Bird Cams Around the World

That's exactly what I was thinking Susan. Their facility is right there....

Belle just flew out, but I'm quite certain she is now sitting atop the cam. There was a thump and the view shook a bit.

obxbarb, some on other blogs are commenting that they know "for a FACT" that folks at NBG would have intervened by now if this were happening at that nest. Do you agree? It still seems a little early to me.

Thanks Beth.

I think they would say the same thing as the USFWS there, but at the end of the day they would take babies out. The eaglet would have a pretty high survival rate with a rehabber. And there is a lot of public pressure at these nests. The problem right now is that Belle keeps coming back, so I'm sure they want to let her do what nature tells her to do. Our rehab group get lots of very young owl/hawk chicks this time of the year. We just got a great horned owlet this week. Eagles are much higher on the attention chain....

Belle is back. I was away for 5 minutes so didn't see her return. I see no feeding.

Well Belle has been off the nest a while again, and the little bobblehead has looked around, occasionally sighting her and peeping. Smart little thing knows his mommie, you can see his gaze get fixed. I can hear Belle calling repeatedly either in the air or higher up in the tree at 4:48pm est. Which brought something else to mind - I have not once heard the "intruder" or possible Liberty eagle calling to Belle at all. And if it is Lib, why wont he go get fish? I fear something has happened to him, this is a different eagle w spots on its head hanging around. Very upsetting again, and I am noticing more negative comments on the comment blog they opened up this am. It seems when something bad happens at a nest, throngs of would be or wanna be "biologists" have to come to the site and pipe-up with their views of letting nature take its course. I am all for nature taking its course, but to say that repeatedly and argumentatively to a site where animal lovers who are more modern thinking and proactive in animal conservation, makes them the antagonists. After all, what kind of reaction did you expect? Say it once and MOVE ON. They will probably end up shutting down the forum tonight. Anyway, I am feeling nauseaus (?) at this point. Liberty and Belle deserve so much more, they have had so much bad luck the last couple years. I'm almost ready to wish the second egg DOESNT hatch at this point, only to enter a doomed existence. Kudos and thanks for the updates.

I have been watching too, and am beginning to look at that unhatched egg as a source of food - do you think the little guy could break the shell - or if Belle would do it on purpose. I realize now this is an unanswerable question.

Belle is back and I think I saw the thud of someone on the cam as well. No food brought.

Edit, It's definite, someone's on the cam. I am guessing it's her mate because she looks up and vocalizes in the same way I have seen other pairs communicate.

Total speculation. Would it be a benefit NOT to bring food to the nest, as to not alert the intruder that there is an eaglet?

That is an interesting theory, Mick...What if yesterday's intruder was actually a male...and what if that is who is sitting on the cam. I would have thought Lib would have joined her on the nest like he always does. Thank goodness Belle continues to return to the nest..

I have questions too, and am not an expert on eagles. We need oxbarb, leica eagles, or dutch eagle fan to join us with their input! Seems to me I have seen them on some eagle sites before along with boonibarb at hornby. These people know eagles better than me I do know that from their posts! Sure wish they watched NCTC and could give us some insight. Quite honestly, most of the people at NCTC are trainers or people taking classes there, so I'm not sure how many actually have the abilities to positively identify Liberty? And how much longer can the little bobblehead go without food, its over 24 hours now, he hatched 730 in the morning yesterday. UGH

As the wind picks up, Belle carefully settles over the eaglet and pulls straw around for insulation. She is still tending to the eaglet and can hear it's calls the same as I can. I am putting my faith in Belle.

A report from Paula ... whom I trust...

Ground observation from 5 - 5:20 or so...when Belle just returned to the nest, the intruder eagle was right on her tail. Eagle looks large. Belle landed in the nest, intruder up above the nest in the tree. I'm guessing that eagle is following her around, trying to chase Belle off her nest and Belle is trying to lose the eagle by flying to different places.

Thank you PattiO. Is this from the blog or the Forum?

Here is the screen shot from 5:27, the event your friend Paula described.

Whether it was a male or female intruder, if Lib is alive and ok, wouldnt he chase it away? And if no one has truly seen him, then maybe something happened to him. I am wondering if the momsters can check with rehab or raptor rescues to see if anyone brought in an eagle. I know most people who are in the area there are fully aware that USFWS is there, and most people on the surrounding roads are locals. But there is always a chance someone could have found him hurt near the highway road along the potomac, and not have known about F&W. I just am having a hard time thinking he is ok and doing nothing to defend the nest and help Belle, or bring fish. And they said he was not seen since the afternoon before the eaglet hatched. Oh boy I do not want to go to bed another night worried for Belle and the little bobblehead. The intruder is just biding its time.

Hi LeeLee.
The Shepherdstown Eagle Cam Daily Blog/Forum has a report from ground observers that Liberty was seen today and the female intruder is keeping him away. The intruder is also chasing Belle when she leaves the nest, according to ground observations, according to this forum.

I just saw the eaglet and it is active, stretching up, looking at Mom.

Hey Mick, I was just coming here to post the same thing. This ground observer appears to be well respected and can be trusted. This is encouraging news.

Missed the beginning of it. She held her ground with the feathers rising on her shoulders like a cat. The other eagle looks big. She settled right down after, calm.
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