Eagle Cam Web Log

Fledging in Vermont

Just a reminder that we've been told that on the night of June 1, the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative folks will open the bars on the hacking tower so that the eaglets can fledge.

According to Amy Alfieri, the Hack Site Coordinator, it sounds like the eaglets will likely start by "branching" on the perch poles in front of the hacking tower. Eventually they will fly out from the hacking tower, but will likely use the tower as a feeding station even after they are flying.

If you can't get a good view of the eaglets from camera #2, then be sure to check out camera #1. Steve Costello, the Vermont photographer who sent us the close-up hacking photos that we posted awhile back, said that if he takes photos of the fledging activity, he'll be sure to share them with us.

Below is a photo showing one of the eaglets in the first box preparing for his fledging debut. He certainly looks ready.

As for the cam nest, recent photos have shown that the youngest is still spending part of his nights in the nest, but it does seem that he's spending a good bit of his daytime hours out of the nest, likely on the nest branches. A sign that he has fledged might be when we don't see him in the nest at night.

Thanks to those who have been monitoring the Eagle Cam nest even though the action there is a little quiet. We appreciate our cam watchers keeping us up-to-date on the actions of the youngest. We'll update the Gallery at the end of this week.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Eagle Feather Uses

First, the latest nest news -

From the cam nest: We've seen the youngest eaglet, Aramis, still getting a lot of food from the parents, so we assume he has not fledged. The parents are doing a good job of taking care of him, which shouldn't surprise us, as they've been excellent parents. Athos, the oldest, only gets occasional meals from the adults, so we continue to assume he has fledged and is getting a good bit of his food elsewhere.

Also, one of our cam watchers suggested we do a comparison photo showing how the eaglets have grown, so here is a photo that shows how their bodies have changed over 11 weeks. Amazing growth for less than 3 months! Click on the thumbnail.

Finally, most cam watchers have probably noticed that the cam has been pushed down again. We think the wing-flapping eaglets might have done it. We're too close to an empty nest now to fix it, but we're working on ways to make the cam more secure for next season (December 2005).

Good news from Vermont: We asked Amy Alfieri, the Hack Site Coordinator, if we will be able to see our eaglet fledge on camera #2 at the Vermont Initiative website. She informed us that, "As of now, the plan is to open the hack boxes Wed. June 1 overnight. So you will be able to see the opened boxes on June 2. We will probably move the camera then, but our night attendent may do it sooner the next time he goes in to fill water bowls." We thank Amy for being so helpful in making sure we are kept current with all the happenings in VT.

Bird Banding: And on a slightly different topic, we talked about the banding of our cam eaglets awhile back. At the San Francisco peregrine falcon cam website, they have a great gallery posted that shows the banding of their falcon chicks. Note that in addition to the silver U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands, these falcons also received a VID band -- or visual identification band -- that can be more easily read using a pair of binoculars. Be sure to visit their banding gallery as the photos offer wonderful close-ups of the bands and the adorable chicks.

Now onto eagle feather uses...

In the last post we talked about the different types of eagle feathers and how the eagles use them to soar when searching for prey and when migrating. Another unique aspect of eagle feathers is that they are highly valued by Native Americans for religious and cultural purposes, such as marriage, healing, and naming ceremonies.

Traditional American Indian beliefs state that the Creator made all the birds of the world and signaled out the eagle as Master of the Sky. Because the eagle flies higher and sees farther, it is closer to Father Sky and is capable of carrying messages to the Creator. When one wears an eagle feather, the Creator takes notice; thus eagle feathers are seen as a valuable possession. An Indian brave, warrior, or chieftain would be highly honored to have earned an eagle feather through acts of bravery.

Under U.S. and Canadian law, a permit is required for anyone to possess authentic bald eagle or golden eagle feathers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs The National Eagle Repository where feathers from dead eagles are collected and distributed to Native Americans so they can legally use them for their ceremonial purposes.

According to the National Eagle Repository, the demand is great and "applicants can expect to wait about 3 and one half years for a whole bird order to be filled. Approximately 95% of the orders are for whole eagles. Currently, there are over 5000 people on the waiting list for approximately 1000 eagles the Repository receives each year."

