March 01, 2006
Eagle Festival
Nest Update: The father eagle has brought in a bounty of fish lately, and this is good to see because abundant food will reduce the competition between the chicks.
One of our cam watchers asked what the father does with his time and where he sleeps. The father roosts (or sleeps) in a nearby tree. He might even have a favorite roosting spot. The father eagle can sleep standing up because when he begins to fall asleep, his leg muscles contract and tendons in his feet automatically close his toes around the branch, locking him to the limb so he doesn't fall.
During the day, the father fills his time with fishing, perching, and looking out for unwanted visitors near the nest. If he sees another bird flying into the region around the nest tree, he'll chase it away.
As for the chicks, they're looking healthy, and each day they get a little bigger and a little stronger. Speaking of the siblings, something we can't really appreciate on the Eagle Cam's static images is the interaction between the chicks. The eaglets look rather passive on the cam, but they're moving and vocalizing even if we can't see or hear it.
If you'd like to see young eaglets in action, there is an amusing video posted on the Santa Catalina Island Eagle Cam website. Go to their Photos and Video page, and look for the video titled, "Chicks fighting in brooder at about 3 days of age." It's a WMV file (527KB), and it shows the eaglets wrestling with each other and with a towel. You can hear their high-pitched squeaks and see how they use the one tool they have -- their little beaks. Even though they're only three days old, you can already see them working the muscles that they'll one day use to tear apart a meal. I would certainly think twice about putting my hand in there with them. :-)
Eagle Festival
In this log post I also wanted to mention an important event that's coming up at Blackwater Refuge. Each year, around the middle of March, we celebrate the anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System by holding our annual Eagle Festival. This year is our 6th Eagle Festival, and it will be held on March 11 from 8am - 4pm. If you're within driving distance of the Refuge, we encourage you to come because it's our most popular event of the year.
On our website we have a schedule of events for the Festival, which includes activities for both adults and children. One of our most popular activities is the Eagle Prowl, where you can get expert help in spotting eagle nests and eagles around the refuge. We'll also have educational programs, live birds of prey, music, food, nature crafts, and an endangered species puppet show. Also we'll have a sale in our newly expanded Eagle's Nest Gift Shop where we have many wonderful nature items that are unique to Blackwater Refuge.
And while you're visiting the gift shop in our newly renovated Visitor Center, you can also see our Eagle Cam monitor, which features live video from the cam nest. Be sure to also look at the authentic eagle nest that we have on display near the store.
Several local nature centers will bring in live raptors for visitors to see up-close. The birds on display have been injured and can no longer live in the wild, but they are now ambassadors educating children and adults about raptors and what they need to prosper. Below are several photos taken at a previous Eagle Festival:
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So be sure to join us if you can. The festival is free and is a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys nature. It's also a great event for parents who want to teach their children to enjoy and respect nature as well.
A final note: March 14, 2006 marks the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which Teddy Roosevelt started in 1903. The Refuge System is special because it's the only set of public lands in America where wildlife is supposed to come first. If you'd like to learn more about the National Wildlife Refuge System, take a moment to view the slide show we put together for the Centennial Anniversary, which occurred in 2003.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster
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