Mr. Lawrence was the teacher responsible for getting the Eagles4kids project off the ground and to the cottonwood tree near the Beaver Creek. An initial grant was written which gave the project $5,000 to purchase the camera and install everything needed. Season 1 and 2 streamed with no audio. The camera used for streaming was an axis camera, and the views in the late day were famous. Many viewers started to call this the "Golden Nest." It was spectacular. The students came up with the name Eagles4kids. They also thought of names for the eagles and in the end, it was decided they would be called Larry and Lucy. Soon after, the "L" family was born with the addition of a squirrel they named Lucky which frequented the nest and narrowly escaped the eagle's talons many, many times. On occasion we would see Larry or Lucy bring a dead squirrel to the nest. This was never Lucky as he would "ALWAYS" escape. So, the students named any dead squirrel Lunch. Of course the "L" family would continue in Season 2 with eaglets, Luke and Lilly. However, Season 1 didn't turn out as expected. None of us really knew when to expect eggs to be laid here. We guessed some time late February to early March based on the nest in Decorah, Iowa. Mid March Lucy, our female left and never returned. Not long after another female appeared and Larry and this new female became on bonded pair, and the next season raised Luke and Lilly. Season 2 was the Utopia of eagle seasons. It was so fun to watch and we learned so much. Season II (From the Students)Eagles4kids was created by our teacher who wrote a grant. We named the eagles Lucy and Larry because Silver-Gold, Sampson-Delilah, and Jack-Jill were voted out. The eagle nest is near our school. It is in a cottonwood tree about 60 feet up. Lucy and Larry are roommates with Lucky and his girlfriend Buddy (the squirrels) and they live in the bottom half of the nest. Last year Lucy left for 10 days during prime time egg laying. Nobody knows why. Maybe she ate too much. The last day she ate a whole rabbit by herself, and she ate 2 animals the day before. We were really disappointed. Lumberjack Larry kept coming back building to the nest even though Lucy wasn't there. Many times he would stand motionless, looking for her. Very sad. This is our 2nd year of Eagles4kids and we have different classmates than last year. We are in a 3rd and 4th grade combined classroom with our crazy and awesome teacher Mr. Lawrence. Our school is called SoSET (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology). We have worked really hard to create this project. We hope you enjoy it. Season 2 Highlights March 2, 2012 ~ Egg 1 was laid April 7, 2012 ~ First Egg Hatched March 5, 2012 ~ Egg 2 was laid April 10, 2012 ~ Second Egg Hatched Season two was the "Utopia" of nesting seasons for any pair of eagles. No real problems were observed unless you count the "fludge." First Fledging: June 26th, 2012 Although this is really hard to be offical. One of the eaglets "fludged" from the nest. It attempted to branch above and fell from the branch and over the edge of the nest. Second Fledging was really too hard to determine. Season 3, if eaglets are raised should be easy to determine when fledging occurs. Season 3
New Update on Current Situation: January 2013
We sincerely thank you for your interest in the Eagles4kids nest cam and most recently in our beautiful female eagle Lucy. We understand some viewers have not followed her story from the beginning of her injury. In the spirit of everyone having the opportunity to have a full understanding, let me recap Lucy’s situation. Because there is great interest in Lucy and her injury, this explanation will be lengthy. Many people have expressed interest in specifics on Lucy’s case. We want viewers to understand her situation and have answers to questions that have been on their mind.
In late August after rearing two healthy eaglets, Lucy and Larry left the nest area which is normal behavior for adult Bald Eagles. Adults leave the nest area with their youngsters, teaching them to hunt and learn the fine points of being an eagle after fledgling. Lucy re-appeared at the nest in mid-November. At that time, it was obvious she had suffered, and survived a horrific injury to both legs and feet. By the time she returned to the nest in November, Lucy’s injuries had “healed”. While we cannot be certain, our educated guess is Lucy suffered two broken legs and nerve damage caused by compression to her legs/feet/toes. By the time she returned to the nest in November the toes on her right food had a dark and shriveled appearance, which is suggestive of nerve and tissue death. The toes/talons of her right foot healed in a semi-functional position. Due to the degree of healing, we judge the injury occurred months before possibly as early as late August or September. Late last week Lucy’s rt. Hallux (back toe) fell away. Yesterday, the remainder of the dead rt., including the toes fell away. Although it may appear shocking, it is not painful. Dead tissue and the nerves involved have no pain. We expected and anticipated this happening. It is the normal end result of tissue following loss of circulation.
