Ozzie, It's Time To Start Watching The Eagles

[ballparent]

Ozzie, here's the link to a live webcam on a nest in West Virginia. The first egg was laid on January 31st. There is a link to a still image on the left that will refresh every few seconds, but with the live webcam you will be able to see everything as it occurs.

http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/livevideo.html

First egg photo.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I'M AN OZZIE TOO. SO I LOOKED , VERY COOL. WE HAVE AN ENOURMOUS HAWKS NEST IN ONE OF OUR TREES IN THE SIDE LOT. I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHEN RAPTORS HAVE THEIR YOUNG. BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A LOT OF ACTIVITY THERE.

[OZZIEOHIO]

Thanks Ballparent.

[kantuckyII]

Big Orange One ate one of those one time. He said it tasted like chicken, only different. Personally? I thought it was disgusting but you know Big Orange One

[orange-n-brown 365]

a new bookmark for me ballparent thanks for the link

[OZZIEOHIO]

When will she lay her eggs??? I havent seen one if there in there. Last year she laid the first one on Jan 31.

[ballparent]

The first egg of this year was laid on January 31 with a second egg on February 2nd, they're hoping for a third egg but like you, haven't been able to confirm that yet. That's according to the last update on the website. It is rare that you will get a chance to see the egg unless you're lucky enough to be watching during an egg turn or shift change since both parents incubate. During the cold weather they won't leave the egss uncovered at all. Active incubation usually starts with the arrival of the second egg which was on Feb.2nd and lasts around 35 days, so be watching the weekend of March 7 and you could possibly catch the hatching. Then you can expect a lot more nest activity as they begin to feed the young.
Another note to you Ozzie, we're hoping to get confirmation on the falcon pair that were seen on the train bridge in New Boston last spring. It is believed that they nested last year and this year we're hoping that the nest can be spotted and will be accessible to allow for banding of the young as well as get an ID on the parents. I'm hoping that they may be one of the offspring born on our Ironton-Russell bridge but we've got to get close enough to get a photo that allows for any legbands to show and zoomed in enough to read any numbers, and do so without getting a set of talons dug into the top of your head. Kantucky there's a project for you when you're looking for a photo opp.

Here's the link for your updates:

http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/nestupdates.html

Winter Update #1 - February 5, 2009
There's been a lot of action at the NCTC nest this week. The first egg of the season was laid on Saturday, January 31, and the second egg was laid Monday, February 2. We are hoping for a third egg in the next 12-18 hours or so. Only time will tell, but this pair has a good track record for three eggs.

Here's Bent's description of the eagle eggs:

" Eggs.--Two eggs almost invariably make up a full set for the bald eagle, sometimes only one, and rarely three; in two or three cases four eggs have been found in a nest, but these may have been the product of two females. The eggs vary in shape from rounded-ovate to ovate, the former predominating. The shell is rough or coarsely granulated. The color is dull white or pale bluish white and unmarked, though often nest stained. Very rarely an egg shows a few slight traces of pale brown or buff markings.

The measurements of 50 eggs from Florida average 70.5 by 54.2 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 78.8 by 56.2, 71.1 by 57.6, and 58.1 by 47 millimeters. The eggs are ridiculously small for large a bird. (Compare the relative sizes of the eggs of the ruddy duck, the sandpipers, or the hummingbirds.) Consequently the little eaglet requires a long time to develop."--[Published in 1937: Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 167 (Part 1): 321-333]

Incubation is about 34-35 days, where both eagles will take turns keeping the eggs warm. The nest and the parents will protect the eggs from the dangers of cold and dampness, but we are always wary of bad weather, as it can have a devastating effect on the eggs, as happened in 2007.

The eagle cam has had approximately 32,000 hits since we cranked it back up 22 days ago.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

that is so col.

[OZZIEOHIO]

They shoud be hatching before to long.

[ballparent]

Yep, and then you'll start seeing some action. They'll still keep them covered a lot until the chicks can maintain their body temperature but they will also eat a lot.

[OZZIEOHIO]

I think today makes 32 days. They said they hatch around 35 days so I will be keeping a eye on them.

[vids4ckcrash]

The video does not seem to be working so well for me.

So, I have the video and still side by side on one computer and keep watching. Please let us know if anyone sees a egg starting to crack.

The shadows this morning would indicate that the top of the picture would be East. And at present, the still is excellent.

http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/stillimage.html

tdu

[OZZIEOHIO]

Vic have you look down on the bottom right corner of you screen? You can enlarge the screen to 150%. Then you can see better.

[ballparent]

Ahhh, I like that you guys are enjoying this. My favorite live cam is the falcons on the Rhodes Office Building in Columbus. They have two cams, one pointed on the ledge they hang out on and another pointed into their nest box. They could be laying eggs any day now. I was actually able to catch an egg laying live last year, pretty cool. They've been working on the cameras but the ledge cam is usually always working. If you doubleclick on the image it will enlarge to full screen. Here's the links:

Ledge cam

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/live_ledge_video.aspx

Nest box cam (not working right now, but they should have it up soon.)

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/live_nestbox_video.aspx

And refreshed images of the nestbox, but I don't know if this image is current since it has an old time/date stamp on it.

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/live_nestbox_photo.aspx

[vids4ckcrash]

Both parents were in the nest a few minutes ago. Then one left and then the other left for about 2 minutes or so.

There are definitely 3 eggs in the nest. Looks to my like a nest within a nest. A small nest to contain the eggs, and the large nest for the hatchlings.

[ballparent]

The eggs are uncovered and one of the parents is eating something right now....

http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/livevideo.html

[ballparent]

No hatch yet and still three eggs, but a very active day, so I'm thinking during the night tonight or tomorrow morning. Assuming the last of the three eggs was laid on February 3rd and active incubation began then, the 35 day period would have been Monday, so it is time that we have a hatch. Today the incubating eagle, not sure if it was the male or female, or both and they switched and I missed it, was very fidgety, lot of moving around and listening to the eggs. As the chicks try to break out of the shell they will vocalize and the parents will often stare and "listen" to the eggs. This happened a lot today, so I think it's soon. Here's a couple of photos I snatched this evening that shows the "listening."

[caglewis]

Big Orange One ate one of those one time. He said it tasted like chicken, only different. Personally? I thought it was disgusting but you know Big Orange One

I believe killing eagles [let alone eating one] is illegal - are you trying to get BOO arrested??? Come to think about it, neither of you were at lunch today - oh, dear - is that a "bad odem"?

PS - Thanks, ballparent, for the great website!

[ballparent]

Hmmm....do we have a hatch?

[kantuckyII]

Me 'n Boo were both out fishing, in different boats, on different lakes in different states. I about froze to death but...boo, he had him a belly full of eagle eggs! His favorite is those owls that caused all that trouble a few years ago, he's one cad!