This high demand often leads to eagle feathers being sold on the black market, where eagle traffic amounts to millions of dollars each year, and a single bald eagle feather head dress can bring more than $10,000. Eagle items are sought not only by Native Americans but also by collectors from as far away as Japan, Germany, Britain and eastern Europe. Just recently in Canada, an illegal eagle operation was discovered and exposed to authorities.

Possession of live or dead eagles or their feathers, without special permits, is a federal offense, punishable by stiff fines and possible prison sentences, but unfortunately that does not discourage some parties from killing eagles and moving them across the border between the U.S. and Canada.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works hard to disrupt black market activities and pursue poachers using their Office of Law Enforcement and the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory.

Another helpful factor is that less discriminating buyers can now find companies on the Internet that make imitation eagle feathers, which greatly resemble the real item, while taking nothing from the eagles.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Eagle Feather Types

First, some cam nest info. As of this coming week, the two oldest eaglets will be 12 weeks old and the youngest will be 11 weeks. Normally eaglets fledge anywhere from 9-13 weeks. They can become independent at around 16 weeks.

On the nest today we saw a parent eagle feeding a lone chick again. We also saw a cute shot of the youngest eaglet looking longingly over the side of the nest. It shouldn't be too long before he is flying himself.

And we have some interesting photos from the Vermont cam. One photo shows an eaglet with its wings wide, getting closer to fledging time. The other photo shows the little fish that come out on the eaglets' food tray.

Now onto the topic of eagle feathers...

Since all the eaglets, both here and in Vermont, will be flying soon, it seemed like a good time to talk about eagle feathers.

A full-grown eagle has over 7000 feathers on its body and has a large wingspan of 6-7 feet (upwards of 8 feet on the larger female). The eagle's large wingspan means it must use a great deal of energy to flap its wings. Consequently, bald eagles don't do that much flapping, but instead spend a great deal of their time soaring, which requires about a 20th or less the power needed for flapping.

Eagles use soaring or gliding when they migrate and also when they hunt and fish. Using thermals and updrafts, an eagle can soar continuously for hours.

Eagles have several types of feathers on their bodies, and these include the primary and secondary wing feathers, tail feathers, plume feathers and body feathers. The photo to the right shows the wing flight feathers and tail feathers with their parts labeled (click on the thumbnail).

The ten primary feathers are on the end of the wing and have different shapes, with the outer feathers being stiff and narrow; this is because they meet the air first and must provide wind resistance. These outer primaries are also notched and they can open like fingers, which can help a flying eagle to achieve lift and drag.

The inner primaries and secondary feathers are flatter and overlap to provide a smooth lifting surface.

An immature eagle's feathers will not take on the characteristic coloring of the adults until they are fully mature at about 4-5 years of age. Click on the thumbnail photo to the right to see a full set of bald eagle feathers. The image shows the different feather types, as well as the color variations between adult and immature eagles.

If you'd like to learn more about how eagles use thermals and updrafts to soar, then be sure to visit this website for more info.

In the next post we'll talk about the use of eagle feathers in Native American culture.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Photos & A Fledgling Eaglet

First, we are excited to announce that we believe the oldest eaglet, Athos, has begun flying.

We saw an interesting exchange on the cam nest Tuesday morning, where the oldest eaglet suddenly appeared with a very small fish (much smaller than anything the adults normally bring), and then proceeded to eat it all himself without sharing any with the youngest, who tried to get a piece. During the meal, we didn't see an adult, but one came on the scene not long after, holding its own much larger fish, which the same parent began eating.

We've also seen shots where the parent eagle has been feeding only one eaglet and not two. In addition, there have been several nights now where the youngest eaglet has been alone in the nest for long periods. It's likely the oldest is spending some of his time roosting in the tree, possibly with the parents. So when we add it all up, we think there's a good chance Athos is airborne.

And speaking of the cam nest, we wanted to post this great photo we have showing our Eagle Cam nest from the ground. It was taken awhile back using a telephoto lens so as not to disturb the birds, and it shows one parent on the branch watching over the eaglets in the nest. You can also see our camera attached to the tree. We thought you'd enjoy this perspective as you can see the branches where the eaglets are often sitting these days. Click on the thumbnail photo for a larger version.

