LIVE Bald Eagle Nest Camera in Iowa

[NewMexiKen]

Although this does not apply to our local eagles, I believe we all are interested in seeing a nest camera in action. Hopefully, the Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Pembroke Pines will be soon teaming up to place a camera on the light pole opposite our eagle nest on Pines Boulevard. Notice the traffic noises around this nest-- sounds familiar!

Bob Andrini, President of Kane County (Illinois) Audubon Society sent me this e-mail with a link to an excellent nest camera view of the incubating adult. The site contains links to other nest cameras. You must first view a brief commercial, but it is worth the wait! (Attracting advertisers helps support the site)

This is a live 24-hour camera that's on an eagles' nest in Iowa.  

They're expecting them to lay eggs any day now (last year, she laid 3!), and then it takes about 35 days for them to hatch.  We've seen some pretty amazing--and sometimes rather graphic--footage of them having dinner, building the nest up, and sharpening their beaks.  

The kids are glued to this, and we are too...we've found that the best times to catch them in their nest are right around daybreak, at lunch, and early evening.  Enjoy!

IOWA EAGLE NEST CAMERA (be sure to view it with full screen!

<br />Online TV Shows by Ustream

[NewMexiKen]

Decorah Eagles

Total views: 471,661 The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. Visit our website: www.raptorresource.org

FIRST EGG LAID 2/23/11 about 5:30 p.m. CST
Here are videos, the first part when she lays... The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. Visit our website: www.raptorresource.org

FIRST EGG LAID 2/23/11 about 5:30 p.m. CST
Here are videos, the first part when she lays the egg, the second part when we get our first look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRevYtdjj5U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8YKxFmC0Pc

FAQ

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.

When were the eggs laid in 2010, and when did they hatch?
First egg was February 25, second on February 28, third on March 5. First hatch was April 3, second on April 6, third on April 9. All three eaglets fledged and are now on the wing but are not being tracked.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa. The nest can be seen from the hatchery, but visitors to the hatchery should keep their distance from the nest tree, both to respect the private property where the tree is located and to avoid disturbing the eagles.
Here is a ground-level video of the surroundings, taken in March 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzAh7trL2A

This video shows the eagles’ point of view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMObPADuIw

Where can I see pictures and videos of these eagles?
An archive of daily views of the nest over the immediate 24-hour period, taken every 2 minutes, can be found at http://www.raptorresource.org/decorah_eagles/5am.php Click on Eagle Dailies.

RRP has a YouTube site with many videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/ries96

Who operates and maintains this cam?
The Raptor Resource Project (RRP) maintains the cams, of which there are two. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities (PTZ). The main cam switches to infrared night-time view at dark and is streamed online 24/7.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of RRP, switches to the PTZ cam most days between about 9 and 10 a.m., and when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest. He will be especially attentive when egg-laying and hatching begin, from late February.

Where can I find out more about this nest?
Some articles in local papers about cam upgrades, with photos of cam installation, have featured the nest:
http://www.easterniowaoutdoors.com/2010/11/03/decorah-eagle-nest-cam-gets-high-tech-upgrade/
http://thegazette.com/2011/01/12/new-decorah-eagle-cam-yielding-stunning-images/

The nest was featured in the January-February 2011 issue of Iowa Outdoors, which can be purchased online.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. We establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing over twenty-three falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, we provide training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reach more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and our website, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them.
Our mission is to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, to expand participation in raptor preservation, and to help foster the next generation of preservationists. Our work deepens the connection between people and the natural world, bringing benefits to both.
Links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages can be found at: http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html

Does the Raptor Resource Project accept donations?
Yes! RRP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and relies on the donations of friends. There is a donation button on the RRP home page: http://www.raptorresource.org

What’s this about a PBS documentary on this nest?
The Decorah eagle nest was featured in a PBS Nature series program, “American Eagle,” that premiered in November 2008. Filmed by cinematographers Robert Anderson and Neil Rettig in high-definition, the video is available on DVD and online at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/american-eagle/video-full-episode/4349/

How can I read or participate in a forum about this RRP cam?
An active forum is found at http://raptorresource.org/forum/index.php/topic,556.135.html ( show less )

[NewMexiKen]

The Iowa eagle just laid a third egg, around 7:00 PM this evening!

This nest is 80 feet high, and the camera is positioned on a branch above the nest.

Wouldn't it be great to have such a view of our eagles!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/decorah-eagles

[NewMexiKen]

Note that this camera is mounted in a tree that sways in the wind. The camera appears to have a 1 second refresh rate, rather than the continuous live feed in the Iowa camera. This causes distortion as each frame loads with the nest in a slightly different position. See narrative below about how the nest was reinforced with 2x4s after being blown down.

"February 26 – Eagle is sitting low in nest, incubation is beginning. (Due to the position of the camera, the amount of eggs laid will not be known until they hatch). .."

Sponsored by Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, this camera is located at Lock and Dam 13 in Fulton, Il.

http://www.sumriver.org/webcam.html#

Direct link to the nest

http://208.86.162.113:82/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0

History of this camera -

Plans were to place a camera over the nest to monitor the nesting activities of the eagles. This nest has been active for seven years; however it has blown down 4 times. Last year was no different for it blew down in August of 2010, luckily after the young eagles fledged. Our goal was to install the camera in September before any activity took place. But, high water throughout the summer and fall months stopped that idea. Water levels finally dropped and we were able to install the camera in November of 2010. The pair of eagles started to repair the nest but at the same time they began building a new nest. We were unaware of the new site until after the camera was installed. Since we were already up there, the decision to sturdy the nest was made and a couple of 2x4s were installed. The boards would allow a sturdy platform for the nest and chances of blowing down would decrease dramatically. There are hopes that this nest may be used again.

This camera is placed high in the canopy of a larger tree nearby the new nest site. On windy days you will notice movement.

[NewMexiKen]

This Iowa nest camera web site is now regularly getting over 8000 viewers at one time.

Interesting-- the male eagle lines the three eggs up when he incubates them, and the female arranges them in a triangle. Probably has to to with the much greater size of the female, whose brood patch covers all three eggs at once, while the male may have trouble just keeping two under his breast.

I sent my sister a link. She is a teacher, and the nest camera is displayed on a TV in their break room all day.

This camera will really get popular when those eggs start hatching!

[NewMexiKen]

Georgia wrote (in reference to the Iowa nest camera):

"I’ve been trying to tell which one is the male and which is the female and can’t distinguish them.  Are there any distinguishing features besides the female being larger?"

Georgia

(Sorry I had to re-post your note, as it contained excessive formatting code.)
= = = = =

Georgia, in Bald Eagles, the only general distinguishing characteristic is, as you note, the greater size of the female. This applies only to members of a pair, as eagles from the north are proportionately larger and heavier than those here in Florida. Eagles in Alaska may be more than twice the weight of those in Florida, but the males will generally be significantly lighter than their mates, even though they may outweigh the females of the Florida race.

Females also have slightly larger bases of their bills and their hallux (back toe) is slightly longer, but these differences are not easily seen.

Individual eagles of either sex may exhibit peculiarities in plumage that can prove useful in telling the sex of a member of a known pair. For example, the male eagle at the Pembroke Pines nest has sported a few dark marks near the tips of its outer tail feathers, barely noticeable.

The female of the Iowa pair has some darkened feathers under her brow and around the back of her eyes. After you have been watching the pair for some time you will get to recognize both her greater bulk in relation to the size of the nest, and her distinctive face-- almost like meeting an old friend!

[georgia]

Thanks Ken!  You are a wealth of information!

 

Georgia

 

From: NewMexiKen [via Bald Eagles of Broward County, Florida] [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 3:01 PM
To: georgia
Subject: Re: Example of LIVE Bald Eagle Nest Camera in Iowa

 

Georgia wrote (in reference to the Iowa nest camera):

"I’ve been trying to tell which one is the male and which is the female and can’t distinguish them.  Are there any distinguishing features besides the female being larger?"

Georgia

(Sorry I had to re-post your note, as it contained excessive formatting code.)
= = = = =

Georgia, in Bald Eagles, the only general distinguishing characteristic is, as you note, the greater size of the female. This applies only to members of a pair, as eagles from the north are proportionately larger and heavier than those here in Florida. Eagles in Alaska may be more than twice the weight of those in Florida, but the males will generally be significantly lighter than their mates, even though they may outweigh the females of the Florida race.

Females also have slightly larger bases of their bills and their hallux (back toe) is slightly longer, but these differences are not easily seen.

Individual eagles of either sex may exhibit peculiarities in plumage that can prove useful in telling the sex of a member of a known pair. For example, the male eagle at the Pembroke Pines nest has sported a few dark marks near the tips of its outer tail feathers, barely noticeable.

The female of the Iowa pair has some darkened feathers under her brow and around the back of her eyes. After you have been watching the pair for some time you will get to recognize both her greater bulk in relation to the size of the nest, and her distinctive face-- almost like meeting an old friend!

Ken Schneider
Web site: http://rosyfinch.com
Blog: http://blog.rosyfinch.com

 

 

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[NewMexiKen]

Hi, Georgia--

Thank you!

I see you again have a large amount of format code at the top of your message. Possibly you are copying the text from a word processor document, such as MS Word. Or, perhaps your e-mail program may be set to format all your messages instead of sending plain text.

If so, you can avoid the format code by first pasting the message into Notepad or other program that uses basic text formatting. Easier, just compose it in Notepad if you prefer not to write directly in the FORUM. Also, use the "Preview Message" feature here in the FORUM before you post-- that way, you can remove the code and just leave your intended message.

Other readers may know more about this issue and might offer suggestions as to how to avoid it.  

[Georgia]

Sorry about the formatting!  Outlook has an option to format as plain text, which I always forget to click.  I noticed that the nest is visible at night (I kept an eye on it until 11 pm) and hope that the light being used isn't detrimental to the eagles.  It was interesting to see only one eagle (female?) on the nest at night.  Wonder where the other sleeps?  It didn't seem like a sound sleep, as she was repositioning about every hour and preening a little bit with her eyes closed.

Georgia

[NewMexiKen]

Yes, Georgia. We noted here that our local female spent the nights on the nest, both when incubating and when brooding the eaglets. When the eaglets get as big as our local pair, both parents may roost near the nest. The male usually roost somewhere within sight range of the nest.

The Iowa eagles like to roost in the open window near the peak of the big white barn over to the right of the nest. The camera sometimes pans there, and you have to look carefully even when it zooms in on the window-- look for its white head against the dark window opening, as the dark body blends with the background and the tail matches the color of the barn.

As for the light being on at night, there is a powerful street light that shines right on the Pembroke Pines nest. It has not discouraged them from nesting and even raising three chicks last year. We are learning that the eagles are pretty good at adapting to disturbances, especially those nesting in urbanized areas.

[NewMexiKen]

Navigate to the top of this thread if you are viewing thin in the FORUM, or if you are receiving this via e-mail, when you have time, click on this link to access the live feed from the Iowa Bald Eagle Nest Camera-- one of the eggs MAY be starting to crack. Note the behavior of the adult birds as emergence of the chick gets nearer-- it may take a day for this process to be complete. Then, the  next egg should open in about 3 days if it is fertile. The 35th day of incubation of first egg will be tomorrow, so it may be right on time.

Right now, the incubating adults are viewing and manipulating the eggs much more frequently.

VISIT: IOWA BALD EAGLE NEST CAMERA

Over 17,000 are now watching this live, and there have been 4.5 million visits to this nest camera since it started up about 5 weeks ago.
(Note the dead rabbit over to the left side of the nest)

[Trisha]

I am totally hooked watching this, Ken!   I wish we could see our eagles like this!  Thanks for the post!

[NewMexiKen]

The first Decorah (Iowa) eaglet hatched out this morning. I took a couple of screenshots:





You Tube collage of the 24 hours before the little eaglet emerged from the egg (view full screen):

[Linda954]

too cute.     seems one of the cams is down.   then directed me to another, but that doesn't seem to work for me.  :(

[Georgia M]

Here is a link to a great sequence of videos leading up to the first hatch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U_pme0dPhs

[NewMexiKen]

A drama just played out before our eyes. We had the Decorah Eagle Nest Camera on on the laptop in the kitchen while preparing dinner. I happened to look just as the male eagle got up from brooding the two eaglets and the remaining egg. He seemed to be cleaning stuff out of the nest, when he mistakenly picked up the older of the two chicks by its leg and tossed it to the periphery of the nest.

I immediately started capturing screen shots. (If images do not display in your e-mail, go to this web page link)

The male parent's action was entirely accidental, I'm sure. Luckily, larger branches form a sort of fence around the nest that kept the downy eaglet from falling to the ground. The male looked on helplessly as his little chick cheeped and tried unsuccessfully to climb up the wall into the nest cup.

The egg and the younger eaglet are together inside the nest cup, while the other eaglet is separated from them by the wall of the nest cup, down the deep slope to the right of this image:



Repeatedly, the chick failed in its attempts, sometimes falling back.



Finally, the female arrived to take up brooding and incubation duties, but the eaglet was immobile, exhausted and possibly feeling the effects of exposure to the cold:



At first, she seemed oblivious to the plight of the eaglet. As they are incapable of regulating their temperature at this age, the eagle chick faced certain death from hypothermia if it did not quickly return to the shelter of its mother's wings:



The female parent started nibbling on the edge of the nest cup, as if trying to clear a path, then reached out and gently rolled the chick up the incline and into the nest cup:



After warming up a bit, the eaglet begged vigorously and was fed:



Both chicks had a tug of war over one chunk of meat:



Now see the mother eagle's rescue in real time



See more videos from Eagle Cam Fan

[jo]

# babies how sweet

[Randy]

Ken,
Thank you for this new addiction.  We leave the nest cam on a good part of the day to watch the activity in the nest.  We share with people we know and tell them of the need one a nest cam for the Pembroke Pines nest.  We might find the right people yet.
Cheers,
Randy

[Randy]

The Decorah Eagles had an inch of snow last night brrrrr

[jo]

I have not seen an adult on the nest for a while