Eagle Cam Is Back, First Egg Due In Few Weeks

(Should we assume this is a sign the economy is getting better when new nest construction is on the rise?)

The first egg of the season will be seem sometime in the next few weeks!  Spring is coming!

Last year CP promoted an eagle cam from Norfolk, Virginia.  It was a most remarkable experience to watch the process unfold from getting the nest ready, laying eggs and waiting for them to hatch, and then the wonder of watching the younguns’ grow…and GROW…until they took their first tentative flight to a near-by branch.

This year the eagle cam is back, and will be featured throughout the summer on CP.   Please be aware that you may need to install Adobe to your computer to see this cam.  Adobe is safe, and will allow for this web cam to bring a daily adventure to your computer.  If you get an ‘error’ box when viewing the cam please just refresh the page.

This web cam can be checked into at all times, though the pattern of eagle behavior varies. For now the best time (but not the only time) to see the parents are in the early morning.  That will all change in time.  Once the eggs are laid there will be constant activity. 

There are some night-time hours when the cam is off, and at times here and there when adjustments to the camera or such are being made.  For most daylight hours the cam is up and making folks go “aaawww” all over the planet.

There is also a moderated forum on the right side of the cam that allows for insight into these birds. 

Nuggets such as this can be found in the forum….

 I don’t think the cold weather will keep them from mating. I remember last year when the female laid the first egg on January 31st, in snow that had accumulated in the nest. There was a great deal of concern, but it was actively incubated & the eagles added nesting material underneath it, and all turned out very well!

and…

A female bald eagle’s body length varies from 35 to 37 inches; with a wingspan of 79 to 90 inches. The smaller male bald eagle has a body length of 30 to 34 inches; with a wingspan ranging from 72 to 85 inches. Their average weight is 8-15 pounds. An adult’s wingspan is approximately 6-8 feet wide.

Norfolk Botanical Garden is the site for this nest and the future home for this year’s eaglets.   The pair built a whole new nest this year, which is quite a feat when one considers the size of the nest, and the complexity of it.  The male is the ‘adjuster’ and is often seen removing and replacing a stick or branch to make it perfect.  Old nests are often used over and over after some repairs, but this year these two decided on a new location to raise their eaglets. Eagles will have a number of nests they call home and for whatever reason use different ones from season to season.

The parenting pair had three babies in 2010 and has successfully raised 15 eaglets in their eight years at the Garden.  The nesting season typically runs from mid-to-late summer.

Here are a few photos of what has taken place so far, and gives a tone for what follows as the season progresses.

 

Is it any wonder that teachers use this site for educational purposes and folks like me are drawn to it daily for updates on these amazing birds?