Bald Eaglecam2

Eagles 'branch' out and make first flight

2010-07-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see from this image, the eagles have left the nest! Following about a week of exploring nearby branches around the edge of the nest the eagles have taken their first flight. They will remain in the area of the nest during the weeks to come as they develop the ability to fly. The adults will also continue to feed them and they will likely frequent the nest for perching and feeding.

Unfortunately, we have lost the internet connection on site but we anticapate solving the problem in a few days. In the meantime, you might check in on our ospreycam where ospreys are growing fast and on our looncam where you can hear the sounds of Maine's wildlife live.

Also, because we recieve many questions about where eagles go after departing the nest I would like to direct you to our wildlife tracking page where we have outfitted several eagles with sattelite transmitters that document the movements of birds. This is an ongoing project and we anticipate having two more birds come online later this summer.

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagles preparing for their first flight!

2010-06-17T10:31:00.001-07:00

Hello, I am happy to report that these two eagle chicks appear to be happy and healthy. As we enter their tenth week they have been flapping their wings...an important method of developing breast musculature and preparing for their first flight. In the coming weeks you should see these birds 'branching'--moving to the outer edges of the nest and perching on nearby limbs. This is the final step before testing out their wings for the first time.

Many thanks for your interest in the webcams and don't forget to post with questions. Have a wonderful day.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institue

Eaglets are growing fast: Warm weather!

2010-05-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I was very lucky to have to make a visit to our on site computer today. I got an early start and was pleased to arrive safely on an unseasonably warm day in late-May. When I approached I could hear the sounds of eagles at the nest amid a constant breeze. I recorded video while I dealt with a few computer issues. Checking in on the image now and then I glanced at the video feed I saw a chick wrestling with what looked like a six foot eel in the nest.

It is amazing to see how quickly these eaglets are growing. Now at 6-7 weeks they appear to loaf around the nest bowl. Occasionally they stretch and flap their wings. In only a few weeks they will begin to consider making the leap into flight.

Please join us on youtube for video highlights of my visit to the site (several videos)...the webcam still offers the best view of the nest!

Until Next Time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institue

Chicks are nearly one month old!

2010-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Well...it has been too long! Seeing these eagles care for their young has been tremendous. Have you noticed fish piling up on the edge of the nest at times?

I have received various queries about the eagles being left alone in the nest. Not to worry, this is normal especially given this spring's mild weather.

These chicks are now nearly about four weeks old. As you can see they are moving around the nest bowl more readily but still possess downy gray feathers--their contour feathers are yet to begin to grow in but should start to grow in the coming week or two. These birds still have a long way to grow! It will be six weeks from now (perhaps more) before they are likely to make their first flight!

Let's keep our fingers crossed for these birds and enjoy peeking in on their journey.

Thanks for all your interest and support.

Wish you the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Insitute

Two Chicks!

2010-04-22T13:03:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
It is wonderful to see these two chicks already growing fast. As you are probably aware the second chick or 'eaglet' hatched last Friday afternoon. The pair has been very active at feeding these young and keeping them warm and dry. This is critical because the recently hatched chicks are unable to regulate their own body temperature. They rely on warmth from the adult eagles.

Well, please keep in touch with comments and questions and enjoy these birds!

Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagle chick 'number one' has hatched!

2010-04-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

If you haven't hear the news then I am happy to report to you that the first eagle egg has hatched on BRI eaglecam2. It hatched sometime during the night. In the image above captured by JO in our online community (thanks JO), you can see the chick on its first day being fed by an adult.

As may be apparent eagle eggs hatch asynchronously usually two or three days apart. This strategy gives the older bird a head start and better chance of survival in years of food shortage.

Well, I am sure that everyone is looking forward to watching the season continue to unfold. Enjoy a wonderful day!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eggs could hatch soon!

2010-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time has been flying. These eagles have faced several storms and by all accounts they have done well to protect their eggs from harsh weather. The eagle laid the first egg on March 8th...that means that eggs could begin to hatch as early as this weekend! Admittedly, it will likely be sometime next week but we'll have to keep a close eye on these birds...especially given the fact that they have afforded us only brief glimpses of the eggs over the past weeks!

Please keep watch and update us with your observations!

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Wet Weather!

2010-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It is great to see these birds keeping the eggs covered throughout this very wet and cool weather we are experiencing in Maine. Keeping eggs warm along with turning eggs occasionally are critical for the embryo (and chick) to develop inside the egg. If all goes well we could see chicks hatch around April 12th...

Please keep in touch with questions and observations and continue to share this webcam with your friends and family. We will all be keeping watch.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagles are diligently incubating!

2010-03-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
Just wanted to post a quick update. The eagles at this site have been incubating the egg and probably benefiting from what has been a week of beautiful weather in Maine. For the sake of the eagles I hope this nice weather persists.

Do not be worried if at times to see the eggs unattended for short periods of time, especially in this fine weather. This is normal. Also, you will likely see the eagles turning the eggs so that they are heated evenly and develop properly.

The incubation period generally lasts for 33-35 days at which time the first egg will hatch followed by the next eggs each day or so. Eagle eggs, like the eggs of some other raptors hatch asynchronously. This could be considered to be nature's way of mediating the survival of offspring so that in times of low food abundance at least the first chick to hatch will survive because it will out-compete its siblings for food.

Please be in touch with questions and comments of your observations.

All the best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagles lay their second egg!

2010-03-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I am happy to report that the eagles are now tending two eggs in the nest. The second egg was laid last evening, March 11th, at about 6:07 pm. Eagles typically lay two eggs but a third would not be out of the question. Let's keep watch and please post if and when you see a third egg. Also, I know that many of our blog followers are timid about joining the online community but there are very nice updates by our many members. It may be worth checking out.

Thanks for all your support and interest.

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

A new sign of the season-the eagles lay egg #1

2010-03-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I am very happy to share the fantastic news that the eagles have laid and egg on the afternoon of March 8th at just a bit after 4 pm. I was hoping to see a second by now...eagles usually lay a second egg 36 to 72 hours after the first. I would encourage you to visit our website at www.briloon.org to watch a video blog about what we might expect to see.

Thank you for all your support. This is an exciting sign of the season. Please be in touch with questions and observations. I also would like everyone to know that we expect a power outage on the camera site during part of the day on Saturday. I am very sorry, in advance, for this necessary repair. Let's keep our eye on the egg!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

February in Maine!

2010-02-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I apologize for not posting sooner. Frankly, I am not sure what happened to my other recent posts from this year. More important is the fantastic activity that we have been seeing at this nest. It is clear that a pair is settling in to nest here this year. The birds have been very active adding sticks to the nest and moving them around to get them into position to create an intertwined and stable platform.

Over just the past few days they appear to be adding 'softer materials to line the nest bowl. Notably, just today the female was observed excavating a small bowl in the finer materials and then, later, settling into an incubation position. All of these are fantastic signs that these eagles are eager to nest. Last year eagles at this nest--likely the same pair--laid eggs on April 1 and April 3. That said, eagles in Maine may lay eggs as early as early March.

These photos two photos show the progress that the birds have made over the past month the initial image is from 1/25/10 and the second from just this afternoon 2/23/10.

It will be interesting to see how these birds behave as the anticipated storm passes through later this week.

Many thanks for all of you posts and questions. Please keep them coming! It looks as though we have a great deal to look forward to this season.

Until Next Time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Thankgiving!

2009-11-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I hope that you now find that the images are uploading in a timely manner. Very sorry for the inconvenience and delay on the fix but I was unable to solve the issue until today.
Many thanks for all your posts and I hope that this activity persists as it is a good sign of the Eagles loyalty to this nest site.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagle pair continues to visit.

2009-11-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

Well, this fine November day has produced a nice long visit to the nest by two adult eagles. They entered they nest bowl and then perched above the nest for some time. In fact, they are still present at the nest as I write this. Just wanted to post this photo and give a quick update! Have a great day!

We also captured this phot of an elegant looking eagle.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Morning Eagles.

2009-11-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

Spotting eagles first thing in the morning is a good way to start the day!