On a technical note: Several cam watchers have written in to ask if we could move the camera so we could see more of the eaglets flying. Our fixed lens camera is positioned in just about the only place we could put it, so we're committed to the view we have now. We could go up and try to move it higher, but we don't want to spook the youngest eaglet into jumping out of the nest prematurely. We are looking into ways that we could offer a more flexible view next season, using something like a zoom camera. We've learned a lot in our first Eagle Cam season, so we'll try to put it to good use this December when we hopefully start another year with the eagles.

Finally, we have some news and photos from Vermont. Amy Alfieri, the Hack Site Coordinator, reports that she thinks the birds from different nests are getting along well. She says that the volunteers monitor the eaglets' behavior and they haven't seen anything too troublesome; in fact, she often sees the eaglets playing.

She also reports that they'll likely wait before opening the boxes until all the birds are ready to go. She said normally the time difference between those who are ready and those who are not is only a few days.

We also want to share two new photos from Vermont. Steve Costello, the Vermont Initiative photographer, sent these beautiful close-up photos of the Maryland eaglets at the hacking tower (we're not sure if either is ours). Click on the thumbnails below for a larger version.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Bird Banding

First, we wanted to share some additional news from the Vermont Initiative people. In the last log post we mentioned how our eaglets at the cam nest were starting to stand in the branches of the tree nest. Lil Lumbra, the VT media person has explained how it will happen at the hacking tower:

"The doors to the hack box will probably be removed around the first week of June. The bird's behavior will indicate when it will happen. As they become more restless, flapping wings, etc., we will remove the doors. In front of the hack box is a 3' wide platform with areas for perching. We want the birds to venture out of the box before they can fly so that they learn to come back to the box for food. This is called branching."

So the VT eaglets will be doing the same thing that our cam nest eaglets are doing in preparation for flight. Now onto bird banding...

When Craig Koppie was in the nest about ten days ago, he banded all three eaglets before he left. If you look closely at the eaglets' talons, you can sometimes see a silver-colored band on one of their feet. This brings up a good opportunity to talk a little about the important science of bird banding.

Banding -- or ringing in Europe -- has been going on for centuries, with the earliest recorded banding done by Henry IV, who banded his peregrine falcons.

Today, birds are banded in order to help biologists learn more about dispersal, migration, behavioral and social structure, life span, and population growth. Much valuable information has been learned about bird life through the use of bands.

Today there are four common types of bird bands: butt-end bands (the most common), lock-on bands used on hawks and owls, rivet bands used on eagles, and hard metal bands used on long-living birds or birds living in harsh salt water environments. Bands come in many sizes so they can accommodate all types of birds, and as the photo to the right proves, no bird is too small for a band (click on thumbnail photo).

When Craig banded the eaglets, he used a rivet band, which is a common band for eagles. The rivet band is made of a harder metal than the lock-on band, and this sturdiness prevents the band from being damaged by the eagle's powerful beak. Craig states that the bands do not heat up in the sun and won't harm the eaglets' feet.

Federal bands, such as the eaglets' are wearing, are issued in the U.S. and Canada and have 8 or 9 numbers with the words "WRITE BIRD BANDING LAUREL MD 20708" or "AVISE BIRD BAND WASH DC." ("Avise" loosely means "advise" in several languages). Some bands also have 1-800-327 BAND -- the toll-free number for the Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, which collects federal bird band reports.

While banding is important, what is equally important is that individual citizens help bird biologists by reporting when they find either a band or a bird that is wearing a band. In 2001, 1,049,646 birds were banded in the U.S. and Canada, and 97,204 recoveries were reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory. As for eagles, the count that year was 539 banded, 159 recovered (of course, not all that were recovered were banded the same year).

If you find a band or a bird that is wearing a band, there are several ways you can report it. First, visit the Bird Banding Laboratory website to determine what kind of band you have found and whether it's one that the Lab collects data on. Then you can either phone in a report, send it through the mail, or file it electronically on the Lab's website. The Lab will need to know the band number, and how, when, and where the band or bird was found.

