the eagle nest blew down!
Friends of Eaglecam2,
I am writing with tragic news. On Sunday night sometime after 12:31 am the large white pine tree which held aloft the eagles nest at BRIeaglecam2 fell over. The strong winds and rain of the night caused the root ball of the tree to pull from the ground. Aside from placing the nest firmly on the ground, the nearest structure which housed our equipment was also damaged.
It is important to keep in perspective that while this is indeed a sad affair this nest was home to eagles since the late 60's (at least). I have been told that all good things must come to an end and, even with this knowledge, it is always sad when that time comes.
As you know I am amid a repair at Eaglecam1 later this week and will be assisting with cleanup on site of eaglecam2. This is an especially untimely departure for this nest as I learned last week that Fairpoint would be coming online with high speed internet within several months...probably before next breeding season. Who knows, maybe the eagles will choose to nest nearby.
As for the eagles, well, this is a hardship they are built to overcome and I hope that we can all have faith in that! I will keep you updated as I know more but wanted to let you know the status. I realize that this is sad news.
I'll keep in touch.
All the best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute
Regarding questions:
Are the eagles ok, were there any injured eagles in the area? I can';t say know for sure yet but on my site visit I saw no signs of dead or injured eagles. I suspect that they made it through the storm unscathed and I am hoping for a report from a few folks on the ground in the area, including the property owners.
Will they have enough time to make a new nest for next years breeding season, how long does it take for a pair to make a nest? I am not exactly sure how long it takes to build a nest. Ceratinly, as we know, they are always a work in progress. Sometimes eagles may have a second nest already in mind as a 'dummy' nest. Also, they do overtake nests of other birds which would greatly expedite construction. Unfortunately, the most likely tree for renesting was also split off at the base and fell into the nearby marsh. That said, eagles do commonly nest in the same area. So, perhaps, who knows, maybe this is somehow an extraordinary chance to see things from the beginning.
Was equipment damaged? Yes, in fact one camera was already damaged and was to be replaced sometime this week or next. The camera that was perched in the nest tree may be repairable and I am looking into a possible fix.
I will keep you posted and Jacci, thanks for the suggestion. I had in mind a video blog about this.
I will be on site again soon and hope to spot our old friends. I will update.
All the best,
Patrick
A nest on the ground...
Notice my hat in the nest debris for scale. This nest was over six feet deep and roughly 8 feet wide at the top.
Hi all,
Just wanted to give a report about a visit to the eaglecam site on Sunday. I had a chance to dissect much of the eagles nest and found many remains of prey--mainly fish jaws, vertebra, and the feathers of many ducks, a pheasant, and a great blue heron! Still more to sort through.
On a happy note, although I did not see any eagles soaring. I did speak to a neighbor who had seen two eagles perching in nearby pines in what could be considered typical perch spots for the pair. I feel very confidant in this report and it is great to have confirmation of the eagles presence in the area.
This photo shows the nest tree in horizontal form. Thanks Bill Hanson for this great photo...more to come!
Also just got another report that the eagles were near the former nest site this morning.
All the best,
Patrick
Login
Register
FAQ
