Thursday, January 26, 2012

It's Time for Eagle Cam!





















Last winter I got hooked on Eagle Cam: Decorah Eagles (in Iowa). Watching these magnificent birds hatch and raise their eaglets was amazing and addictive. I was so proud and sad to see them grow big enough to leave the nest.

At the same I discovered another cam: Eagles at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. This eagle family suffered a tragedy when the mom was killed by an airplane. The dad eagle couldn't feed three rapidly growing eaglets alone, so they were rescued, raised, and later released by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. I, along with thousands of other viewers, became very attached to "our babies" as we watched them grow at the Wildlife Center. Watching their release into the wild was stunningly beautiful and emotionally overwhelming.

And it's all starting again with the new nesting season! Mom and Dad Decorah have been seen mating and nesting. Dad Norfolk has a new lady. They, too, are mating and nesting. Soon, both sets of parents will be protecting their eggs as we watch in awe. I learned so much about eagles (and other wildlife) last year that I'm looking forward to this season. I wish both sets of eagle parents safe and long lives with many healthy eaglets.

Want to join the Eagle Nation? The web cams are free and both sites include links to lots of info about Eagles. The Wildlife Center of Virginia also has lots info on animals is it treating and their own wildlife cam.

Warning: Eagle watching can be addictive may lead to lack of housework and cooking, excessive Eagle Cam viewing to the exclusion of TV, DVDs, etc., and obessesive talk of "beaking," "nesting," and "branching."

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