On their website you can also find information about filing a report for auxiliary marked birds, such as those with only neck collars, colored leg bands, wing tags, or radio tags.

And if you find a band that has unreadable numbers, you can send it to the Lab and they can retrieve the numbers using a process known as etching, which employs a strong acid solution to bring out the band's inscription. Visit the Lab website for instructions on the proper way to mail in a band.

The North American Bird Banding Program is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Interior and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The two countries' banding offices use the same bands and reporting forms. The 1-800-327 BAND is a toll-free number from anywhere in Canada, the U.S. and most parts of the Caribbean.

Visit the Bird Banding Laboratory website if you'd like to learn more about the history of banding or if you'd like to learn how a person becomes a licensed bander.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Answers to your Questions

First, we wanted to pass along some info from the Vermont folks. Lil Lumbra, their media person, has confirmed that our eaglet is in box #3 on camera #2 (there are two eaglets in each box). Also, she kindly sent along this beautiful photo of two of the Maryland eaglets that arrived in Vermont (we're not sure if one is our eaglet). Click on the thumbnail for a full-size photo.

And before we get to Craig's comments, I wanted to mention something our cam watchers have surely noticed on our site: that the eaglets are out of view quite a bit these days. Our cam technician reports that they have taken to standing on the branches around the nest -- definitely a precursor to flying. In fact, here's an interesting photo showing only their shadows. The oldest could fledge in the next couple weeks. We'll let you know if we see signs that it has happened.

Also, here's an interesting pair of cam shots from today that showed the eaglets feasting on a fish by themselves. They're definitely growing up. Now onto Craig...

Craig Koppie, our tree-climbing endangered species specialist from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, was kind enough to give us his time so we could get answers to our most frequently-asked-questions regarding the Vermont hacking move. To give our cam watchers some background, Craig has been working with bald eagle and peregrine falcon recovery since 1977. He is a raptor biologist, bander, and master falconer and has personal experience caring for raptors in captivity.

First, we asked Craig if he could speculate on the sex of the second eaglet -- Porthos --based on the info he had after handling the bird. Craig said he believed that there is an 85% chance that the eaglet in Vermont is female. [A female musketeer -- it's about time] :-)

We also asked him if it would be a problem when the oldest eaglet at the cam nest fledges before the youngest. Craig believes it's likely it would not -- he said that the oldest eaglet leaving the nest first would encourage the youngest to want to fly, too. Craig also believes that the parents -- who have done such an amazing job raising the three young -- would most likely continue to take care of the youngest until he becomes airborne as well. After the birds fledge, they will still continue to use the nest as home base and the parents will continue to offer them food if they need it.

Craig also offered an interesting observation of something we can't see on the cam. While he was making the decision about which eaglet to take, he watched the eaglets on the video monitor at the Refuge to judge their maturity, and he said that when the parent brings a meal, there is a great deal of jumping about by the eaglets, who put up quite a ruckus over the idea of incoming food.

Regarding the Vermont hacking project, we asked Craig why the hacking box did not have straw or grass in it because we thought that would be more comfortable. Craig said that while some hacking projects use such items, he believes the Vermont biologists are not using it because it would present a real danger for fungal infection. Both straw and grass collect moisture -- from excrement, from driving rain, and even from food. Stagnant moisture in the nest would encourage the growth of fungi. If the eaglets were to cut their toe pad on a splinter or some other box item, then they could develop a staph infection such as bumblefoot, which can lead to the loss of a talon and eventually death if not treated properly. This would be especially problematic if it occurred just as the eaglets were about to fledge. (Note: Lil Lumbra from the Vermont Initiative confirmed that they are now using the same type of nesting material that they used last year when they successfully hacked 8 eaglets).

Moving the eaglets inside would not be a good alternative because the biologists want the eaglets out in the elements so they are prepared for when they leave the hacking tower for good. Even though the hacking tower is now their home, in about 3 weeks they will fledge and only use it as a platform from which to feed until they are catching their own food. The tower is meant to be a short-term home. Once they're independent, they will hopefully return to Vermont to breed because it will be where they fledged, but they will not return to the hacking tower to nest.

We also asked Craig about the water bowls. He said that unlike pet birds, raptors get most of their water from food. Fish skin, for example, holds a good deal of moisture. Craig believes the bowls are provided more as an added convenience, since the eaglets are getting water from the items fed to them by the eaglet care team.

We asked Craig if the eaglets will miss not having a parent around to teach them important skills. Craig reassured us that the parents are not needed for eaglets to become fully independent adults. He said flying is instinctual and hunting skills will develop in time. When the hacked eaglets first start collecting their own food, they will do what all eaglets do -- they will first focus on carrion, as well as fish in shallow waters because those are the easiest types of food to collect. Eventually they will learn to efficiently snatch fish out of the water with their talons. During this learning period, food will still be provided at the hacking tower until the eaglets can take care of themselves.

Finally we asked Craig if the Vermont eaglet will likely return to the Chesapeake Bay area during the eaglet's "bachelor" years and during migration seasons. Craig said he thought there was a good chance the eaglet could come back to the general area of its birth during these times, and then return to Vermont to breed. Craig said he thinks it would be worthwhile to put radio transmitters on the raptors so their migration could be tracked and the biologists could learn if hacked raptors return to their home nest areas at any time during the year. He said he hopes they can find funding for such a project because he believes the information would be valuable.

Craig stated that he believes the team in Vermont is providing high quality care for the eaglets. We want to thank him for taking the time to answer our many questions.

In our next log post, we'll talk about bird banding and the rivet bands that Craig put on the eaglets' feet.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

And the winner is...

Patti Young from Allentown, PA is the winner of the "Name the Eaglets Competition"!!

Patti teaches ninth grade Biology and twelfth grade Anatomy & Physiology at Dieruff High School where her students have become "eagle addicts" and have enjoyed watching the eaglets grow and prosper. We thank each of the students for tuning in and cheering on our raptors.

Patti was the first to submit the names of The Three Musketeers: Athos (eaglet #1), Porthos (eaglet #2), and Aramis (eaglet #3) . We had other cam watchers submit these names, but only the first can be eligible for the prize. Patti will receive a Blackwater eagle cap and certificates of appreciation from Blackwater Refuge and WildCam.com.

The Refuge staff thought that these were fitting names since our band of three eaglets have stuck together through thick and thin. Congratulations to Patti, and much thanks to all our contestants for giving us their time and sharing their creativity with us. We had a terrific turnout!

By the way, our cam watchers might want to hang on to their names in case we are lucky enough to have another "Name the Osprey Chicks Competition" this summer.

As a thanks to all the cam watchers who entered, we're offering the special desktop wallpaper featured below, which shows our intrepid musketeers as they went from little egg to mighty raptor. Follow the instructions below to put it on your desktop, and thanks again for entering!

Extra note: Craig Koppie was kind enough to offer his time today to answer many of our questions regarding the Vermont hacking move and the taking of the second eaglet. I'll be posting his answers in the next day or two in our Web Log.

For PC: Click on the link for your resolution. When the image finishes loading, right-click on it and choose "Set As Wallpaper" or "Set As Background" from the pop-up menu.

For Mac: Click on the link for your resolution. When the image finishes loading, click and hold on the image. Choose "Save This Image As" or "Download Image to Disk" and save the image to your hard drive. Go to the "Control Panels" and choose "Appearance" or "Desktop Patterns," and select the image as your desktop image.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Third Eaglet Eating

Just a quick little note on a miscellaneous set of topics.

First, the Refuge staff has picked a winner to the "Name the Eaglets Competition," but we're waiting to get in contact with that person so we can get permission to use their name in the announcement. Once we have that, we can share the winner with everyone. We also have a special surprise desktop wallpaper to post as a thanks to all who entered but did not win. We had a great turnout!

Also, a little eaglet note -- today it looked like the youngest eaglet was taking food from mom but was also tearing off his own food. He may have been doing this before, but we had an especially good shot of it today. Click on the thumbnail.

Also, both the eagle and osprey galleries have not had an update while we've been working through all the eaglet moving excitement. We'll try to get both updated this week. Thanks to everyone for their excellent photos.