We do not know for certain what caused Lucy’s injury. As wildlife professionals we can offer educated guesses. The short list is as follows: 1. She was most likely caught in a jaw or body trap meant for a mammal such as a coyote, fox or other fur bearing animal. Traps of this nature are legal and used in the fur industry. Bald eagles and other raptors are more frequently trapped accidentally in such traps in the fall and winter season. A trap would explain her serious injury to both legs/feet in a single event, as well as the loss of circulation. 2. She may have had contact with an electrical line or faulty contact. Electrical shock could also explain the injury both in terms of fractures as well as tissue death, which Lucy exhibits. If you follow the Decorah eagles, you are well aware of the serious problems electricity can have. 3. She may have had fishing line or some other type of line wrapped tightly around her legs/feet. Monofilament fishing line is perfect for fishing as it is nearly invisible and almost impossible to break. Sadly, when wildlife becomes entangled in it, and that is often, they are unable to break it or remove it from their bodies.
All of these scenarios are possible causes for Lucy’s injury. Notice all are human caused, as are 98% of injuries to wildlife that come into wildlife rehabilitation centers in this country. Raptors, including eagles have a strong pair bond. Frequently injured adults are cared for by their mates. It would have been impossible for Lucy to survive with what were likely two broken legs/feet without help from her mate to bring her food and protect her from predators. When they reappeared, this pair of Bald Eagles, Lucy and Larry, had been through and survived a great deal. Lucy returned to the nest full of vigor, flying strongly, vocalizing and interacting with her mate Larry. She showed skill and tenacity adapting to her disability. The entire team was very surprised to first, see such difficult injuries healed, and second how well she had adapted to an injury. This type of situation has never been recorded previous to this incident with Lucy. She is teaching biologists, viewers and the children at Eagles4kids a great deal about how wild birds/eagles cope with disability.
Lucy has and will always have a disability. Her disability is a fact. It will not go away. By the time she returned to her nest, she had healed completely, no medical intervention would have made a difference in the further or more complete recovery of her legs/feet. Raptor experts including veterinarians were called to consult on Lucy. An important consensus of opinion was Lucy was not in pain. The tissue was dead tissue and therefore had no nerves ending. Lucy’s behavior confirmed she was not in pain. Lucy adapted to her disability. Her behavior was absolutely normal. Had there been no cam on the nest, we would not have known Lucy has been injured. Early on in in this process an effort to trap Lucy began. While Lucy was adapting well, with her in hand, we hoped to learn what caused her traumatic injury as well as find a captive placement for her. An experienced raptor trapper, the finest in the mid-west, was called. Lucy did not respond to the trap site. For weeks she ignored traps that other eagles would have found tempting. Trapping an eagle that does not want to be caught is difficult if not impossible. It is possible; even likely, Lucy had been trapped before. She may recognize the set- up and appeared determined to avoid the sets. Raptor biologists use the term “trap trained” for a situation when a bird has had previous with traps and does not respond to them.
Last week another effort to trap Lucy was initiated. A territorial dispute with another female eagle at Lucy’s nest was cause for concern to eagle experts consulting on her case. Of interest, our confident Lucy was the aggressor in this conflict. In addition severe cold temperatures may have placed additional challenges on Lucy’s ability to feed. Once again however, Lucy ignored the trap site and foiled our best efforts.
Lucy is a strong spirited bald eagle. She has proved herself capable and has adapted better to her disability than anyone thought possible. She is amazing and is teaching wildlife professionals, cam viewers and the children involved in the classrooms, a great deal on a daily basis about how wildlife adapt to injury and even disability. We are all in awe of her pluck and strength of character.
Please understand that we too were shocked when we first saw Lucy’s disability. Very quickly we began to see Lucy as a miracle on wings. The question became how is she adapting? How does she make this seem easy when we are all stressed and worried about her? Teachers live on this site and observe her constantly. Food is being supplied to aid in her ability to feed in event she needs it. However, lacking any workable solutions, we must allow her and Larry to take the lead. They are bald eagles after all and certainly the best to evaluate their own situation.
We understand observing individuals with disabilities may be difficult for some. We wish things were as they were last spring. We wish we had two healthy Bald eagles going into breeding season, but we do not. We still have our Lucy and Larry, the eagles that gave us great pleasure last spring and summer with their nest of healthy eaglets. We watched them interact as a pair and become parents. It seems to us the least we can do is respect their current situation and allow them to remain a pair as long as they can or have the desire to do so. They have earned our respect and understanding. They continue to be a pair and are nonchalant about her disability. We do not know what the future holds for them. We know that any wild animal with a disability in general has a shorter life span than those without disability. Please understand this is new territory for all of us including this brave and remarkable pair of Bald Eagles. Lucy is not being ignored. She is not suffering undo pain and while she is sometimes frustrated with her disability which is to be expected as she continues to recover, cope and learn her new capabilities. While it may be hard for some to watch, she is getting along well thus far. She and Larry seem to be unaware of the concerns we have for them.
If you find watching our site uncomfortable, please tune us out during this time. We will not give up on Lucy while she continues to try to maintain her life as normal as possible. If the time comes when she is unable to thrive, we will bring her into care. She is being observed not only daily but constantly. We know where she sleeps, roosts, eats and even who she chatters with during the day. Lucy is not alone in the world as some assumed. Lucy has earned every second of her life. She has overcome so much, with the help of her mate Larry. They did this together. We respect her enough to allow her to have the opportunity to live her life and learn from her. We hope you understand.
We wish Lucy and Larry were both intact and able bodied. That is not the case nor the cards they were dealt. We are committed to Lucy. We will not “remove” Lucy from her nest to opt for more comfortable viewing for those that reject her disfigured legs and disability. In the natural world there are no mistakes. A pair would not remain together if there were no hope for one of them. Larry is standing beside Lucy. We will follow his lead.
Thank you for your continued support,
Marge Gibson, and Eagles4kids
Lucy Then and Now
Lucy, Then and Now So much has happened in three quick seasons. So many emotions get tugged when you partake in watching eagle web cams. Eagles4kids with Lucy and Larry is no different. In case you are not familiar with the “L” family, here is a synopsis. This is the fourth season of Eagles4kids. During season 1 all was looking normal until the female (Lucy) disappeared at egg laying time. Several days later a female showed up, but most are in agreement that it was NOT the original female. Even though there were similarities, the new Lucy seemed more mild mannered than the first. Thankfully Larry accepted her. Season 2 really confirmed we were watching a new female and her first clutch. Larry really taught her how to raise the eaglets and it was amazing to watch. Lucy would tear food off and Larry would get it from her and feed the eaglets. Larry and Lucy were successful at raising two fledging eagles: Luke and Lilly. Season 3 everything changed. Everyone was eager to watch a successful season with the aide of another camera. A PTZ camera was purchased and installed near the old stationary camera. Little did we know how important this camera would prove to be. November 16, 2012, Lucy appeared for the first time on camera. We knew something was wrong. An injury occurred with her foot or both feet, but we really couldn’t see well enough. In January of 2013 the dead tissues of all the toes and a portion of the right foot fell off and Lucy was left with a knob which continued to heal. Her left foot even though it had all the toes and talons, was damaged as well. Later we learned the hallux (back toe) must have been broken.
As soon as we learned what Lucy was living with Eagles4kids sought the help of professionals. Keep in mind; though we had some visual of in the injury, the cameras were not streaming with the highest of quality which made determining a solution difficult. Since the beginning of Eagle4kids, we have always had a partnership with The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. Scott Mehus was contacted and later Marge Gibson from R.E.GI. in Antigo, Wisconsin. The conclusion was made that we would leave Lucy be and let her be an eagle to the end. Whatever that was. Nothing could be done for her injury, and by netting her most likely the result would be euthanasia.
The choice was not an easy one. Lots of people were consulted on this. Lots of emotions were strong. In the end, the right decision was made.
Lucy has taught us so much. So many people have commented on her disability and the strength it gives people with disabilities. This journey also teaches our youth that any living thing with a disability is special in its own way and should be given every opportunity possible. Lucy is teaching everyone about how animals in the wild can and do cope with injuries and survive.
Flash forward to March 9, 2013. The improbable happened. Approximately 2:23 P.M. Lucy laid an egg!
All eyes were on Larry and Lucy as they incubated that egg for the full incubation period. More days passed and eager eyes were looking for anything that looked like a pip (hole in the egg which is the first sign of hatching). During the night of April 20, 2013, the egg made a loud popping sound and disintegrated into pieces. Larry and Lucy’s efforts did not yield the eaglet they and everyone wanted. Again, we learned a vital lesson. Twenty-five percent of all eagle eggs laid each year do not hatch for one reason or another.
The world would continue to watch and be filled with wonder. We left the cameras on, but June 29th would be our last camera view until late summer. Where did she go and how did she manage? Those answers are not known.
Season 4 looks to be filled with unlimited potential for Lucy and Larry to raise an eaglet(s). Lucy will be the first female with a serious injury to raise young on camera if everything proceeds as we hope. Lucy has learned and fully adapted to her “NEW” normal. We should be excited with every visit. We cannot forget that Lucy may not be here if it were not for the best eagle mate in the land! Viewers continue to wonder some of the same thoughts others have that maybe are not as connected to this nest as other nest or the situation regarding Lucy.
Lucy and Larry have come so far. Everything is in a positive state at the moment. The project reaches far and wide and now in 101 countries. We thank everyone for the continued support. Thank you for reading about Lucy and Larry.
Kind regards,
Darrin Briggs ~ Eagles4kids.com
Season 4: Larry & Lucy
Lucy came back to the area in August but was really laying low and was difficult to spot. Larry on the other hand was much more noticeable. Both really stayed away from the nest itself.
Many have asked if there will be roadkill deer put out for her. At this time we have elected to see how the winter goes and not "feed" the eagles like we did last winter. We knew her health last season was of utmost importance and she was still learning how to deal with her new normal. Her life was really in jeopardy. I chose to contact the WI DNR and gained permission to pull carcasses off the road and put them near their nest to ensure food for her. I have contacted the WI DNR for this season and will also pull carcasses off the road, "If we see there is a need." At this time, she appears to be eating everyday. When she comes to the nest, we see feaking, crop drops and regular PS's.
Larry and Lucy are approaching a new nesting season and we continue to be amazed by them every day. In the meantime, you can usually see her early in the mornings and after 3:00 P.M. She has been sleeping in the nest most nights. Stay tuned for more on these two wonderful eagles.
Updated on December 26, 2013
Just before the really cold weather over a week ago, Badger Mining and Eagles4kids coordinated a deer drop off. All the calls were made to the local DNR people to make sure this was acceptable. Soon after the drop Larry and Lucy were seen eating from the deer. And as of Saturday, January 11th, I dropped off 3 deer hearts courtesy of bow hunters in Maryland. One of our moderators (Photofun) , sent them via FedEx. Larry actually went down to eat and brought one back to the nest for Lucy! How cool is that? Do not underestimate how far this project reaches. I am sure the hunters filled with pride when they knew there genorosity made a difference.
Talon's Tidbits - Season 5 October 14, 2014
Season 5 is sure to be a banner year. It is October and we have lots of eagles around and this makes ID'ing very difficult at times. In fact, we will probably stay away from ID'ing much until we know what female wins over Larry and the nest. Nature will prevail as it always does. The strong will survive.
I don't really expect much as far as nestorations until January and February. However, the eagles will make that determination and we will wait and see. If you have missed some of the action already, don't worry. There is a lot ahead of us. However, if you would like to catch up, take a look at the "Daily Updates" tab in the menu or the "Videos and Pics" tab.
Of course people still ask about Lucy. I do not expect to see her here. I have not seen her since she left. There are too many eagles vying for Larry's attention or to the nest. This is prime habitat!
December 15, 2014
To date, there is no sighting of Larry or Lucy. We have a new pair here and we need to be thankful. They have copulated a couple of times, but remember that there is a short window when the female will be ready to lay eggs. That window is February/March in our area. Most local nests show the female laying eggs in early March. We will not name the eagles until we are sure this is the pair here. As of today, Dec. 15th the young male brought his first stick in. The female has brought in many sticks and even some grass. She is likely teaching her mate what to do. He better be a quick study.
January 11, 2015
There is still no sighting of Larry. The young male and the female are still around. Last week was brutal with extreme cold temperatures and we did not see the eagles much at all. Temps are expected to be more normal this week. Students are in the process of brainstorming names for the eagles.
February 22, 2015
February 12th and 13th Blair and Taylor mated. On Friday, early evening, there was an attack on the nest. The eagle that attacked is believed to be Taylor. I have no idea who the eagle was on the nest. It used a high pitch vocal I have not heard. Perhaps it was a stress vocal. If it was Taylor attacking and defending his nest, then he may have been injured. The eagle did hit hard. Taylor has not been seen since, so that is one reason for this theory. The last time we have for Taylor in the tree was 5:34 PM, Friday after the attack. It is possible that something else happened off camera. On Saturday, February 14th, a new eagle joined Blair. Many think that the new eagle was Larry making his return. After comparing pictures there are likenesses. So there is a chance. But, it brings more questions and no answers. Where was he all this time? Why did it take so long for him to come back? I for one will not say it is Larry.
