Monday March 4, 2013 Evening Update - Doin's On The Nest

Well, today at the MN Bound Eagle nest has been a busy one.

 Mom and Dad Eagle have been hard at work getting the nest ready for the eggs to come. They were in and out several times bringing sticks, grasses and leaves in. The usual comedy ensued over stick placement. Mom and Dad were tied in that department today. This evening was good in that no intruders stopped by. Probably hiding from the snowstorm!

 Mom is spending the night in the nest for the first time this year. Unfortunately she is being snowed on. The nest area is supposed to get six to eight inches of snow tonite and tomorrow. She looks like she will “weather the storm” just fine. 

 All the chatters and all the mods are wondering if this is the night she will lay the first egg of the year. 

 We will all just have to wait and see!

 Mark and the Broadband team revamped the power to the cam Monday. They took the old solar array completely offline and put all the systems on the new solar array. Mark said it was looking good and was charging well even with cloudy skies. The new arrangement is better for power but did take away some switching and monitoring capabilities. This means the cam will be up 24/7 from now on! BBC is closely watching all the systems to make sure everything is running right.

 Thanks to Mark and the BBC Team for all the hard work to get the cam up and running so we can experience this Eagle nest up close and personal!

 Well, it looks to be an exciting week at the nest and we are looking forward to having some eggs to stare at.

 Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below or in the chat room.  Also, we'll be updating our official MN Bound LIVE Eagles Facebook Page regularly so you can follow along, like, or share with your friends.  We have several site moderators this year to help give optimal information to all that want to learn more about these magnificent birds.

Monday, March 4, 2013 - TalonStrike Lands on the Blog

By way of introduction,

My name is TalonStrike and I am an Eagleaholic!

They say (not sure who “they” are) that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I’m not sure that Eagleaholism is a recognized problem yet. I am enjoying it so far!

I am one of the moderators privileged to be asked to help out with the MN Bound Eagle Cam this year. I’ll be posting here frequently to keep all of our Eagle friends updated with the latest news from the nest and with some pertinent facts about Eagles and the cam we are using this year.

There are about 13 of us “mods” right now and we will be trying to help keep all the other Eagleaholics sane when the eggs arrive and while the eaglets grow up. There will be more of us as the season progresses and we see just how many Eagle watchers join us in the Social Stream on the site. In addition, we will be using the Chat room for classes and we will be having a expert from The Audubon Society of the North Woods on hand to answer questions from the classes.

Moderating can be a tough job but we enjoy it and feel that we are providing a needed anchor to guide the chatters as they watch and post. Our mottos at this nest are “Be Nice” and “Eagles not Egos”.

Now a little about the doings at the nest and with the cam this past week.

Mom and Dad Eagle (yep, thats what we call them, they haven’t been named) have been prepping the nest for the arrival of the eggs. They have been bringing in grasses and sticks to build up the nest. The arrival of a new stick usually results in a tug-of-war between them to place it in the right spot. Mom usually wins until her back is turned and Dad moves the stick again. Also this week has shown us that they will defend their nest vigorously. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday there have been intruders at the nest at dusk. Mom and Dad have gone after them and chased them away each time. So the score is MandD 3, Intruders 0. Since Eagles are the top predators in the skies, this is not surprising. I would not like to go up against them, their talons are bigger than my hand. Last years eggs were laid on March 6 and 9 so we may see an egg or two this week!

The main glitch at this time (Sunday Mar 3) is power. Broadband Corp reused the solar array from last year and installed a completely new array to more than double the power capacity available to run the cam, the radios that carry the signal back to BBC, and the new night illuminator. They have been testing various power scenarios trying to give us the best bang for the buck right now. Because of the cold the batteries are not putting out their full capacity right now. As we warm up and the days get longer this situation should improve and we should have full-time viewing 24/7. There is no power backup as this is a completely solar installation with no way to hook to the grid as it is too far from any other power source. Mark and the team will be revamping the power supplies this week to give us the most out of what is available. They will do well by us as they always have.

Well, I have rambled on long enough for this blog entry and will say So Long and Sweet MNB Eagle Dreams to all until the next one.

Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below or in the chat room.  Also, we'll be updating our official MN Bound LIVE Eagles Facebook Page regularly so you can follow along, like, or share with your friends.  We have several site moderators this year to help give optimal information to all that want to learn more about these magnificent birds.

The MNBound Eagle Cam - 2013 Edition!

Minnesota Bound and Broadband Corp are happy and proud to announce the return of the Minnesota Bound LIVE Bald Eagle Cam for 2013!

We all remember the high drama at the nest last year. Kirby perishing, Harmon getting stuck, The Rescue, the return to the nest, Mom and Dad returning just before Harmon was to be removed for the second time.  The reunion with Mom and Dad, the squees, the mantling, the branching, the fledge... so many sad and wonderful moments in the life of a Bald Eagle family! We hope for another wonderful year of eagle watching but with a lot less drama!

We have been watching on and off for the past week or so and we think we have the best and sharpest cam on the net. Mom and Dad Eagle have been seen prepping the nest for the eaglets to come.

Mark Wegscheid and his team at Broadband Corp put the finishing touches on the new installation these past few weeks in preparation of the cam going live. They have installed new solar panels with double the power, new batteries, new cabling and a new HD cam that will be able to pan, tilt, and zoom.  Also Mark added a new microphone placed close to the nest so we will be able to hear the eagles better this year.

The new cam is positioned a little differently from last years cam to enable the viewers to see more of the nest, the tree, and the surrounding area. The cam is mounted to an arched shaped structure that does not interfere with the eagles movement on the tree. The mount puts the cam about ten feet above the nest for a spectacular view. The cam will be able to pan and tilt to follow the eaglets when they branch and move around the tree which it could not last year. A built-in 20x zoom makes it easy to see Mom and Dad close up and personal. Also with the increased power and battery capacity we will be able to watch all night via infrared night vision which we didn’t have last year.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below or  in the chat room.  Also, we'll be updating our official MN Bound LIVE Eagles Facebook Page regularly  so you can follow along, like, or share with your friends.  We have several site moderators this year to help give optimal information to all that want to learn more about these magnificent birds.

Please join us for another season of watching this marvelous eagle family!

- TalonStrike

Lead and Eagles do not Mix

A few decades ago, lead was banned from use in paint, gasoline and other and products in the United States because of the serious health affects it can have on humans.  but we’re not the only ones affected. Many species of birds are especially impacted by lead because of their unique digestive systems.   
 Lead sinkers pose a major threat to many water birds species including swans, geese and the Minnesota state bird, the loon. These birds use small stones in their crop to help grind and digest their food. However, if a loon mistakenly ingests a small lead sinker, that can be a lethal dose of lead.
 Bald eagles are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning because of their strong stomach acids. Bald eagles might eat a fish that contains a lead sinker or tackle. When an eagle ingests lead, extremely acidic stomach acids break down the lead and high concentrations of lead are released into the bloodstream. The same health effects from lead that affect humans can then debilitate and kill the bird. Even a tiny amount of lead can be lethal to an eagle.
 Another common source of lead poisoning in eagles is lead shot. Although lead has been banned in waterfowl shot for many years, lead is still very common in upland game hunting. In winter, bald eagles often feed on deer carcasses. If a carcass or gut pile has even the tiniest shrapnel of lead, it can be a lethal dose for a full grown eagle. Lead shrapnel the size of the tip of your pencil can kill an eagle.
 Lead in the bird’s bloodstream causes neurological damage including visual and motor impairments, just as it would in humans. For the eagle trying to survive in the wild, these impairments can be deadly or result in a secondary injury, like getting hit by a vehicle. If they are unable to fly or find food, an eagle cannot survive. The lead in their blood continues to cause organ failure and ultimately death in just a few days.
 At the National Eagle Center, we see many injured birds throughout the year. In 2011, we saw 12 bald eagles, six of which died as a result of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is perhaps the greatest preventable threat to eagles today. The number of lead poisoned eagles seems to increase sharply in the months of November and December, when lead tainted carcasses are most available.
 We have seen the successful return of the once endangered bald eagle. We know our actions have an impact on wildlife. You can help eagles and other water birds by finding out about the many alternatives to lead tackle and ammunition that are available. These alternatives might cost a little more, but when compared with the unnecessary suffering and death of our national symbol, it seems a small price to pay. Secondly, spread the word. Once you know the impact of lead on eagles and other birds, share that knowledge with others. Teach young hunters and anglers about how they can help protect wildlife and the environment so they can enjoy the sight of a majestic bald eagle soaring overhead for years to come.

Here are a few sites that have more information about lead poisoning in birds:
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/fact_sheets/pdfs/lead_poisoning_wild_birds_2009.pdf - USGS National Wildlife Health Center
http://www.pca.state.mn.us - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/MedicalServices/RaptorMedicine/LeadPoisoning/home.html - MN Raptor Center

Update on 2012-07-17 15:25 by Eagle Cam Moderator

It's a long way down!

On another eagle web cam in Wisconsin, the female eaglet made her first flight in a very ungraceful way. In fact many are not calling it a fledge but a fludge, or a very bad attempt at a first flight.  The eaglet went over to the edge of the nest,  looked over and basically fell right out.  Many were concerned that she may have injured herself, but she was seen later looking just fine.  Most all of us didn't just start out walking right away either, we had a few ungraceful falls as well!  

So don't be surprised if our eaglet here does the same thing! Let's talk about what it will be like when our eaglet fledges.

Eagles are very territorial and rarely allow another eagle in their nesting territory. They will fight to the death to defend the nest, food source or territory.  But, they are also very good parents and most will allow the young to stay in the territory for some time after they have learned to fly.  During this time the parents are teaching the young how to find food and defend themselves.  The young will often stay in the parents’ territory until late summer or early fall.  But how long they are welcome might depend on how much grief the kids gave the parents when they were in the nest! 
  Once the young have left the territory for good, they start life on their own. They often congregate with other immature birds and learn from each other, picking up new techniques for hunting.  A big part of the mortality rate for these birds the first year of life is due to their inexperience. They don’t necessarily know what to do or where to find food that first winter.  About 50% of the young hatched this year will not make it to next summer.
  If these birds do make it to the next spring, they will not be welcomed back by the parents.  Parents will actually run them right out of their territory, just as they would any other eagle. The parents are working hard to raise a new clutch, and want to limit the competition for food in the territory. Immature eagles are on their own, and until they are five or six years of age have no territory of their own. Once they get the complete white head and tail, they will be fully adult and ready to breed. Only then will they seek to carve out their own territory and defend it fiercely.