April 07, 2005
Cam & Third Chick
As you might have noticed, the cam was repositioned Thursday morning. Craig Koppie, an endangered species/bald eagle expert from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, climbed the tree to inspect the condition of the nest, to check the chicks, and to reposition the camera while he was there.
Craig said the nest is in good condition following our windstorms. He also reports that the third chick is strong, healthy, and has good muscle development. He said it's clear that the parents are providing enough food for all three chicks and are making sure that the third chick is getting his fair share. From what Craig can tell, the third chick is developing normally.
Craig is also part of the USFWS effort to reintroduce bald eagles into the state of Vermont, which is the only state without at least one pair of nesting bald eagles. Within several weeks, the USFWS will be transplanting several eagle chicks from the Chesapeake Bay area to Vermont where they will be raised and, later this summer, released into the wild.
Craig has suggested to our Refuge Manager, and he has agreed, that the third chick would be a good candidate for this program. We should know shortly if our third chick gets the "nod" and when it will happen.
Everyone at Blackwater Refuge is excited that our littlest chick is not only healthy and strong, but might get to play a role in reestablishing bald eagles in Vermont. We don't have any more details now and we want to stress that there is still a chance the eaglet will stay put, but we wanted to share this good news with our many cam watchers who were worried about the condition of the third eaglet.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster