Springtime is officially here, which means new life is emerging. Thanks to some quality livestreams, you needn’t miss any of the action. From your desk or your home, or during your commute, tune in to the following webcams for all manner of critters as they welcome new family members. Your schedule may be hectic, but remember, nature’s majesty is unfolding just outside your virtual door.

BIRDS

Cornell’s Ornithology Bird Feeder webcam, nestled deep in the Sapsucker Woods just outside Ithaca, New York, offers a ringside seat that won’t disappoint. Here, you can witness birds from across the Finger Lakes region as they gather at the local diner (i.e., bird feeder) before heading onward to their daytime duties. It’s a great webcam for avid birders, as Cornell Ornithology Center is home to multiple species. Tune in during the action-packed morning avian rush hour to see how many you can identify. 

FOALING STALLS

Calling all horse lovers! Would taking a peek at mares as they tend to new foals strike your fancy? Foals are born in early spring, following a gestation period of 11 months. At birth, offspring weigh in at about 10 percent of their mother’s weight and gain approximately three pounds per day. Amazingly, foals can trot within an hour of birth, and will stand on all fours while nursing. Within hours, they can canter, and most can gallop by day two. What’s more, you get to live-witness this amazing feat (pun intended).

EAGLES

If something slow-paced and solitary feels right, consider observing the bald eagles of Decorah, Iowa. From their perch at trees’ tip tops, these iconic bald eagles carefully tend to their nests. Tune in to find out whether dad or mom incubates the eggs that will hatch in about 35 days' time, as male and female eagles take turns incubating their eggs. They’ve got a system down pat—one adult is present at the nest for their young’s first two to three weeks, while the other is off hunting for food. In another 12 weeks, their offspring will fledge (that’s eagle-speak for “take that first leap into flight”). When the time comes, both mom and dad stand by to offer parental support—feeding, teaching, and guiding their eaglets for another six weeks, until they hit the developmental milestone that is the ability to self-feed. Talk about an eagle-itarian mindset!

HUMMINGBIRDS

Winter’s silence reigns no more, our chatty feathered friends seem to be expressing, as they seize each spring day at morning’s light. In fact, Bella Hummingbird—the star of this webcam—is already busy, diligently raising her family in La Verne, California. Several days before the vernal equinox, Bella’s eggs hatched, and for about two weeks beforehand, she built a nursery. Watching her weave bits and scraps of errant material together to create a nest of spiderlike silk was nothing short of magical. The silk bindings ingeniously allow Bella’s nest to expand as her family grows. How’s that for planning? Tune in to watch Bella manage her domestic duties with grace, as her offspring mature before your eyes.

VARIOUS AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Last and surely not least, behold a portal into wildlife on the great continent of Africa. This webcam affords virtual visits to a game reserve located near South Africa’s northernmost border, where Botswana meets Zimbabwe. Majestic Africa offers strange and wonderful wildlife sightings that stateside animal lovers can only visit at a zoo, or via imagination. Keep in mind, there’s a significant time difference between the United States and Botswana, so depending on the time of day, action will vary. However, the variety of game one can observe at Pete’s Pond on the Mashatu Game Reserve is truly impressive: You’ll spy elephants, impalas, lions, warthogs, elands, and baboons, to name a few.