Fast forward, February 18th at 6:35, Blair laid her first egg. Who's is it? It was likely Taylor's. Is it viable? Taylor is a young eagle. Does the egg belong to the new Mister? He has not incubated at all. So likely it is not his. We do not know his age. We cannot say that just because he is not incubating, he has to be young. Like Blair, he is probably between 6-20. I know, not much help there. Fast forward, February 21, at 5:01 PM, Blair laid her 2nd egg and still no sign that Mister will incubate. On February 19th, he brought in an animal, but that has been all for his contribution.
Each day, the eggs have been left alone for some period of time. Blair has done an outstanding job, incubating and rolling the egg(s). Today, she left from 10:18 AM - 11:46 AM. Hopefully, she was able to eat. It takes a great amount of energy to keep their internal body temp around 104-105°. This is even more important since she is incubating and needs to keep her eggs at a certain temperature to insure hatching.
Because the male is not helping in incubating duties, it is unlikely there will be a hatch. Blair will need to get food to insure her own survival since Mister is not really helping with food either. Temperatures will remain cold for some time. Will Mister turn things around? We have no idea. We think with his late arrival, her cycle is different than his. She is in mommy mode while Mister is still in the courtship phase. He has tried to mate with her twice while she was incubating. Blair wanted nothing to do with that.
So here we are yet again, with more questions than answers. We have a healthy female and a new Mister. If we do not get a hatch, at least there is a high likelihood that they will have a whole year to bond and come back and try this next year.
March 5, 2015
On Tuesday, March 3 in the afternoon, another eagle landed on the nest. He/she almost appeared to want to incubate and stood over the eggs. The eagle even moved nesting material around the nest bowl. This eagle had a deep beak from top to bottom; almost giving the impression it was female. The eagle didn't stay long and was flushed from the nest by an apparent incoming eagle. At another point the eagle better know as "Mister" was on the nest with Blair. He lay down beside Blair for a while even. He had opportunities to help incubate and showed nearly zero interest. Later that day, TAYLOR CAME BACK! Our last account of him was 5:30 PM on February 13th. He looks to be in a rough shape. He was more than likely recovering from some injury. We know there was an attack on the nest but not 100% certain he was involved, but it seems most likely he was. On March 4th, just after 6 AM, Blair and Taylor picked up where they left off on February 13 and mated on the side branch. Mister never actually mated with Blair, but he tried. I may have missed something though. Most of the time she was incubating, and would not get up.
Today, March 5th, Taylor went fishing and brought in what appeared to be a trout, or part of one. He needs food as badly as Blair does at this point. He needs to heal. She devoured the left over fish in no time. Taylor flew up to the perching branch and stayed for quite some time, and then as Blair got up off the eggs and left, so did he. She came back quickly and began incubating again. March 9, 2015 Many have asked, "Has Taylor began to incubate yet?" The answer is no. He has appeared to come close a few times. He has brought food, two trout from Beaver Creek. He is also bringing grasses and a few sticks. He looks much better today than the day he showed up last week. Finally, we get some warmer temperatures, which should make it easier for the eagles in the area. Eagles need plenty of food in frigid temps. Blair could go a bit longer if need be in mild temps that are expected to be in the 50°'s all week. Even temps at night are going to be comfortable. Of course we are comparing this to temps in the single digits to below zero.
Will the eggs hatch? Are the eggs viable? We really have no way of knowing if the eggs are viable or were fertilized. Keep in mind; the first egg can take around 37-38 days to hatch. Pipping can start around day 35, and can take 24+ hours. I would expect the incubation to be longer in this situation.
We do know that many new eagle pairs have difficulty the first year. We are definitely seeing that here. Everyone will have to wait until the end of March to early April to see if there will be a hatch. There is count up widgets on the sidebar showing the time since the eggs were laid. If a female eagle can incubate solely by herself and be successful it would be Blair. She is one great female eagle! Of course logic stands against her. For now, let's be optimistic and look forward to the coming days. Enjoy the weather!
March 21, 2015
Ms. Blair continues to be the sole incubator. Taylor, (AKA: Mr. T. or Tay Tay) has rolled the eggs several times now. He continues to bring in food from time to time. He has brought in fish, pigeon, rat, and rabbit.
I have a theory to why he is not incubating, and have no idea if it is right. Taylor went missing and was apparently in eagle triage. This was right about the time when he should have been developing a brood patch or close to it. His hormones likely dissipated and the brood patch likely did not develop. So if he does not have a brood patch he may not know what to do about it. His time away was critical. I can imagine him saying when he gets close the eggs, "Umm, now what am I suppose to do with no brood patch?"
Blair continues to leave the eggs to go eat, and stretch. Her time away has been much shorter than early on. She is doing as well as anybody could expect a female incubating all by herself. If anyone is aware of another female incubating, as Blair has done, I would like to learn about that situation. For me, this is unprecedented. She is in her 30th day of incubation, and if there is a hatch, I expect it to be after day 40. It just seems logical to me that delays in incubation, and time off the eggs means it will take longer. Keep in mind, there may not be a hatch, even though we see them both bringing grasses and carrying on as usual, other than Mr. T shying away from incubating. We are realists, but of course hopeful that eaglets inside the shells are developing, as they should, and the kids get to witness something special! March 28, 2015
Yesterday (3/27/15) was a banner day in the life of a young male eagle the kids named Taylor. Mr. T. as he has been called or Tay Tay finally learned how to incubate. He did it twice and gave Blair some relief. Maybe it wasn't relief for her, as she was probably a bit worried. Anyway, she was seen on the fishing tree being the preen queen herself. This morning, he was perched in a different location downstream between the nest, and the fishing tree. He came in, and incubated for a third time giving Blair yet again some time to stretch and relax. When she arrived he was observed to get a stick and corn-husk and bring them back to the nest. I think I heard him say, "Never know when these things will get plowed under! Get 'em while they are hot!" There is no change in the eggs in my opinion. They look good by all accounts, but have the temperatures already done the damage is still the question? The count up widget says we are in day 37 here so not too late. We appreciate everyone's optimism, yet realistic attitude. So with caution, I will make this the announcement that this nest is on PIP watch, but with caution. April 4, 2015
It is likely the eggs will not hatch. We see no real change in the eggs. We are not certain if they were fertilized correctly, and in many cases of new pairs it simply doesn't work out. Or is it simply because the eggs were left alone and the temperature was too cold?
We continue to observe these two do what comes naturally. It has been enlightening to see Taylor do such a nice job when it became his time. Who knows, this might have been the same outcome even if the other male didn't show up. "Nature is neither kind or cruel, it just is." I am not sure who that quote comes from but it makes perfect sense to me. We use the cams as a window into their world, and try to get perspective. Blair & Taylor could incubate for some time and wait for the eggs to tell them they are not OK. April 21, 2015 Today we experienced the first sign of one of the eggs with what appeared to be a hole, or area where the egg was decomposing. It is day 61, and Blair and Taylor have put in their time. It is time for the eggs to break apart which will give them time to move on. I do not believe that Blair could have done anything to produce a hatch here. We would most likely be observing this even if a male was here in the beginning sharing duties. The eggs were more than likely not fertilized and therefore no growth inside. Let's call this a great trial run, and they will be ready for next season. We will continue to make observations, and leave the time widgets on the web site until the eggs are gone. I would like to personally thank everyone for viewing this incredible season along with us. Every season here has been different in some way. I personally would love next season to be like Season 2.
May 6, 2015 Last night brought a new experience for Taylor, and all our viewers. For the first time in 75 days, Blair did not come in for night duty. Instead, Taylor kept doing what he believed is his job! It is rare to see a male take night duty, and hopefully, this is yet another sign that good things are on the horizon for these two for years to come. I for one, have never witnessed a male incubate at night. I am sure someone else has but we just don't see it much on LIVE cams. The eggs really haven't changed all that much from the outside. In the two soft areas, more feathers seem to stick. Maybe the egg is seeping. Blair did come and sit for a short time this morning, and then left the eggs. Taylor came back after a good while and incubated. Blair flew to the side branch, and molted a lot of feathers upon landing on the branch. Taylor did the same when he landed. They are ready to move on, just not sure how much more they will sit. How long the cams will be on? For sure they will be on until the end of the month. After that, there are no guarantees. May 13, 2015 Late yesterday, Blair flew into the nest with a small pine branch. Shortly after, she started to pull up nesting material and place it over the eggs. She took her time while doing this. We knew this was a likely scenario. After she was done, Blair and Taylor were seen on the side branch for about an hour. When I got there, there were turkey vultures soaring overhead. I heard a bit of chattering, maybe to warn the TV's to move on. Taylor finally left the side branch with a beautiful fly off. Blair followed, signaling to all watching this might be the finale. It wasn't. Later, Taylor flew back, uncovered at least one egg and incubated. Although, I am not certain the word I should use at this point in incubated when an egg is 80+ days old. Taylor kept getting up and moving around the egg, and then we could see both. He is still there this morning and it is 7:30 AM. He will make a great father eagle someday, hopefully in SEASON 6. It appears he has molted the tail feather that was the darkest, and still has one with some dark on it. Will he lose that by fall? Probably, but he has several dark feathers on his head. We hope he keeps at least a couple of them for us.
June 1, 2015...SEASON HAS ENDED Last week, on May 28th, the raccoon came in, and destroyed the eggs. The only problem was, what took him so long? He had been playing with them for about two weeks! The next morning, Blair even flew to the side branch and watched him play around in the nest. It was like she was saying, "Finally! And don't leave any fragment of them either." It was strange to observe a female bald eagle let a raccoon destroy the eggs she sat on for 70+ days. In the end, the eggs lasted for an incredible 98/95 days.
Both Blair and Taylor gave us some much needed camera time last week. It was fitting considering the cameras were scheduled to be turned off for the summer on June 1st. People still interested in talking with each other can still use the Social Stream (SS) on the two-cam page, but chat is turned off to give our mods a much needed break. I will try and get some pictures when I can, or at least pass on some information when the eagles have been sighted. We have no idea what their summer routine is or how far they might travel. The Mississippi River is about 20 minutes away by automobile from the nest. Please check in on the updates or FaceBook page for anything new. If you haven't had the chance yet, take a look at the raffle for a quilt (link) that was handmade by one of our viewers, Connie Makin. Someone will win a fine quilt! If quilts are not your thing, then it could be gifted to someone. That's a win, win! Please enjoy your summer months, and everyone stay safe, and join us sometime late summer/early fall.
Talon's Updates - Season 6 October 28, 2015 Like every year, Season 6 is starting off with issues. Our camera maintenance is complete as can be. However, squirrels have left us with one microphone this season on the fixed cam. Raccoons have also been a big problem and caused some damage to the nest. Aluminum flashing was installed near the base of the nest tree. A camera was set to observe that it works. However, the critters have found another way to get up.
Our first visit this season was by Taylor on August, 31st. Blair showed up the morning of September 20th. However, before she showed up we were watching a very large sub adult coming in the nest with Taylor. It was interesting to watch and many wondered if we would have another season where there was a changing of one of our adults. Thankfully this was not the case. Last season we had an easy time with identification of Blair & Taylor. Taylor was younger and had specific dark markings to his head and tail feathers. This season is not the case after molting this summer and fall. Do not feel badly if you make a mistake on ID'ing them. It will be difficult for a while. Here are a couple pictures by one of our moderators, Jocelyn Armstrong, on USTREAM. Taylor still appears to have some grayness on his beak near the cere. This is where the nares or an eagle's nostrils are. There is a ridge there and you will notice it when you see closeups. When the PTZ cam is not zoomed you might still have difficulty. Not seen in this picture of Taylor is a white feather on his left side of the neckline (nape). The area around his eyes also seem to have a darker look to them.
The students are excited for the eagle season to intensify. The students will get a lot more into the project as the season moves forward. For now, let's just watch when the eagles show up and see what happens. This nest is due for some success!
December 1, 2015 As December begins so does our online chat on the 2 cam tab. Blair and Taylor continue to make nest visits, and sometimes just come to perch on the den branch and on the front perch. Today we had a food item brought to the nest. It is not often we see food come to the nest when it isn't nesting season. It does happen on occasion. It appeared to be a bone from a deer.
Hopefully Blair and Taylor will do a better job in the future to build up the rails. Even though there has not been eaglets here for several years, over time the sticks seem to break down or settle. The nest rails need a lot of attention.
I have seen other eagles in the area, and in the last week or so Taylor has a newfound energy to bring in sticks and corns talks. Corn stalks can do nicely to add to the base of the nest whereas softer nesting material could go over the top. They also help fill in gaps around the rails. The eagles know best and we have the opportunity to observe.
If you have a chance please tune in. Best times to watch are in the early morning and late in the day. December 15, 2015 Last Friday, a deer hit on the highway right across from the nest was moved to a safe place in a field. This of course is safer for people as well as the eagles. However, the prospect of an easy meal this attracts a large number of eagles. On Saturday, I observed easily a dozen eagles of various ages. It is exciting but at the same time there is apprehension as I know that it can cause territorial disputes. Our eagles have experienced that almost every season. When there isn't activity at the nest we have been watching them via the ptz cam in the field. There has been lots of flying around and big wings galore!
Yesterday, one of the eagles visiting the area was wearing a band on the left leg. We sent in as much information as we could get from the video. Sadly, it was not enough. We learned that to ID an eagle by a band everything is needed. I know people think that some are not doing enough to get the eagle's history, but it is what it is. That is the current system and we will live with it. Tonight, I observed as many as 12 eagles in the area. It is good knowing the eagle population is healthy around here, but also know it can be affected very quickly if people do not continue to make good choices regarding the use of non lead in hunting and fishing, as well as maintaining our water quality. Many of the eagles may simply be passing through while migrating further south.
