Shepherdstown Eagle Cam Daily: 2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019 Report from NCTC at end also

2013

10th year
2 hatched and fledge
We were without the camera after these till June and the tree cam was installed as a temp fix then with GVMT shut down and Outdoor Channel having issue He did keep us updated on the blog with pix etc. Sheps first year here

Check out them thighs

6-22-2013 702pmWwwwwwhe the main camera went out this is what our fabulous Head Blog Master Steve came up with Loved it the flying in and out

Love the pictures each year of
maintenance of the camera
Pretty cool when they are live on it Dec 13, 2013 Also the GVMT shutdown Cam was off line for long time and came back with NHZ

This was referred to as NHZ The no head zone

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2014

11th year
Three eggs Two hatched and fledged

August 2014 The camera was finally centered

We were waiting for season so we could get rid of NHZ With camera maintenance We raised $ for the camera also Between several groups we did it The Outdoor Channel had a area to comment on years ago and the Hancock Group raised the $ as well as company in the area I need to go look for the info

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2015 12th year

This is where the
stuffie duck was
brought in There
is a dog in the area
of the nest
Lost his toy LOL

Duckie still hanging So funny watching the eaglet drag it around the nest But was never found when NU went in the nest after for maintenance

Duckie gets burred all the time but then they find iit

Loved the duckie all over the nest A nice play toy

Duckie still there Lost most
the stuffie after a bit
Notice laying on it there

Stuffie still here About a month now

They use to do camera tour of the nest daily at the same time JO loved this to be able to see the area of the nest

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2016 two beauties 13th year

Yep we have many visitor so lucky to catch these two checking out the accommodations We had a egret in the past but no picture

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2017 14th year

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2018 15th year

March 2018

March 19 2018 Loved it when we had the extra branch that now is gone

April 2 2018

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2019 Our 16th year WOW

family Pic of sort A boy and his fish

family picture with lunch

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Below is copies and pasted from the NCTC site Good info bringing over

Apr 06, 2017

Due to unknown circumstances, the second of the two eaglets born this year expired early April 1st. The loss of two eaglets (3/27 & 4/1) is a rare experience at this nest; complete nest failures are not regular occurrences. The 2ndhatchling, born Tues. March 28th, appeared to be sound; moving within the nest bowl and taking food from the parents within one day of hatching. Food was continuously provided over the next three days, and both adults took turns brooding the chick.

Biologists do not know what affected the recently hatched chicks, but possibilities include weather or disease. Weather-related factors such as heavy rainfall during the nesting period can influence the nesting success of birds including raptors. Studies show that inclement weather can drive avian parents to increase their energy outputs and time hunting. Heavy, consistent rainfall may have factored into the male's time away from the nest due to increases in time hunting food and the female’s need to mantle the eaglet to maintain optimal body temperatures. While such weather is not atypical for birds, these components along with any present biological challenges may lead to nest failure (McDonald et al. 2004). On Friday, March 31st, the amount of rain was significant, resulting in 0.8 inches of rain!

Microbes can be components of nests, egg laying, and hatching events. The last blog post (March 16, 2017) began a discussion of possible biological reasons for the death of the first hatchling. Research in trans-shell microbes (Cook et al. 2003) indicates that the probability of infections is high. They have shown that incubation temperatures, timing, green nesting material, and weather conditions play a role in limiting infections across the shell and inside eggs. We may never know if an infection impacted our eggs, but this is another factor in the nesting success equation.

Questions remain about the possibility of a second clutch. According to biologists at NCTC, the possibility of a second clutch is low. If they attempt another clutch, timing, weather, and food matches may pose new challenges for the pair. The amount of energy, stored fat is required to lay new eggs, and impending hot weather are major issues. Bald eagles lay and hatch before the steady summer weather arrives since they can only obtain moisture from the food they consume.

The NCTC EagleCam offers us a unique perspective: a ‘sneak peek” into the living room of an apex predator during a crucial time in its life cycle. Although this nesting season may not continue as expected and action in the nest may decline, we plan to keep the EagleCam up and running until mid-June or early July keeping an eye out for the adults who occasionally return to the nest.

We thank everyone who watch the live feed, reads the updates and corresponds with our team. We also send a special note of thanks to Terri Bayles, Debi Chiappini, Deb Stecyk, and Doreen Wermer who were integral to our 2016 research initiative to quantify prey deliveries to the nest. They along with so many others are essential to our mission and help us to maintain a watchful eye on the health and progress of this incredible species.

Thanks also to Outdoor Channel, the Friends of the NCTC, Hancock Wildlife Foundation, FWS eagle biologist Craig Koppie, NCTC staff, Lois Johnson-Mead, Clayton McBride, Rob Ball, and all of the long time followers of the cam.

2018,For 13 seasons we have all watched the NCTC Eagles, and it has been a wonder to behold. Some years we have seen three fledglings finally leave the nest, and other years have been heartbreaking to observe with new mates, ice storms, broken eggs, and empty nests. The enthusiasm over the webcam has brought together a passionate community of eagle fans who have grown to love the birds and gain a better understanding of their lives. We are privileged to be passive observers of wild nature, and we are grateful for those of you who watch these birds for us.

We expect that this season will not be a productive one. The two eggs laid have not been viable, and there have been sometimes violent confrontations between a number of adult and juvenile bald eagles over the past few months. Nest competition has resulted in the likely loss of our original female bird, who has been replaced by a new female. The displaced female had been in this nest for over a decade, but natural selection is a part of nature, and the younger, more vigorous female has pushed the older bird out.

Our eagle biologists have told us for some time now that the population of bald eagles in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is very healthy, and with this success brings great competition for nesting habitat. This is good news, as 50 years ago the bald eagle was perched on the brink of extinction. The sometimes violent competition we have been viewing is a natural process. In healthy ecosystems, this is how nature works, even though it can be cruel to watch. Viewing this behavior before we had webcams and the internet was only possible through careful research by a few intrepid field biologists.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we move forward. We would not have this community, nor the cam, without the help of all of our friends and partners – The Friends of the NCTC, Outdoor Channel, and the Eaglet Momsters.
Sign on property

Map of the area to show location of tree and river etc

Here is a really neat image of the Sycamore nest and its surroundings. The roads on the right are on the NCTC campus. The red roof buildings below our nest is the working farm on which the Sycamore resides. The road directly to the right of the barn is where we parked when we visited in July. We walked up the small road to the barn to observe the nest.

Click on each picture to view it larger in a new window.

When I went beside on the grounds of NCTC there is a good area to see the nest from the road behind this gate See nest all the way in back of property

I will try to keep all video to the top of the page for enjoyment pleasure then you can scroll the pictures if you want

Using blog as a way to record pic and videos We have them on FB but those are groups you must join This is for all public to see We previously used this as a communication blog but no longer since our Matriarch Jo died. JO you are missed. This blog was started because of her in 2006 She loved it so!

I am sure JO will approve of the blog being used like this Well at least I hope so!!!