And happy Mother's Day to the eagle mom. :-)

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Into the Hacking Tower

We have new Vermont photos showing the eaglet being moved into the hacking tower on Friday. These are courtesy of Eveleen Cecchini, the Supervisor of Eagle Care for the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative. Click on the thumbnails for larger photos.

We were told that eaglet #2 would be sexed, so we're trying to get that information. We're also trying to confirm that our eaglet is on camera #2 at the Vermont website. Finally some have asked why the tower box is not more like a nest and will the folks there "help" the eagles learn to fly or hunt. These are good questions and we'll try to get answers to them.

Finally, we wanted to say something about eaglet relations in our cam nest now that we have a brood of two. Several cam watchers have written in to say that they are pleased eaglet #3 was left with eaglet #1. It seemed to those who watch the cam regularly that eaglet #2 was rather competitive with eaglet #3. The competition between them was normal sibling rivalry and never seemed life-threatening -- and it did seem to dissipate as they got older -- but there was clearly a competitiveness between them that might have stemmed from the fact that they were the youngest and the third was at such a size disadvantage.

It's impossible to guarantee what kind of relationship eaglets #1 and #3 will have in the future before they fledge -- they're wild animals so no one knows for sure, and that's why we watch. But if past relations are any indication, their relationship could be relatively smooth.

If we get more information from Vermont, we'll be sure to share it. At the very least, in the near future we should be able to watch the eaglets fledge on the cameras at the Vermont website. Based on eaglet #2's age, that should happen this month.

A technical note: If anyone is having a problem seeing the cams on the Vermont website (for example if you're getting little red X's instead of the image), their website uses a small software program called Axis Media Control to display the cams. If your computer does not automatically download this, you can download it here: It's the first download at the top of the page. If you install that on your computer, you won't keep getting the red X's, and you should be able to see the cam image.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Mystery Solved

Eaglet #2 went to Vermont. Craig Koppie wrote back to explain:

"The eaglet that was hatched 2nd was the one taken for the Vermont project. The larger bird was a bit further developed than the other eaglets I already collected. I felt it best for the release, in Vermont, that the group was of the same age."

"The younger chick was not as developed and would have resulted in a longer period of time that the group would have to stay in the hack box. "

Apparently this change in plans had been discussed at HQ a few days ago, but not everyone at the Refuge knew about it; that's why Craig didn't say anything in the field, because he thought everyone knew.

Much thanks to Craig for his timely response and for his care in relocating the best candidate for the Vermont project.

This afternoon on the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative website, we saw eaglets put into the hacking tower on camera #2. We assume that one of the eaglets in the box is ours; we'll try to find out for sure. Here is a photo from this afternoon.

Note that we will announce the winner of the "Name the Eaglets Competition" shortly. The Refuge staff has selected a winner, but they are working out the final details before making an announcement.

Thanks to everyone for their patience while we sorted out the mystery,
Lisa - webmaster

Follow-up to Vermont Move

Over the last 24 hours, several cam watchers have sent us emails asking if there is any chance that Craig Koppie took another eaglet instead of the third one, based on the size of the birds that we saw in the special Gallery and the birds we are watching now.

We checked the photos again, and stated that we believed the third eaglet was taken as that was the plan. Later today, after having watched the live cam more, we want to say that we are not 100% sure that Craig took the third eaglet based on the evidence we have available.

Wednesday morning when Craig came to the Refuge, he did not come to our tree first. He first took two eaglets from another area and then came to our tree. Our ranger states that there is a small chance that when Craig got to the top of our nest and got his first good look at the third eaglet, he might have thought that he was too small to go with the bigger eaglets and live with them in the hacking tower. The last minute change would have been a diversion from the original plan, but would have been for the third eaglet's benefit out of concern for his safety.

When Craig came down the tree, he did not say anything about a change in plans, but to be fair to Craig, he had been scaling trees all morning, in the rain, and was very tired by the time he got to our tree. He was also concentrating more on the condition of the eaglets rather than our personal interest in the birds in that particular nest.

We have emailed Craig to get confirmation as he is the only one who knows for sure. We have heard that Craig is now waiting with the eaglets, and they will be flying to Vermont tomorrow on a donated jet. We don't know if Craig is going with them; if he is, we may not hear back from him until next week, but we want to get the scoop straight from him.

As soon as we hear from him, we will share that information. We didn't want to offer confusing twists in the story, but we wanted to be honest with our cam watchers about any doubt we might have and to reassure you we will try our best to track down the correct information so we know which eaglet went to VT and which eaglets we are now watching.

Now that we're up-to-date, we want to share some amazing photos with you that our ranger took from the ground on Wednesday. Click on the thumbnails below to see larger images. In the first photo is Craig Koppie scaling the cam tree. The second photo shows Todd from the Fish and Wildlife Service holding the bag with our eaglet. The third photo shows our eaglet tucked in the bag and on the ground. The fourth photo shows Valerie and Todd from the FWS moving the eaglet into the carrier. And the final photo (which will open in a full-size window) shows a magnificent portrait of our handsome bird.

We hope you enjoy these photos as they are some of the best close-up shots we'll get to see of the eaglets before they fledge and strike out on their own for good.

Thanks again to all those who have been following the cam and our Vermont saga. We appreciate your support and interest, as well as your good wishes.

Side note: We hear they are nearing a decision on the "Name the Eaglets Competition."

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster

Good Luck, Spunky Eaglet

A long post tonight folks, so forgive the wordiness. Lots to cover. :-)

First, we want to thank all the cam watchers who were able to watch the eaglet removal and who sent in their photos. We've posted a special Gallery collection of the eaglet removal photos. We hope you don't mind, but this one time we've passed on adding credits just so we could get the pages up faster. Much thanks again to all who made sure we were covered during the special event.

Second, we want to apologize to our cam watchers for giving such short notice about the eaglet move this afternoon. The Fish and Wildlife Service was in the area to take two other eaglets, and we suddenly got the call that they wanted to go to our nest today. Things moved so quickly that we weren't able to give much advance warning, but we did the best we could.

Based on the photos we received, it appears we got coverage of all that there was to see, so no one will miss any of the action. Also our ranger took photos from the ground and Craig Koppie took photos at the nest, so we'll be sure to share those as soon as we have them. We will also share any news we get about the third eaglet's progress once he gets to his new home.

According to Craig, when he first got to the nest today, the parents flew off and left him with the eaglets. The eaglets were a little nervous, so Craig talked to them and calmed them down. He also showed them the Vermont brochure you see in the photos -- all the while reassuring them that they were safe. :-)

Once the eaglets were calm, he quickly wrapped the third eaglet up so he wouldn't get hurt on the trip down the tree and then banded the other eaglets. After Craig made it to the ground, the eaglet was put in a proper carrier for his long trip. The parents then returned to the nest. Our ranger states that the third eaglet will now get first-class treatment as he is a "special project" eaglet that will enjoy 24-hour care.

According to Michael Amaral, Sr. the Endangered Species Specialist from the New England FWS Field Office, the final stop for the eaglet is a hacking tower. (Hacking is the term used to describe the process of hand-rearing and relocating young birds to reestablish populations.) The tower is about 25 feet off the ground and is a large segmented bird box with stick nests inside. It is open to a view of the water, but closed on the back where people can climb a ladder to slip food into it without being seen by the birds.

When the eaglets in the hacking tower approach the age where they are ready to fledge, the bars are removed from the front of the box and they depart on their own time schedule. Food is still provided nearby, like on the roof, if they want to return.

Visit the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative website to read more about the hacking towers and to see photos.

Why Did the Eaglet Go?

Since we announced the news that the third eaglet would be going to Vermont, we've naturally had cam watchers write in to say that they will miss the eaglet -- as we all will -- and that they wonder about the need to remove an eaglet from its home.

For the eagle parents, we're sure they will notice that the third chick is gone, but they will be busy with two almost full-grown eaglets, so they will have plenty to focus on in the coming weeks.

As for the third eaglet, even though he was well cared for at the nest, there are advantages to removing him early: he will be sure to get all the food he needs without having to share any with other siblings, and there won't be any chance he could accidentally get knocked out of the nest by one of his bigger siblings (a problem that sometimes occurs in more crowded nests).