Enjoy watching the live streams. Keep in mind, most everything posted is in the daily updates, but there is also a FaceBook page. We are approaching 6,000 likes and have been viewed in 137 countries. Isn't that amazing?
February 3, 2016 Last year, Blair laid her first egg on the February 18th. That was considered early for our area, but only one hour after Mom Decorah laid her egg. Will Blair be earlier this season? It certainly seems like she could be. They have been mating multiple times per day. This intensity is in line with what we have seen on other cams as well that intensity tells us we are not far off from that first egg. I have said this so many times, "Time will tell." The storm that rolled through the last couple days didn't keep Blair or Taylor away. She is now perched for the third night in a row. That too says that maybe she is closer than what we would expect. With all of this, I can also tell you there are other eagles in the area. We have nesting pairs not far away. Maybe those eagles are venturing out. It has caused Blair & Taylor to be on alert more. We remember last year that Mister came in and disrupted the pair bond here. Instincts are kicking in, and they will defend their territory.
April 2 Blair and Taylor were off the nest a lot. We did spot an eagle in the morning and it was neither Blair nor Taylor. The day before, there was an eagle spotted as well, perched high in an oak tree about one mile from the nest. Many questions have surfaced as to why Blair and Taylor were off the eggs like they were. One answer “may” be to divert the attention of any eagle away from the nest. Something we could not see was going on. Taylor had some difficulty brooding with his broken toe from the February 18th attack. He was still healing and doing what he could and also trying to defend his territory and the eggs. At times, the behavior was strange to many of us, but there is usually a reason in nature for everything. It turns out there was good reason. Keep in mind; we can only see what is in front of the lens. So much happens off camera. Some believe the new eagle to be a female. We DO NOT hold that opinion at this time. Some think there was an attack on Blair yesterday around 5:30. We believe that was simply the new male trying to land in heavy wind gusts. Blair was alerted and spooked a bit. The Eagles4kids nest is not the only nest to have this happen. There has been other on cam instances of things like this happening. We are not alone. One could make a generalization that this has been going on since eagles have been around. We simply don’t witness it as often. As for the new male we are observing, he may be the male we see here on out. One would think that Taylor would have been here if he could. He has been injured before and been away from the nest. There is some possibility of that if he is injured, but at this point it would be normal for him to fight to the end as well. If this male sticks around, he will likely be the one we observe next year too. We are not addressing naming at this point. The future is not a good thing to predict either. Why did the new male do what he did? Over the years, I have learned from others and from reading. The best I can say is that he likely does not have a nest, or a mate. Eagles are “born” to procreate. Obviously, he needs both to do so. He gets both here, and a prime territory it seems as well. Again, the strong survive. He also wants to have his genes here and not another male eagle’s. What we saw does not make him a bad eagle, it is normal, even though our emotions do not allow us to see it that way. If indeed this male continues here, it does not mean that other nest disputes will not happen. The population is very strong. So strong in fact, that disputes may be more the norm. Maybe it is nature’s way of balancing things out. If it is too hard to watch, please come back when you feel comfortable. The students are handling this, as I knew they would. They are awesome!!! Yes, they feel sad, and disappointed. But kids, they move on quickly and will observe like the previous 5 seasons. We are not really experts here. There are some books for that. We are merely looking into nature’s window with two cameras. My team of people working behind the scenes has helped document time off eggs. Blair and Taylor have been off eggs for longer periods than people like to see. The question of eggs hatching was a serious one. As a matter of fact, eggs were left alone or not incubated on average of 166 minutes/day. Many of those were shorter times but nonetheless this is something important to note. One of the eggs appeared to have a chick inside as the male destroyed the eggs and contents. One appeared to have yolk type matter. It is inconclusive at this time. I only say this as to add some facts behind our observation. Maybe it will help people in some way that worry about eggs and cold. Take it for what it is worth. It is normal for viewers to have many emotions. As viewers, we need to accept the fact that this is nature. I know you all have heard that a lot here, but it is true. What will be will be. Here, or any other cam for that matter. Facts: New male has taken over for now, and will likely stay. Blair is here and acting normally. Eggs are gone, and it is too late to have another clutch. I can state fact about Taylor’s health. I can only say he has not been seen since 7:30 PM on April 2nd. I know I have probably missed something. You may have your own opinions about the situation here. These are my observations. Sincerely, Darrin Briggs – 3rd Grade Teacher and E4K Project Coordinator