earlier Than 2025
There is another encouraging difference this year. Mum’s first egg in 2025 did not arrive until September 4. This season, she laid egg #1 on August 24, 11 days earlier. That timing is much closer to the successful 2024 season.
Mum laid her first egg that year on August 26, only two days later than this season’s opener. The 2024 breeding attempt eventually produced two young ospreys, Wilko and Kasse, which both went on to fledge. That does not mean the same outcome will follow in 2026.
Every breeding season brings its own challenges, and there is a long way to go before these eggs reach hatch day. Still, after last year’s disappointment, the earlier start provides an interesting comparison. And for now, Mum is once again sitting over a growing clutch above Proper Bay.
Could Mum Lay a Third Egg?
With egg #2 safely in the nest, attention now turns to another question.
Will there be an egg #3?
Eastern Ospreys commonly lay clutches of two or three eggs, which means Mum’s 2026 clutch may already be complete. But another egg is certainly possible.
Mum laid three eggs in both 2024 and 2025, and her first two eggs this year arrived a little over three days apart. If she follows a similar interval again, August 29 through August 31 becomes the next window worth keeping a close eye on.
There is no guarantee a third egg will arrive. For now, there is already plenty to watch. Four days ago, the nest bowl was empty. On Monday morning, there was one egg. By Thursday afternoon, there were two.
After a 2025 season that ended without a hatch, Mum and Dad once again have a clutch beneath them at Port Lincoln.
The wait for egg #2 is over.
Now South Australia waits to see whether Mum has one more egg to come.
The video was recorded and shared by mi kra on YouTube. The Port Lincoln Osprey live stream is provided through portlincoln-osprey.com.
Port Lincoln Osprey Egg #2 FAQs
When did the Port Lincoln Osprey lay her second egg in 2026?
Mum laid her second egg at about 4:18 p.m. ACST on August 27, 2026, according to the Port Lincoln Osprey Observation Board.
How long after the first egg did the second egg arrive?
Egg #2 arrived 3 days, 9 hours and 3 minutes after Mum laid her first egg at about 7:15 a.m. on August 24.
How many eggs are in the Port Lincoln Osprey nest?
There are currently two eggs in the Port Lincoln Osprey nest for the 2026 breeding season.
Could Mum lay a third egg?
Yes. Eastern Ospreys commonly lay two or three eggs, and Mum has produced three-egg clutches in recent breeding seasons. If another egg follows a similar interval, August 29 through August 31 is the next likely period to watch.
What happened to the Port Lincoln Osprey eggs in 2025?
Mum laid three eggs during the 2025 season, but none hatched. Examination later found well-developed embryos in all three eggs, although none remained viable.
When could the 2026 Port Lincoln Osprey eggs hatch?
Eastern Osprey incubation generally lasts about 35 to 40 days. If incubation continues normally and the eggs are viable, attention should begin turning towards possible hatching in late September and early October.