The birds have continued to use the nest for feeding. Has anyone been able to identify any of the prey items? Also notable is the immature eagle perching at the nest.
Please be in touch with descriptions or questions about your eaglecam observations.

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Two eagles visit...

2009-10-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It is wonderful to see the eagles using this nest for foraging not to mention the time they are starting to put in by adding sticks and adding to the nest structure. Lets hope this continues. Many folks are enjoying keeping up to date by visiting us at where many photos and even some videos are posted.

Wish you all the best and keep in touch.

Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Immature Eagle Visit!

2009-10-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All, as some of you may be aware we had an immature eagle visit the nest site today and devour a prey item. I can only guess at what the eagle was eating but it appeared to be a hearty feast. It is possible that this is one of the eagles that fledged from this nest earlier this year. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing for certain. Below are a few more photos for you to relive this fascinating event. As you can see it was a beautiful day in Maine!

As usual, please keep in touch and enjoy BRIeaglecam2!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Reseach Institute

All photos are copyright of BioDiversity Research Institute

Fall is upon us.

2009-10-09T08:36:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
I am sure that some of you are happy to see the upper image loading. Sorry for the delay on this but we had some computer issues that we have at least solved for the time being.
We are very happy to have witnessed that success of these two eagles this year and hope for another successful season next year. Unfortunately the live feed on Eaglecam2 is unlikely to work until we are able to get a hardwired internet line to the site. The good news is that we can continue to monitor this nest with our multiple photo uploads.
One thing to look for over the coming weeks is an increase in 'nestorations'. There is often a pulse of breeding type activity at this time of year for some eagles that remain on territory. Eagles are seen in the area of this site year-round. This nest tending activity is a good predictor of future nesting efforts so cross your fingers!
Have a great day!

Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Intistute

Fledging vs. Branching

2009-07-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I've gotten a series of questions regarding the terms branching or fledging. Branching refers to the hopping about and jumping from branch to branch around the nest. Fledging refers to the birds first flight and generally results in the bird landing in a different tree or on the ground. At this point I have observed one of the birds launching into its first flight but have not yet confirmed the other bird. This observation is perfectly in line with our expectations as these birds are now almost 12 weeks old.

The immature eagles will remain in the area and in and near the nest throughout the next two months or so while the parents continue to feed them. Many thanks for all of you comments. Let's hope that the birds continue to fare well!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

So much activity!

2009-07-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

It is wonderful to watch these birds being so active and moving. I've posted a few videos recently. Please watch them at and enjoy the eagles.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

More rain amid fledging preparations...

2009-07-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

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

Response to funding question.

2009-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I feel the need to respond to this comment as I do not want any misconceptions about our fundraising efforts. My words are bold in response to a comment posted by anonymous.

Can someone from BRI explain to me how it costs $65,000 for a web cam?

We operate between six and eight webcams per year. Costs include the camera, internet to the site, a variety of connectors/adaptors/splitters, microphone and pre-amp when possible, computer for each installation. Other costs include occasional travel to the site for maintenance and repair. Not to mention internet streaming which can be very costly (a few thousand dollars a week at peak times) which we have had donated in the past.

Also, your site has this blurb: The Eagle Web cam is presented by BioDiversity Research Institute and made possible through the generous support of FPL Energy Maine Hydro, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

These organizations support us in various ways. FPL provides installation expertise and has offered the use of property in the past and some funding to cover internet costs and equipment for one of our cams, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are collaborators and provided a wonderful Eagle BioJournal in collaboration with US Fish and Wildlife. Also, they support our project by helping direct us to potential nests. To be clear, they do not provide us with funding support.

I'm probably naive, but if I had a bird nesting in my yard and wanted to put it on a web cam... say, $2500 for a verrrry good camera, a few hundred for cable, but in today's wireless world, not sure that's even necessary; someone to install it..say another $5,000 if you want to get real fancy...and maintenance. Just call the geek squad.

So, you are not so naive, add $1200 year for internet to your estimates (which do not include the items I detailed above), totals $8700 per system times seven systems well...$60,900. That is where these numbers come from. We also have to have maintain the systems and update blogs this requires staff time.

Seriously, where do you get these kinds of numbers you throw around?