Relocating young birds of prey is not a new activity and has actually been a valuable tool for helping raptor populations to recover throughout America. In fact, quite a few osprey chicks have been taken from Chesapeake Bay nests so that they could help revive populations in states that saw their osprey numbers plummet in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

The Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative hopes to do the same with bald eagles. The goal of the program is to raise at least half a dozen eagle chicks for release into the wild annually between 2004 and 2006, with the hope of establishing a self-sustaining population of nesting bald eagles so that the raptor can be taken off the state's Endangered and Threatened Species List. This, in turn, will contribute to the national effort to raise bald eagle numbers to the point that the bald eagle can eventually be taken off the federal Endangered Species List, where the bald eagle is now listed as threatened.

Getting a species to the point where it can be delisted from endangered or threatened status is a difficult task because many threats exist for animals in the modern world.

Even though pesticides like DDT have been banned, eagles still face numerous threats such as shooting, poisoning, colliding with automobiles, getting electrocuted by power lines, and having their habitat and fisheries polluted or destroyed by humans. Having a healthy bald eagle population in as many states as possible will greatly help the raptor's survival in the long run and will be needed if the bald eagle is to recover fully.

In addition to helping Vermont establish a nesting bald eagle population, our third eaglet will also play another pivotal role -- he will be an ambassador for all bald eagles.

Volunteer Eveleen Cecchini, co-founder of Outreach for Earth Stewardship, has worked on the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative, and she does a good job of explaining the impact the eaglets have on residents in the state and especially on those who volunteer to work with the raptors:

"I see it as fostering ecological literacy," Cecchini says. "Less formally, it's strengthening respect and understanding for wildlife through education, and providing experiences for the lay person to build a respect for the need to maintain wild places by providing the opportunity to establish a personal relationship with bald eagles through education. By providing the opportunity for Vermonters to establish a personal relationship with these bald eagles, this project inspirits the desire to protect, conserve and maintain wild places in Vermont for future eagles."

"There is a tremendous power in that, and it helps people appreciate and value the eagles' inherent wild nature and the birds' roles in our ecosystem, while reinforcing our responsibility to maintain a healthy ecosystem for their wild relatives."

All the eaglets selected this year will contribute to this effort to educate residents while at the same time building a more secure future for bald eagles everywhere. The third eaglet will definitely be missed, but we're glad he will have such an important job to perform in the near future.

You can visit the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative website to read more about the volunteers who are working with the eaglets.

Once again, thanks to our cam watchers for making today a great success,
Lisa - webmaster

Going to the Green State

As many of you know, last month the nest was inspected and the cam repositioned by Craig Koppie -- an endangered species specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At that time, he recommended that our third eaglet be chosen to take part in the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative. The Initiative is a special project that hopes to reestablish nesting bald eagles in Vermont. You can see the original log post here.

We have just heard that our third eaglet has been chosen to be part of the program. We are now planning a date when Craig can go up to retrieve the eaglet. When he does remove the eaglet, he will do so with the utmost care to ensure the whole family is safe during the operation. Craig is an expert at relocating birds of prey, so he will take all the necessary precautions while going up.

While he is there, he plans to band the eaglets. Banding is when an anklet or similar device is placed on the bird so that they can later be identified; banding does not hurt the bird and it helps scientists track them and learn more about their habits.

Our third eaglet is a good candidate for this program because he's in a large family and appears to be very healthy according to Craig. In Vermont, our eaglet will be well taken care of by humans -- but they will minimize contact so that the eaglet keeps a healthy fear of people. He will be fed and given a home with other eaglets until he is ready to strike out on his own. It is hoped that he will survive to the breeding age, and then return to Vermont to start his own family.

At this time, we plan to operate the cam during the banding and retrieving of the eaglet so our cam watchers can see as much of the process as possible. When the Refuge staff has reached an agreement as to a good date for going up the tree, we will announce it on the cam page.

We are working with our ISP to iron out the problems that they have had with our website server. According to them, our difficulties should end in the next day. We plan to be fully operational when the eaglet move takes place, but even if we have problems, remember that you can still follow the action on WildCam.com as well.

Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster