January 01, 2007
Welcome to a New Season
From what we've seen on the Eagle Cam during the month of December, it appears that the eagle pair are definitely gearing up for another breeding season. We've seen photos of the eagles repairing the nest, bringing in sticks and grass, bringing back fish and duck meals, and possibly mating in the tree. At this stage things look promising, so I thought it would be a good time to start up the 2007 Eagle Cam Web Log so we can talk about the nest happenings.
For those who are new to our Eagle Cam, we are in our third year with the eagles and their nest, which is in a loblolly pine tree at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge, Maryland. The Friends of Blackwater run both the Osprey Cam and the Eagle Cam, as well as this website. The Friends are a non-profit citizen support group that helps the US Fish and Wildlife Service staff carry out their educational, interpretive, and recreational missions at the Refuge. All of the Friends who work for the Refuge are unpaid volunteers, and we give our time because we believe in the Refuge System's goal of protecting local wildlife and habitat.
Blackwater NWR is one of over 540 wildlife refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is the only group of federal lands where wildlife is supposed to come first. Blackwater Refuge is unique in that we host one of the largest breeding populations of bald eagles in the country.
During our 2004-2005 Eagle Cam season, we were privileged to watch three bald eaglets hatch and fledge at the nest, and last year we were fortunate again to watch two chicks hatch and fledge. If you'd like to learn more about the nesting season and what to expect, be sure to read our entertaining Eagle Watchers' Guide (2.5 MB PDF file), which features highlights from our first year with the Eagle Cam.
At this stage of the 2006-2007 season, we can't guarantee that we will get to see any eggs or chicks, but if the eagles continue to bond and to tend to the nest, then sometime around the middle or end of January, we would hope to see an egg appear. During the last two seasons, whenever the female spent her first full night in the nest, the first egg appeared the next morning. So that is the timeline we're looking at -- hopefully an egg by the middle or end of January, or the first half of February at the latest. After the first egg appears, an additional egg or two might arrive, with the eggs coming 2-3 days apart.
Before I close this first web log entry, I wanted to share an interesting eagle story. Brian McCarthy from Magnolia, Delaware, had a very unusual eagle encounter right before Christmas and was kind enough to share a couple photos along with his unusual tale.
Brian saw two bald eagles locked together by the talons and cartwheeling through the sky. Cartwheeling -- or sky dancing -- is a common behavior among eagles that are about to mate. However, there are also times when two eagles that are competing over a territory or a mate will also lock talons and cartwheel through the sky, only to let go just before they hit the ground or water.
In Brian's case, the eagles didn't quite make it, and instead of breaking apart, this pair actually crashed. Brian said the birds appeared to be in a state of shock from their fall, so the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control was notified, and they sent a game warden out to help the eagles. Fortunately, the eagles appeared to be all right and flew away before the warden could capture them to check them over. Much thanks to Brian for sharing his unusual experience and for sharing the two photos below showing the eagles. Click on the thumbnails for a larger version.
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If you'd like to see the cartwheeling behavior in action, National Geographic has posted a wonderful video showing two sea eagles engaged in a cartwheeling challenge (note: there is a short ad at the beginning of the video clip).
Mid-winter Eagle Survey
I also wanted to mention that on January 11, we will be holding our 2007 Mid-winter Eagle Survey at Blackwater Refuge. If you live in the area and think you might want to volunteer, read our Survey page to learn more. Annual mid-winter eagle surveys are held throughout the country and help states measure the health of their local eagle populations.
Eagle Gallery
In closing, I want to thank everyone who has been sending in photos for our Eagle Gallery. The Gallery serves as a lasting record of the nesting season, and it is also helpful for cam watchers who miss some of the action while they're away from their computers. If you have never submitted a photo but want to find out how you can contribute, visit our Photo Submission page, which includes easy directions for capturing photos and emailing them to us.
Thanks for joining us on our new eagle adventure, and we hope our eagles will provide us with another exciting nesting season.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster
(contact)