Wednesday, July 8, 2009

More rain amid fledging preparations...

Hi All,

Many thanks for your many questions and comments. It has been wonderful to see these birds beginning to stretch their wings out and gain increasing balance. The next few weeks will be very exciting as these birds prepare to leave the nest. The time from hatching to fledging (first flight) can vary for eagles across their range. For eagles in Maine ten weeks is typically when young birds attempt their first flight. Based on hatch dates of May 7 and 9, I have estimated that these birds could fly as early as July 17th.

Once again the duration of time int he nest can vary. This year has been cool and we have had record amounts of rain. As you might have guessed, this weather does not accelerate growth rates for birds and other wildlife as it often makes food more difficult to find and can slow the rate of growth as birds must use energy for creating heat rather than growing.

No doubt that time will tell as the next weeks pass us by. So enjoy the images and have a wonderful few weeks watching these birds.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

42 comments:

  1. Eaglet branching!!! 7:07 pm est.

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  2. I wonder why there has not been a post on the BRI Ning like this?

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  3. 07/09 @ 12:47

    Thanks for the update, Patrick.

    If I close my eyes I can still see the antics of the last fledge on Eagle Cam1 ... the boundless energy with wing flapping, what looked like "trampoline" bouncing, and the scary fall.

    I suppose there is no chance of live stream working here? Perhaps you will be able to capture some of this exciting video for us? In the meantime, I do appreciate the functioning still cam. Thanks.

    JAM in IL

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  4. Why move the lower image out? They have just started branching. View to far away. 6:12 pm est.

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  5. 7:31 am est too much tree and not enough eagles in lower image. Eaglets look like brown blobs in nest. I can understand wanting to see eaglets as they branch but this view is way too far out. Zoom in please and thank you.

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  6. 07/11 @ 07:41

    Lucky to catch an eaglet doing wing exercises! It is still in the nest with sibling. Adult is on upper branch watching.

    JAM in IL

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  7. 07/13 @ 09:18

    Wow ... they look beautiful sitting on their branches planning their first road trip!

    I keep trying live feed. Wishful thinking.

    JAM in IL

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  8. Both babies on their branches looking lovely!!

    Wish we could see them live!

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  9. How cool, the parents are on branches showing the eaglets how to perch. This is so exciting to watch.

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  10. Lower image stuck at 3:07 am est.

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  11. 7/16/09 9:00a.m. eastern
    Both baby (not really) eaglets sitting out on the limb looking around. Looks like they are almost ready to fly away.
    Thank You BRI for the privilege of watching this whole process...

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  12. Need some help with viewing. I only get a white screen with both eagle cams. Any ideas?

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  13. Such a shame. Very important time right now and lower image is still on 7/15 at 3:07 am est. Help BRI!

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  14. Hard to tell but I believe I am seeing only one eaglet at 7:51 am est July 17th. Perched on branch.

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  15. Update - both are there. Sitting so close together looked like one eaglet. lol 7:58 am est.

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  16. I hope someone will be in the office this morning at BRI - upper image white screen 5:35 am est 7/18 and lower image still on 3/15 3:07 am est.

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  17. Same here, white screen upper image. Lower screen stuck.

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  18. 07/18 @ 15:26

    How sad ... both images stuck. Upper now stuck on 07/16 ... lower has not functioned for several days.

    JAM in IL

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  19. Lower image - clock is working. Image is not updating. Has been the same for about two hours now.

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  20. One has fledged!!! 7:02 pm est. Turns on branch, stretches out wings and leaves the nest!

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  21. 07/19 @ 07:31

    Previous post has not appeared ... this might be a repeat.

    07:22 - Wow ... only one eaglet visible in top image.

    Lower image refresh still updates time only, image remains unchanged.

    Thanks for the fledge alert.

    JAM in IL

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  22. 08/19 @ 08:10

    Came back and found one adult and two eaglets in the top image.

    Always nice to see an eaglet return during fledging to be assured of a safe and successful fledge.

    JAM in IL

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  23. Lower image still stuck - image three days old...clock is working.

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  24. Don't see any eagle in top image. Bottom just white screen.

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  25. Both eaglets were on the nest very early this morning..Every now and then a few tail feathers can be seen on the top cam in the upper left hand corner. It's really a shame that the bottom cam has not been working. Where it has been such an important time for this nest in the last week, it really ruins this experience for all of us who have been faithfully watching. It would have been nice to watch them as they actually fledged, maybe catch them on some of the other branches or see them in the air.

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  26. Looks like the blog is on west coast time..add three hours to the times stated here.

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  27. Anonymous said...
    Both eaglets were on the nest very early this morning..Every now and then a few tail feathers can be seen on the top cam in the upper left hand corner. It's really a shame that the bottom cam has not been working. Where it has been such an important time for this nest in the last week, it really ruins this experience for all of us who have been faithfully watching. It would have been nice to watch them as they actually fledged, maybe catch them on some of the other branches or see them in the air.

    DITTO THIS COMMENT, How dissapointing that they can't keep the update working, I don't think it is that hard to fix.

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  28. 07/21 @ 07:50

    Nest empty but it looks as though the eaglets are each way out on separate limbs.

    Nice to have the bottom still updating again ... thanks.

    JAM in IL

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  29. One eaglet has definately fledged today. Haven't seen it since early morning. The other day when I posted about a fledge, I was wrong. I should have waited till the bottom image was working. My error - sorry y'all. There has been numerous feedings today and eaglet has not been to the nest. FLY SAFE LITTLE EAGLET!

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  30. I think both have fledged. I can't see either one on the images.

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  31. One baby and one adult in nest.

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  32. Fledged eaglet back in nest 5:38 am est.

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  33. Two eaglets on branch just above nest at 7.30am est.

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  34. 7/23/09
    2:32p.m. eastern
    One eaglet on the nest, walking around

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  35. Looks like the two eaglets are off again. They are not visible in either image at 4:17est time.

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  36. I believe the second eaglet has fledged!!! 4:19 pm est.

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  37. Both eaglets were at the nest this morning, on a branch way out. Parent brought in a fish. One eaglet ate. Both went back out to branch.

    Both images are stuck right now at 7:53 am est. Top image is half of a gray box...image feed stuck.

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  38. Images working now. Nasty weather. Eaglets way out on branch still at 10:25 am est.

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  39. Both eaglets on branch. 11.15 est.

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  40. Both eaglets in the nest. 1:51est. This is so exciting.

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