We have a budget for this program this budget is reported in each grant proposal that we write, we do not throw numbers around. In addition to our webcams we made over 25 presentations to classrooms in Maine and NH about wildlife and science as well as several talks to community groups. Staff time and travel is not included in our $65,000 estimate. We feel that webcams and presentations about the research that we do are invaluable educational tools that everyone should understand come at a cost and we hope to be able to continue these programs in the future.

I hope this clarifies your questions/comments. Many thanks for enjoying the webcams. Let's get back to discussing the eagles!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Rain, Rain, Rain

2009-06-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

What a time these birds are having staying dry! Here in Maine we have had about 15 of 18 days of overcast and rain. This has caused water level fluctuations and in some cases flooding. All this time these eagles have been growing and learning to move about their nest. We should continue to see increased activity in the coming weeks as the eglets begin to explore their nest further.

I posted two video clips on Monday and hope to post some video from my Tuesday visit to the site tomorrow. Please view these at http://www.briloon.org/watching-wildlife/video.php and enjoy!

Many thanks for all your support. Have a great day!

Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagles and rain.

2009-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I so happy about the success and growth of these two eagles. I visited the site on Friday and captured some video to post this evening as a video blog. The chicks are becoming more mobile in the nest and continue to eat well. This last ten days of rain may have dampened their spirits but they are old enough to generate their own heat and now have some good downy insulation and 'contour' feathers that help to shed/reflect water from their backs. We'll have to keep better up to date on these posts. Very sorry for the lag. Please join us at our online community as well...www.briloon.ning.com for more dialogue about these eagles.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eaglets Are Growing Fast!

2009-05-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I am happy to report the continued growth of the eagle chicks. I have made two visits to the nest site in an effort to solve some of our technical issues...to no avail yet. However, I have been able to capture live footage on those visits which I have posted and will continue to post on our website at . Please watch these and keep up to date with the uploading 15-sec images as best you can. It is going to be incredible to watch these birds develop over the next 8-10 weeks.
Many thanks for all your posts!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Two chicks hatch!

2009-05-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
As most of you have noted...we have two chicks in our eagle nest! The first hatched Thursday afternoon followed by the second sometime overnight on Friday. Please view our webcams at and join the conversation in our online community at . Many thnaks for all your support as we work towards some of our technical issues.
Enjoy the webcams!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversty Research Institute

Technical concerns

2009-05-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
We have been having some trouble with the internet at our eaglecam site. It works but we lose the live stream (as many of you have made me very well aware-in various forms-over the past two weeks). We have scheduled a Friday morning visit by the internet technician which we have been told will remedy our issue. Many thanks for all you patience with this camera. Notably, the still images are functioning quite well so we can keep a close eye on things that way. Also, at times the live stream flows well.
All the best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

The eagles perch!

2009-04-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Today I had to make a site visit to due to the technical issues that we have been having. It was a very nice day, warm and windy, day near the nest site.

As for the issues that you have told me about. The system is working but we continue to have interruptions on occasion due to satellite signal and this very windy weather. Unfortunately, the audio will be off until we are able to purchase an unbudgeted new mic and replace the damaged one ... hopefully soon!
I will keep you posted as solutions move along.

We anticipate a hatch as early as May 6th...right around the corner so be sure to keep your eye on the nest!

Have a great day!

Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Dutifully incubating

2009-04-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

As we all go about our days the eagles on our eaglecam2 are also devoted to a task...they are incubating 2 eggs! The eggs could hatch as early as May 6th so please keep an eye on the web cam. Thanks a bunch for enjoying the webcams!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Back on-line!

2009-04-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
We are back on-line!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Internet down!

2009-04-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I am very sorry to report that we have an internet outage...yes since 4/8. It looks like it may last through the weekend as the technician will not be able to visit until next week. I will post again when we have more news...Have a great day and please visit our other webcams at www.briloon.org.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Two eggs!

2009-04-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Just wanted to update with the news that the eagles have laid a second egg! This is great news. Check out the webcam. Also, you may want to look into BRI's newly launched webcam membership program located at this site:

All the Best,

Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Become a BRI Webcam Member

2009-04-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

Greetings all!

BRI is very excited to announce the launch of a membership program.

Please click here to become a member

Through this program and your support we hope over the nesting season to raise $65,000 to ensure that we are able to keep these systems running free for everyone.

There are seven different giving levels with the membership and they each have unique and exciting thank you gifts. All members will be automatically signed up for our electronic updates and will receive a BRI sticker--the e-updates will be free for all viewers. The membership levels are.

1. Fledgling, $25: this is for kids and students. Members at this level will receive an eagle mobile and a BRI sticker.

2. Finch, $35: with this membership level you will receive a BRI sticker.

3. Kestrel, $60: you will receive a BRI pin.

4. Osprey, $100: you will receive a 1G memory stick for your computer loaded with high resolution video footage from our webcams and a beautiful eagle screen saver for your computer. Once you have loaded the videos and screen saver onto your computer you can use the memory stick to transfer files and back-up files on your computer.

5. Loon, $250: you will receive a signed copy of Dr. David Evers (BRI's Executive Director) and and Ms Taylor's (former board member) book on loons.

6. Peregrine, $500: you will become one of BRI's top supporters with a Peregrine membership. You will receive a signed copy of Dr. Evers and Ms. Taylor's book "Call of the Loon", our webcam e-update, and BRI sticker.

and

7. Eagle, $1,000: Your exceptionally generous support allows BRI to conduct its cutting edge wildlife education and research. You will receive a quarterly letter from BRI's Executive Director, a signed copy of the book "Call of the Loon", webcam e-updates, and BRI sticker.

Please consider become a webcam member. Last year we were fortunate to receive several one-year foundation grants to expand our program.

We are working on setting up two more loon cams, and potentially a catbird cam. Today we were talking about potential plans to set up ten more cams in Maine as well as some in some tropical site.

Your support will ensure than we are able to continue our current work and greatly expand.

Thank you.

Wing

Eagle Lays Egg!

2009-04-01T04:25:00.001-07:00

Good morning! I was so excited to wake this morning and see that the females was still on the nests. Then with coffee in hand I waited to see if there was an egg. YES THERE IS!

What great news. I wanted to give you some basic nesting biology.

Incubation is 35 days give or take a day. That would mean that the first egg should hatch around May 6th. Mark your calenders! Some of you have asked how this timing compares to the rest of the state. Yesterday I asked our Raptor Program Director, Chris DeSorbo, about the timing of nesting. He told me we are right in the middle of the time when birds start nesting in Maine. So the birds are right on time.

Over the nest 3-6 days we should see the rest of the eggs laid, which generally will be one to two more for a total of 2-3 eggs. You will see the female on the nest most of the time (around 75%). Look for her standing up and rotating the egg around every 1/2 hour.

Also you may be able to see how careful the adults are around the egg. They will walk around the egg with their talons balled up in a fist so they don't damage the egg.

Finally, there was a question about how long an egg can go without being incubated. Although the exact amount of time is not fully understood, the eggs can withstand a little bit of cooling.

This is great news!

Thank you for all your great observations.

Wing Goodale
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eagles imitate incubation posture!

2009-03-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I've been meaning to post about this weekends fantastic observations at our nest. At times both eagles were observed in the nest bowl together. In addition one was seen getting into the incubation posture. This "testing of the nest bowl" is a great sign that indicates the birds are thinking about nesting. In combination with several mating attempts I think that many of us are beginning to hold our breath in preparation for egg laying! Time will tell.
Have a great day and thanks for all your posts!

Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Oh, don't forget to view images and videos of the eagles at www.briloon.ning.com!

Mating Attempt!

2009-02-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
We are very excited about the observation of a possible mating attempt by this pair on Feb. 17th. This is a good sign that the birds are anticipating breeding this year. For images of the birds at nest and to be a part of our online community please visit www.briloon.ning.org.

Many thanks for your posts and have a great day!
Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eaglecam2 is preparing to launch!

2009-01-20T06:45:00.001-08:00

Bloggers prepare yourself. We plan to release the link to our new cam soon. I will keep you posted and look forward to all of your questions and comments. Cross your fingers for us.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute