Nest Cam Round-up: Hays, Maine, Empty Nests at Berry College and Two Harbors, White Rock, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Africam Black Eagle, and Dyfi Osprey

I didn't spend a lot of time today watching cams, but I got some good stuff!

Just now I checked the Hays nest and found one of the fledglings sleeping in the nest. I could hear fireworks going off and it didn't seem bothered. Folks in chat said another one of the fledglings was hiding in the tree. Here's the one in the nest.

I caught the Maine fledgling at home today too.

There is more grass in the Berry College nest than the last time I looked. (Not the good stuff...)

The Two Harbors nest might start growing grass too... (Still not the good stuff...)

 Look at what I found when I brought up the White Rock nest! One of the eaglets out on the branch! (Some of the good stuff!)

Find the landing spot in the nest...

...and leap!

A little bit later, another leap back onto the branch.

The eaglet spent some time going back and forth between the nest and the branch.

The eaglet did some wingercizing on the branch while watching its sibling.

Eventually the two ended up laying side by side in the nest -- two peas in a pod...

In a previous post, I showed David Hancock installing a new cam out in the bay. This s'cap was taken last night.

And this one was taken today. This cam is located on the White Rock cam page.

I took this s'cap just now. Looks like it's a PTZ cam and someone does change it periodically...

Here's some more of the good stuff! Something told me to check the White-bellied Bald Eagle nest this morning, even though it was the middle of the night there. And this is what I found! Mom hovering over an egg.

I checked back later and she was incubating.

Dad arrived for a shift change and I got to see the egg.

Mom left and Dad settled in to incubate.

There's some good stuff here too. I brought up the Africam Black Eagle nest right after a feeding. Mom did a big stretch, even her left leg is extended in a stretch.

And then the wing gets a big stretch.

Then she looked around and called.

Then she did one of these big stretches.

Even little babies like to wingercize. So cute!

Baby has a big crop and there's leftovers laying in the nest. Those are both good things...

Look out below!

Mom settled in to brood the baby for a bit.

Mom was napping at the  Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Dyfi Osprey Project nest.

Every now and then she'd rouse herself and look around before closing her eyes again.

She gave a good shake at one point, giving this funny looking s'cap.

Nest Cam Round-up: White Rock, Hays, Maine (Fledge!), Africam Black Eagle, and Dyfi Osprey, And WCV Announces Upcoming Eagle Release

I took this s'cap of the White Rock nest right after work.

Then I got these s'caps later during a live broadcast with Christian Sasse. "Did they go that way?"

"Or did they go that way?"

We got some pretty views of the moon.

After Christian shut down his broadcast, I went back to the wide-angle cam and got this pretty sunset.

Surprise, surprise. One of the fledglings is spending the night in the nest at the Hays nest.

The Maine eaglet fledged today at 70 days old... Here's the video. Even better is the return to the nest. Dad brought some food to the nest and oh, the crying and squeeing! You would think that she hadn't eaten in days! Then it looks like Dad starts to eat the food and she's all, "Oh no you didn't!" Eventually she figured out that she was going to have to return to the nest if she wanted to eat. And boy did she! And the squeeing changed -- I can almost make out the words, "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" (I wouldn't think that a bird could make such a racket while flying!) Listen for the words. Here's the video. I'm going to have to watch that again! I know lol is an overused expression. But I was seriously laughing at her 'graceful' return to the nest. (It's kind of ironic that they can't really learn how to land until after they've taken that first leap.)

I checked the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest a few times tonight and I'm more miss than hit... With no one on the nest, I can tell that there are no eggs yet.

I took a quick peek at the Africam Black Eagle nest this morning. I didn't find either adult on the nest and the baby was in a white fuzzy puddle at the back of the nest. These eagles seem to like green branches in the nest.

I caught both of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Dyfi Osprey Project babies awake this morning. In this first s'cap you can see that the babies have their eyes open.

In the next two, the one on the right has its head up to preen. Osprey preen more than any bird I've ever observed on these cams...

Very exciting news! The Wildlife Center of Virginia is going to release a juvenile Bald Eagle in Virginia Beach on Tuesday July 8th. (It's not often that there is a local release!) Here's the email -- please RSVP as directed if you plan to attend. (I'm so excited!!!)

On Tuesday, July 8, the Wildlife Center of Virginia will be celebrating a late Independence Day with the release of a Bald Eagle – and I hope that you can join us! 

This juvenile eagle – #14-0687 – was found on the ground in Sandbridge on May 12; the bird was unable to fly and was easily captured.  The bird was driven up to the Center in Waynesboro by a volunteer transporter on May 14.  The bird was given fluids, anti-inflammatories, and several days of supportive care and cage rest.  The eagle was moved to an outdoor flight pen on May 22 and has been flying well.  Additional information about the eagle is available at:  http://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/current-patients/bald-eagle-14-0687

The eagle will be released by Ed Clark at 11:00 a.m. near the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, 717 General Booth Boulevard, in Virginia Beach.  The eagle release party will meet up at the Aquarium’s East Parking Lot; Ed will “lead the way” to the release site.  Additional information about the Aquarium is available at: http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/.  And eagle fans might also want to visit the Aquarium and/or the Gift Shop after the release! 

The eagle release is free and open to the public – I hope you will be able to join us, and please feel free to “spread the word” to other wildlife-loving family and friends.  We are keeping an RSVP list … please email ksluiter@wildlifecenter.org. 

Thanks so much for all of your support of the Wildlife Center!

Kristen Sluiter

Special Projects Coordinator

Wildlife Center of Virginia

Nest Cam Round-up: Hays, Maine, Two Harbors, Berry College Bluebird, White Rock (With Christian Sasse), Africam Black Eagle, Dyfi Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagle

Too many cams, not enough time! I guess I could have worse problems!

I checked in at the Hays nest and the one youngster that hasn't fledged yet was hiding behind a branch...

Things are looking good at the Maine nest. Here's the eaglet doing a big stretch:

The Two Harbors fledgling K43 was at home this evening. (I hate it when I don't notice the blue circle of wait when I take a s'cap...):

The Berry College Bluebirds are looking like actual birds now! The feathers along the back have filled in. Just yesterday they had mohawks...

Christian Sasse was broadcasting live at the White Rock nest again today! I've got so many s'caps to process! First, here's the look from earlier today of the wide-angle cam:

I didn't have time yesterday to process all of the s'caps I got during Christian Sasse's live broadcast. Here are those. One of the eaglets was posing nicely for the camera:

Dad was perched in a nearby tree.

He needs to use a napkin...

That's just rude! I was trying for the poop shot and missed... All I got was the full moon... (Funny thing -- I sent this out to some folks that don't usually watch bird cams and had to explain to about half of them what this was... One person thought it was an owl. If you squint really hard...)

The eaglet (above) knows to lighten the load -- even if it's just to wingercize.

Dad put on his sexy face to do some preening!

Christian Sasse is on again tonight and I've got a bunch more s'caps to process. Again... I will post them tomorrow or Friday. Here are a few for now:

You can see the close-in cam here that is (unfortunately) not working...

Something is flying over the nest.

Hello, eaglet!

This is one of Christian's dogs. It was doing the same thing my dog does, fighting keeping its eyes open.

I had about 20 minutes in front of my computer this morning. Here's the Africam Black Eagle this morning:

I checked in at the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Dyfi Osprey Project nest this morning too. It's always dark at this cam when I get home from work, with the IR turning off after midnight my time. Sometimes I'm up that late working on my post. But for the most part I won't have daytime shots of this nest unless I have time before work... Which I did this morning!

I can see a head poking out. I'm not sure if there's smudges on the cam or if it's the light...

This s'cap was taken after I got home from work this evening. One of the babies has its head tucked. I can see the eye of the other chick that is in face-plant mode.

 I caught Dad at home tonight again at the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest. There is a flurry of last minute nest preparations before an egg is laid. This is a great time to start watching this nest!

Dad is admiring his work.

I think there are enough crib rails on the back. I hope he doesn't build up the front that high. It would block the cam!

I caught the fly-away. So this is what their tails look like...

They zoomed out at one point and I was able to see more of the surrounding area: