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Regular Updates about Jim and Cindy are provided by the Eastwood Eagle Watchers.
Click here for Eagle Cam Stream 1
Click here for Eagle Cam Stream 2
Click here to see the Eagle Photo Gallery
Click here to read more about the 2012 Season.
Click here to read more about the 2011 Season.
Dayton EagleCam Project
The Dayton EagleCam project is the result of a collaboration between the City of Dayton, Copp Systems Integrator, The Dayton Foundation, Time Warner Cable, the Ohio Division of Natural Resources, and anonymous donors. Throughout the 2012 nesting season, the Boonshoft Museum will host live video streaming of Dayton's resident Eagle pair “Jim” and “Cindy” in their natural habitat, and provide updates on the couple using input of the Eastwood Eagle Watchers.
Designed to bring a birds-eye view of these iconic raptors to the public, the original EagleCam is perched on a tower approximately 150 yards away from the Eagle’s new nest. New for 2012! A second camera has been added to provide a wider view of the nest area, allowing viewers a better perspective as the eagles travel to and from the nest.
Unlike many online Eagle Cam projects, Dayton's Eagles are being observed in the wild instead of at a zoo, providing a unique perspective that brings images to the community. As the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act makes it illegal to disturb Bald Eagles in any way, EagleCam was planned to bring images of these amazing birds to the public in a safe way, providing unique access to Eagles in the wild.
Fast Facts about Dayton’s Bald Eagle Pair:
- The Bald Eagle pair that nests at the Mad River Well Field are named “Jim” and “Cindy,” after long-time city employee Jim Kennedy and his wife, Cindy. Jim passed away in March 2009, shortly after the pair built their first nest at the Well Field.
- Males and females can incubate eggs during the nesting season. These “turns” on the nest can last from four to six hours at a stretch.
- Incubation takes 30-35 days.
- Bald Eagles can lay 1 to 3 eggs per year, although it is not uncommon for one or more of the eggs to not produce an eaglet.
- This is Jim and Cindy’s third season. They did not successfully produce eaglets during 2009 or 2010 – a not-uncommon occurrence for a young Eagle pair. The City of Dayton Water Department uses the aquifer beneath the Mad River Well Field to help supply more than 440,000 people in Montgomery County and beyond. The City maintains water quality through a Well Field Protection Program that includes land use control zoning, groundwater remediation and emergency preparedness. Click here for more information about the Mad River Well Field and the City of Dayton’s Source Water Protection Program.
To learn more about Bald Eagles and how they are protected, check out some of our favorite sites:
http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/ http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/guidelines/disturbnestingbaea1.html
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/Management/BaldEagle
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Monday August 29, 2011 - Very early last week, Jim, Cindy and Pride were all seen together at the well field. Jim and Cindy were spending a lot of time in a favorite tree near Ohio Routes 4 and 444 while Pride spent the bulk of his time perched on a nearby utility pole. Then around Tuesday, Jim and Cindy disappeared, possibly on one of their fishing trips. Pride stayed on that pole. He would leave it to fish and get a drink or take a dip in the lake, but then he went right back to that pole. I felt sorry for him. He looked kind of lonely. Then around Thursday, Pride disappeared too. For three days no one had seen any of them.
Sunday afternoon, some of the Eastwood Eagle Watchers gathered to… well… watch. We saw cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Little Green Heron, kingfishers, Canada Geese, Mallards, and an assortment of other wildlife, but no Bald Eagles. That is until we spotted a large bird approaching the well field from high above the Huffman Dam area. As it banked in the evening sunlight, the flash of bright white from its tail left no doubt about what it was. Before long Jim, Cindy and Pride were all back in the area. They all appeared to be quite well and as the sun was setting, they were gathering together in yet another large sycamore tree for the night.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - Well, it appears that flight school is over and Pride has passed with flying colors! Be sure to click on the eagle photo gallery to see Roger’s amazing shots of the youngster snatching a fish from the waters of Blue Lake. Pride, like all young ones, is extremely curious and spends a lot of time on the ground turning over rocks and picking up shells. He really seems to enjoy flying over the local gulls and ducks just to stir them up a little. He soars high in the sky as an eagle should and spends a lot of time just watching the world go by. Today he was seen flying across the well field carrying a very big stick, another good sign that all is well. If he would just stay away from those utility poles! We had a bit of a scare yesterday when a local photographer reported that Pride was on the ground and acting strange. We arrived about ten minutes later to find him flying over Blue Lake. He apparently was just investigating something on the ground in his own peculiar manner.
Cindy is back in the area and she and Jim are spending more time together. As I have stated before, her disappearance is not uncommon. This is the first year that they have successfully fledged an eaglet so that is probably why Jim did not fly off with her. Jim is still keeping very close to Pride. I suspect that all three will winter here.
Monday, August 1, 2011 - Jim continues to be a wonderful father and an excellent flight instructor. Pride is now regularly soaring like an eagle and doing so very regally. They can still be seen daily above and around Blue Lake and Eastwood Lake. Jim does all the fishing still, but Pride should catch on before too much longer. Jim has lost a few feathers and appears rather tattered at times.
Cindy has been seen in the area but has not acted very “motherly” for quite a while. The other adult eagles that were in the area have apparently moved on. Since this is the first year that Jim and Cindy have successfully raised an eaglet, we are trusting that Cindy’s behavior is not something to be concerned about. Bald Eagles mate for life and can be fairly social creatures when they are not nesting. In the past few years, Cindy has always been the first to leave the area on a series of short excursions. Jim follows a few weeks later. They return again in October, usually a few days apart.
If you happen to see Jim flying or perched in a tree, look carefully for Pride. They are seldom far apart. Pride is more difficult to spot when he is perched in a tree because of his dark brown coloring. Although Pride seems to be landing in trees more and more, be sure to carefully look at the top of any nearby utility poles for the massive youngster. (JBW/EEW)
Tuesday, July 18, 2011 - Things are pretty calm at the well field. Cindy is hard to find sometimes and other adult eagles are passing through. Jim is still providing food for Pride and himself. There have been no reports of Pride hunting on its own yet and Pride is still frequenting the utility poles.
DP&L has been very busy restoring things after the recent storms so there is no real progress to report on the avian safety issues. People are actively researching into the best solutions for our specific needs.
ODNR reports that there were 194 known nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in Ohio this year with a minimum of 254 eaglets. There were 35 new nests spotted and the eagles are now nesting in at least 62 of Ohio’s 85 counties. (JBW/EEW)
Many loyal followers of the Eagle Cam are asking for additional images of Spirit, the now deceased offspring of Jim and Cindy. Roger Garber, a member of the Eastwood Eagle Watchers, has created this tribute.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - Earlier today, Spirit, Jim and Cindy’s young male Bald Eagle, lost his struggle to recover from injuries he had received late on July 3rd. An alert well field worker had discovered the severely traumatized eaglet the following Independence Day evening, on the ground at the base of a wooden utility pole. He had been in the care of The Glen Helen Raptor Center since then. Spirit had been recently transported to a veterinarian in Akron who specializes in exotic animal care for further evaluation and possible reconstruction of his badly damaged right knee. During surgery it was determined that the internal injuries to his chest were so severe, and the odds of saving his right leg and foot were so slim, that the eaglet was euthanized. We believe that Spirit was 100 days old. (JBW/EEW)
Monday July 11, 2011 - Spirit is continuing his recuperation at The Glen Helen Raptor Center. His severely damaged left knee is still his biggest issue. Apparently whatever he impacted caused some additional internal trauma. He has been struggling to keep food down. At last report he has been dining on diced mice and fish. There are still no guarantees on his recovery.
Jim is taking good care of Pride, keeping a watchful eye and bringing food. Cindy has been spotted hanging out with two other adult eagles. We have seen this behavior from her before. After last year’s failed nest, it was Jim who was the last to give up incubation while Cindy socialized.
Pride is flying well but still likes to perch atop power poles, much to our dismay and concern. The City of Dayton personnel and Dayton Power and Light officials are devising a plan to improve the avian safety of the poles in the vicinity of the nest.(JBW/EEW)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - The report on Spirit is not good. The veterinarian has found that its right knee is severely damaged. A joint repair is much more complicated than a simple broken bone repair. This is especially critical for a young eagle. An eagle’s feet and talons are its primary weapons of self-defense. They are the tool that they rely on to snatch fish from the surface of the water. They are used to hold on to tree limbs, and even used in courting.
Spirit may have been on the ground for longer than we had first thought, and may have had a pretty rough time. It was dehydrated and dirty. Keeping track of the eagles can be difficult, as they commonly find a perch in a tree and stay there for hours. Even with all of the workers in the well field, an injured animal in the tall grass may not draw attention for days. One of the first rules of watching wild animals is not to get emotionally attached, but that is very hard to do when watching these magnificent creatures. That was very apparent as the Eastwood Eagle Watchers gathered in the waning twilight to keep watch over the injured eaglet.
Life in the wild is hard, very hard. One half of all eaglets do not survive their first year. Spirit is getting the best medical care possible but the prognosis at this point is not good. Our focus is twofold: First, we seek a good recovery for Spirit and second, we must continue to strive to make the environment near the nest as hazard free as possible. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, July 4, 2011 - The last seven days have been busy ones for Jim and Cindy and their eaglets. Both eaglets were flying to and from the nest. Jim and Cindy were both bringing food to the nest, mostly fish but also duck and raccoon. Occasionally Jim or Cindy would gracefully soar overhead as if to coax the youngsters skyward. Things were progressing nicely until today.
This evening a well field worker reported an eaglet, apparently injured, at the base of an electrical pole. He had seen the eaglet sitting at the base of the pole around 4:30 in the afternoon and then sometime later saw the eaglet lying in the grass. When help arrived the eaglet managed to limp onto the roadway dragging its left wing and not using its injured right foot. Betty Ross of the Glen Helen Raptor Center was notified of the situation. We stayed with the injured bird to ward off any predators and to keep it from wandering into the nearby heavy brush. Betty arrived and gently covered and crated the eaglet for a trip to the raptor center where it will be examined by a veterinarian and hopefully rehabilitated.
We do not know what happened to the 91 day old eaglet. Both eaglets have a nasty habit of perching on utility poles. Earlier in the day both Jim and Cindy were seen flying in the area and did not seem to be stressed. One eaglet stayed on the top of that pole from before 1:00 p.m. until after 5:00 p.m. The other eaglet was not spotted. It is possible that the injured eaglet may have already been at the bottom of that pole, and the sibling was “standing guard” as it were. It may be possible to adapt some of the poles to make them more suitable perches for eaglets.
We are all hoping that this young Bald Eagle, injured on Independence Day of all days, will be independent again soon. Check back for additional updates; they will be posted as they are available.. (JBW/EEW)
Thursday , June 30, 2011 - As the EEW were viewing the nest, Spirit decided to take a quick spin around the well field. It first flew to the tree directly above us. It made a stuttering attempt to land on a tree limb but aborted the landing and continued flying. We lost sight of it behind the tree but soon it reappeared, made a big arc and headed back or way. This time it was maybe ten feet above the ground and moving pretty fast. It passed just over our cars and swooped upward in an attempt to make a landing on the lower crossbar of a small utility pole which carries three-wire service through the well field. We all gasped. I remember taking a couple of steps toward the pole and saying, "No! No!" as if Spirit would know what I meant. One foot missed its grasp on the crossbar causing the bird to twist awkwardly. It folded its wings, then somehow half fell-half jumped between two of the wires. Then it spread its wings a few feet above the ground and flew by us at a distance of around 30 feet or so. Hitting one wire would have broken a wing, contacting two at the same time could have electrocuted it. I had just mentioned how Red Tails hunt from the top of utility poles all the time but I've never seen the eagles even perch on them. Those wires are probably their greatest threat as they learn to fly.
Pride still seems content to watch the action from near the nest. Jim and Cindy were soaring high overhead, occasionally calling out as if to coax the young eagles to join them. Pride really should be flying by now. We assume that it is always the same eaglet in the nest but there is a chance that both are flying, just not at the same time or at least not together when anyone is watching.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - As the EEW were viewing the nest, Spirit decided to take a quick spin around the well field. It first flew to the tree directly above us. It made a stuttering attempt to land on a tree limb but aborted the landing and continued flying. We lost sight of it behind the tree but soon it reappeared, made a big arc and headed back or way. This time it was maybe ten feet above the ground and moving pretty fast. It passed just over our cars and swooped upward in an attempt to make a landing on the lower crossbar of a small utility pole which carries three-wire service through the well field. We all gasped. I remember taking a couple of steps toward the pole and saying, "No! No!" as if Spirit would know what I meant. One foot missed its grasp on the crossbar causing the bird to twist awkwardly. It folded its wings, then somehow half fell-half jumped between two of the wires. Then it spread its wings a few feet above the ground and flew by us at a distance of around 30 feet or so. Hitting one wire would have broken a wing, contacting two at the same time could have electrocuted it. I had just mentioned how Red Tails hunt from the top of utility poles all the time but I've never seen the eagles even perch on them. Those wires are probably their greatest threat as they learn to fly.
Pride still seems content to watch the action from near the nest. Jim and Cindy were soaring high overhead, occasionally calling out as if to coax the young eagles to join them. Pride really should be flying by now. We assume that it is always the same eaglet in the nest but there is a chance that both are flying, just not at the same time or at least not together when anyone is watching. (JBW/EEW)
View images of this mid-week flying (mis)adventure on the Museum's Facebook page.
Monday, June 27, 2011 - It was a very interesting weekend in eagledom. Both eaglets spent most of Saturday and Sunday in the nest or nearby the nest. When they were in the nest they were deep in the hollow of the nest making the nest appear empty. When they were near the nest they were flapping, climbing and virtually dancing up and down the limbs.
Jim and Cindy are making more frequent food deliveries to the nest.This now leads to squabbles among the eaglets. Lately the adult eagle appears to be staying until one eaglet eats and then the adult will fly off while the second eaglet dines. Yesterday, Cindy brought in a fish and waited until one eaglet had eaten its fill and walked up a nearby limb. Then Cindy literally picked up the rest of the fish and dropped it in front of the second eaglet and it began eating. Cindy then flew to a neighboring tree. Forty minutes later the first eaglet flew off just twenty seconds before Jim arrived with another fish.
As posted elsewhere on this website, the results of the eaglet naming contest have been announced and the winning names are “Spirit” and “Pride”. I think that the eaglet who has already fledged, and is becoming a rather graceful flyer at that, be dubbed Spirit. It has shown the bold spirit and tenacity to take wing. Therefore the eaglet yet to fly would be Pride, and we all know that “pride comes before the fall”. I am hoping that Pride comes out of the nest before the fall (autumn). I guess there is a slight chance that Pride has flown when no one was watching. I know that it can fly because it often can be seen hovering above the nest. It should be flying at twelve weeks of age and appears very healthy. As I was watching yesterday two other adult eagles flew high above the nest with two juveniles. As they flew over, Pride stared skyward and watched them. Its eyesight seems fine. On the positive side, as long as an eaglet is in the nest, the eagle cam is fun to watch. (JBW/EEW)
Update June 24, 2011 - Is thenest empty? Several times yesterday it appeared so. Early in the morning one eaglet was in the nest and the other was still perched on the limb it had fledged to on Wednesday. Jim and Cindy were perched nearby. At 11:24 AM Jim delivered food to the nest. Then at 4:00 PM the nest appeared to be completely empty again, that is until an eaglet’s head popped up. Then another eaglet head popped up! It seems that when no one was looking, the eaglet that had fledged from the nest had flown back home. Around 6:00 PM Jim flew in with dinner, dropped it into the nest and immediately flew away. At dusk the nest once again looked deserted. One eaglet has found its wings and the other will soon discover its wings as well.
Tonight’s TATTOO event at The National Museum of the United States Air Force will feature a number of low flying military aircraft as well as a fireworks display. Hopefully the eagles will all be safely perched for the night and not be too disturbed by the unusual odors, noises and distractions. (JBW/EEW)
Thursday, June 23, 2011 - I am sure that many are wondering about the eaglet that fledged from the nest yesterday. That first step out of the nest is a very important one and proves to be dangerous, even fatal, to many eaglets. As I noted yesterday, that first step was witnessed by one of our group. He reported that the eaglet had left the northwest side of the nest at a rather steep angle. Further observations and communication with well field personnel has given us a more complete picture of the events that immediately followed that first step.
The eaglet did not encounter any obstacles on its way down but did have a bit of a rough landing. Bald Eagles are built to absorb some pretty hard impacts. Some eagles during courtship lock talons with each other high above the ground and plummet earthward together. Occasionally they will remain locked until they actually strike the ground and then may remain motionless (in a stunned state) for quite some time. This eaglet was somewhat stunned on impact but Cindy was perched nearby, keeping watch over her offspring. Once the eaglet revived, it was able to get itself airborne and flew up to a limb in another tree not far from the nesting tree. That limb is about 25 feet above the ground. At last report it was still there at 7:30 p.m. and will probably remain there overnight. This perch will keep it safe from the foxes and coyotes that roam the well field in the darkness. Jim spent the afternoon perched a few hundred feet away, and this evening Cindy brought food to the eaglet still in the nest.
I cannot overstress how important today’s events are for this young eagle. It survived the first flight from the nest, was able to fly up into a tree from the ground. It is holding both wings in a normal position, and is walking up and down the limb it is on and flapping its wings in the breeze. This was a very successful day. This young eagle now knows that it can fly. Soon with Jim and Cindy’s help, it will learn that it can soar! (JBW/EEW)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - “The eagle has landed!” At 9:00 this morning, one of the Eastwood Eagle Watchers was viewing the nest from Eastwood Lake when the first eaglet fledged from the northwest side of the nest. He did not see where it landed. The eagle cam showed its sibling on the northwest side of the nest, rather agitated and looking down.
We contacted the Well Field staff and advised them that they indeed have a juvenile eagle either on the ground or perched low in a tree. I’m sure that they will discretely check on its condition. They are prepared to protect it if necessary, and the Glen Helen Raptor Center has assured us that they will assist if the need arises.
It was reassuring to see Jim or Cindy arrive at the nest with food for the remaining eaglet about 40 minutes later. This means that they are definitely aware of this morning’s events. Could the delivery of food be an intentional attempt to delay the sibling’s departure from the nest until things are settled down a bit? What parent hasn’t distracted one child while training another? At this writing, the eaglet still in the nest would rather watch the activities below it than eat breakfast. I imagine that there is a lot of “eagle chatter” around the well field this morning, both human and avian. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, June 20, 2011 - At the time of this writing at least one of the eaglets is still in the sycamore tree that cradles the nest. Saturday morning both eaglets “flew” to the empty Great Blue Heronnest that is located about five feet from the aerie which they have called home for the last seventy-seven days. It was really more of a hop but it did involve being airborne and the short trip did include a flap of the wings. In fact they have sort of made a game out of hopping from one nest to the other.This is why they seem perched on the far left of the eagle cam screen.
The leaves on the nest tree continue to increase in size and are now concealing the nest enough to make viewing difficult from most angles, including the eagle cam. Although only one eaglet was visible Sunday evening, the other may have been hidden from view behind the leaves or in the hollow of the nest. The filtered sunlight between Saturday’s showers did allow for the Eastwood Eagle Watchers to capture a few photographs of the now adult-sized eaglets. The slate blue color of the back of their hooked beaks is giving way to the distinctive bright yellow. They still appear healthy and seem very energetic.
We have not received any reports of them leaving the nest on an actual flight. Cindy and Jim are still nearby and have been seen wading in the water at the edge of Blue Lake. We continue to watch and wait for the juveniles to fledge from the nest(s). (JBW/EEW)
Thursday, June 16, 2011 - At Eastwood yesterday, someone asked me why the eaglets were still in the nest at 73 days when the average age for eaglets to leave the nest is 70 days. I told them that the answer is in the word “average.” It implies that some eaglets fly earlier than 70 days and some fly later. The later age may be as much as 84 days. That started me thinking. The usual eagle clutch is 2 eggs but a clutch of 1 egg or 3 eggs is not uncommon. Often not every egg hatches successfully and not all eaglets survive the first 70 days. Therefore many eaglets are alone in the nest when they are old enough to fly.
Young eagles tend to like the company of other eagles until they pair off as they mature. That raises the question of whether or not eaglets with siblings tend to fledge later than lone eaglets. For a single eaglet, the parents’ absence from the nest and hunger is accompanied by the need for companionship. This would heighten the eaglet’s growing instinctive urge to fly. I was unable to find any information to support my theory or separate statistics for eaglets with and without nest mates. Either way, these eaglets can fly. The question is simply, “When?” And the answer is obviously, “When they decide they want to fly. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, June 13, 2011 - The last few visits to view the nest have been the same with two eaglets sitting, prancing and hopping in the nest or flapping above it. I have not seen Jim or Cindy, but they are always nearby. The eagle cam was not streaming video this weekend and I was unable to make it to the area on Sunday. I have not had any updates from the other Eastwood Eagle Watchers.
If the eaglets are still in the nest this should be the week. They are 70 days old today, so they are ready and able to fly. The northwest side of the nest is fairly clear of obstructions and the south side of the nest faces water reservoirs and a large grassy area for that first 50’ step. By the week’s end, all four eagle should be fishing the nearby lakes. (JBW/EEW)
Thursday, June 9, 2011 - This weather has been brutal on all of us but imagine being in the 95 degree temperatures and stranded in a treetop nest with no shade from the direct sunlight. Add in the inability to fly to the nearby lakes or river for a cool dip or even a drink of water. The eaglets are dressed completely in black to boot. There is an insulation factor with their feathers and the air trapped between them, but that is hot air. The breeze helps and they do get some moisture from the fish that Jim and Cindy bring to the nest but those meals are few and far between right now. A quick look at the eaglecam shows how heavily they are panting in an attempt to cool themselves. Today’s thunderstorms, if they develop and are not too severe, will be a very welcomed relief.
Each eaglet is ready to fly now. Fledging is a very dangerous event for young eagles and has proven fatal to many. With seven-feet of wingspan it is hard to maneuver around tree limbs and hard to see wires and cables. Flying is difficult enough but landing is even more hazardous. Choosing the correct landing site is crucial. It has to be able to support a 10 to 13 pound bird and be relatively free of obstruction so it can land and take off again. It must be away from predators and automobile traffic. All of this will become second nature to the juvenile eagle as he or she gains much needed experience, but they will be novices and, like most of us, must learn from trial and error. I have read that of the 50% of eagles that do not survive their first year, 70% of them die in that first flight from the nest! I’m hoping that both of Jim and Cindy’s offspring beat those odds. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, June 6, 2011 - This may be the week that the eaglets decide to spread their wings and act like eagles. Everything is ready and both eaglets look healthy. Jim and Cindy have done an excellent job as first time parents. The City of Dayton Well Field crews are aware of the potential of downed or injured eaglets. They are very fond and protective of their resident celebrities. It will be fun to watch the training sessions as the juveniles learn how to hunt and fish.
If they do fledge, the anchoring tether to the nest will be severed for another year. All four eagles may stay nearby for weeks or they may drift off together after a few days. My guess (and hope) is that with the abundant food supply in the area, and Jim and Cindy’s behavior over the last two summers, they will stay and fish the lakes for quite a while. I’m sure that the local Ospreys would prefer that they moved on, but having four eagles flying overhead will be a great chance to capture some amazing photographs.
The leaves and the heat waves make the nest a little more difficult to see from the Eastwood Lake Metro Park with each passing day, but visibility of the nest will soon be a moot point. Hopefully the young eagles will qui/pp/pckly develop a healthy disrespect for automobiles and other threats ogether in yet another large sycamore tree for the night.strongbr /y lakes. (JBW/EEW)to their wellbeing. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, May 30, 2011 - In spite of tornado-force winds, hailstones, torrential rains and scorching temperatures, the eaglets continue to do well. In their first eight weeks of life they have had quite a ride. Although it has no roof and is completely exposed to the elements, the aerie has proven itself to be a secure shelter for this family of four. It stands as quite a testimony to the Bald Eagles’ ability to choose the right tree and then design and construct their impressive homes. The eaglets are still slightly smaller than their parents but look to be extremely healthy and strong. Each eaglet is now able to stay airborne for a few seconds while playing in the breeze above the nest. They can often be seen half flying, half jumping across the nest. They could possibly fly any day now but it will probably be another week or two before they do.
Jim and Cindy are feeding their young less frequently. Jim is rarely at the nest and Cindy’s visits are becoming fewer as time goes on. This behavior teaches the eaglets to be less dependent on their parents and allows them more time to view the world around them. Their natural curiosity and the hunger that will develop from less feeding will soon be the catalyst to coax them from the security of the nest, the only world they’ve known, and into the air for the first time.
The nest is still visible from Eastwood MetroPark. The eaglets’ larger size makes them easy to see as they perch on the nest or flap around above it. The sunny weather of the last few days has allowed for some decent opportunities to photograph the birds. Check out the Boonshoft Museum/Eastwood Eagle Watchers Photo Gallery for new pictures of the eaglets. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, May 23, 2011 - The eaglets continue to do well. Even with the cool temperatures and persistent rain of the last few days, they continue to grow stronger, larger and more active. They are also now easily seen from the Eastwood Lake Metropark viewing area. Both eaglets are now completely covered with dark feathers. These feathers will continue to grow, including their flight feathers and the large primary feathers at the end of each wing. Jim and Cindy spend a lot of time fishing and perching in other trees near the nest. It is increasingly rare to see either adult spend much time in the nest unless they are actively feeding the eaglets. This trend will continue as the eaglets get closer to fledging from the nest.
We believe that the oldest eaglet hatched around April 4th. That was the date when we first noticed a change in behavior of the adult eagles from incubation activities to behavior more indicative of having a live eaglet in the nest. The oldest eaglet may actually be a few days older than we suspect. Eaglets are ready to fledge 70 to 75 days after hatching. So that puts their much anticipated maiden flights somewhere around the second or third week of June. We are now just a few weeks away from watching the eaglets take that first big step out of the aerie and into the rest of the world.
Jim and Cindy appear to be healthy as well. Taking care of the needs of hungry eaglets can take its toll on the adult birds. Both Jim and Cindy have been actively participating in the feeding and caring for their offspring. Sharing this burden increases the odds of both adult eagles remaining healthy. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, May 15, 2011 - The eaglets are about 6 weeks old now and with every 5 to 7 days they gain another pound. If you have seen them in person or watched them on the Eagle Cam, it is easy to see that they have /pa href= /pgrown larger and more active. Although it will be a while before their feathers are visible to us, believe it or not, in about 4 more weeks they will be as large as their parents and fully feathered. It is amazing how rapidly all birds develop, but for Eagles the change is much more visible and much more dramatic, simply due to the size of eaglets. In fact, the juvenile’s feathers will be slightly larger than their parents’ feathers.
For now, we watch and wait (rather impatiently) for that day when the eaglets leave the nest for the first time, using those massive wings to get airborne and experience flight. To fly under your own power and soar on thermals with the Eagles has inspired humans throughout history. Two brothers from right here in Dayton allowed mankind to get a sense that thrill for the first time. How fantastic it is that Dayton can now witness the “birth of flight” again with the help of Jim and Cindy, the Boonshoft Museum Eagle Cam, and its sponsors. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, May 9, 2011 - The feeding frenzy continues to grow. Watching the Boonshoft Museum’s EagleCam, you may notice periods of time when both Jim and Cindy are absent from the nest. This is a normal and healthy occurrence which will become more frequent as the eaglets grow. During these times either both adults are fishing or one is perched just off camera near the nest or in a nearby tree.
This past Saturday, in the cool rain, a number of us gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the eaglets through our cameras and binoculars. In between showers, where we were forced to seek the shelter of our cars, there were a few minutes of relative dryness and hazy sunlight. Roger Garber and I were able to capture a few shots of mother and child in the nest. Click on the Eagle Photo Gallery and enjoy a look at Roger’s photos and a peek at the fuzzy headed eaglet peering out of the nest! Images of the Eagles throughout the season can be found on the Boonshoft Museum's Facebook page.
Sunday brought more sunshine and drier weather. It also brought more hunting and fishing from Jim and Cindy. The activity in the nest is increasing, too. The eaglets are stretching their wings and hopping from one side of the nest to the other. Although they are fully covered by that wooly, gray down, they are now beginning to sprout real feathers. They each weigh close to 5 pounds by now. Those eyes and beaks, which will someday be that characteristic brilliant yellow, are dark and will remain so until they reach maturity in 4 or 5 years.
If you happen to pass by the Eastwood Lake Metro Park, formerly Hydrobowl Lake, and see any of the Eastwood Eagle Watchers at the east end of the lake, near Harshman Road, please feel free to stop by and take a look through our scopes or binoculars. You can still view the nest, the coming and going of the adult eagles, and often watch the fishing and hunting activity from that area. (JBW/EEW)
Thursday, May 5, 2011 - The feeding frenzy has begun! Since the weather has finally decided to try being dry and warm for a change, even if for just one day, I was able to spend a few hours at Eastwood Park today and the action is really picking up!
Looking through binoculars, the eaglets can be clearly seen strutting across the aerie and stretching their wings. I watched as Cindy tore shredded dinner and fed it totwo very hungry eaglets as they reached as high as they could for each morsel. While she fed the brood I caught sight of Jim heading west above the Mad River. He had his head down and his neck extended the way that eagles do when they are flying someplace in a hurry. I was once again impressed at how fast he can fly when he is in pursuit of an intruder or just in a hurry to get somewhere. Twenty-three minutes later I watched him fly back across Harshman Road, heading east, with a large fish securely locked in his talons. He made a beeline for the nest dropping low over the Mad River and swooping upward into the nest. He delivered the fish and about thirty seconds later he was airborne again. This time he headed towards Route 4 and Blue Lake.
As I headed home, there he sat in a tree just inside the fence along the highway, staring intently at the surface of the water. Twice yesterday I saw one of the adults hunting in the rain as I drove past on Route 4. The feeding frenzy will continue for the next five weeks and then all four eagles will be fishing. As they are now fishing both sides of Harshman Road there will be more opportunities for eagle watching and photography. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, May 2, 2011 - The waiting continues, but at least now both eaglets are regularly visible on the eagle cam! The 4-week-old siblings appear to be very healthy and very active. Using binoculars from our Eastwood Park vantage point, they can now be seen stretching their featherless wings. One is definitely larger and probably two days older than its nestmate.
They are currently about the size of small chickens, are covered with wooly, gray down and are starting to get their first real feathers. They are more active in the nest and are less dependent on their parents for daytime warmth. The eaglets are growing rapidly and, if they are awake, they are eating. Those two young appetites are growing too. Already it is easy to see that Jim and Cindy are making hunting trips more frequently, but those trips will continue to increase in number. The adults are also spending more time sitting towards the edges of the nest because the eaglets are taking up more room every week.
We are still looking forward to the day when the eaglets fledge in mid-June. Hopefully they will both survive that big first step out of the nest. At that point, survival training begins as Jim and Cindy teach them how to feed themselves. For several weeks, all four eagles will be flying, fishing and hunting near the nesting area. (JBW/EEW) See a "screen capture" image of the eaglets peaking out of the nest on the Facebook photo gallery.
Monday, April 25 - There are at least two eaglets! They can be seen clearly on the eagle cam now when they feed near the right side of the nest. Two little heads, two scrawny necks and two massive beaks. All looking very, very healthy! Now two enormous appetites kick in and Jim and Cindy will be hunting and fishing almost constantly for the next several weeks as the eaglets gain about a pound every five to seven days.
The weather has made field observations very soggy and has not been too good for cameras, scopes and binoculars. I have seen more of the Eastwood ground hogs and Red Tails than eagles on my few recent short visits. A warm, dry seat in front of a computer screen is much more alluring these days.
The sycamore tree that holds the nest is budding out and soon the large leaves will prevent viewing of the entire nest from the eagle cam. As the weather warms, and April showers end, try to join us at the Harshman Road end of Eastwood Lake to view the nest, watch the hunting and breathe in the fresh air! There is a gap in the trees that should allow fairly good viewing of the nest right up to fledging time in mid-June.
The other adult Bald Eagles recently seen wandering through the area can still be occasionally spotted near Huffman Metro Park although the immature eagles seem to have drifted on elsewhere. The Englewood eagle pair seems to be doing well also. As the Bald Eagle population continues to grow across the state, the next few years may prove to be exciting ones. (JBW/EEW)
Monday, April 18 - The Wait Continues…
We are at the point of this whole nesting and fledging process that is the hardest to bear for most of the Eagle Watchers. I am impatiently waiting to see the eaglets and to know that all is well. This is one of the most vulnerable times for the eaglets, too. When first hatched, they are tiny things that weigh less than four ounces. Grayish-white balls of fuzzy fluff with big heavy beaks on one end and big useless feet on the other. Unable to walk, they squirm and wiggle. Like human babies, they pass the time eating, sleeping and soiling their bed. They are unable to maintain their own body heat and are totally reliant on their parents for food, warmth and shelter. To add to my concern is the knowledge that it was around this age that the 2009 eaglet failed to survive.
Jim and Cindy seem to be doing an excellent job caring for the eaglets. The weather has been fairly cooperative with mild temperatures and a few days of sunshine. The high winds and heavy rain should not be a real threat with attentive parents. Now almost two weeks old the eaglets are a bit more mobile, although they are still unable to stand as it will be some time before their muscles develop to a point where they can use those huge feet. Their grey fuzzy fluff will soon be replaced by a darker, heavier down that will in time be replaced by juvenile feathers.
The eagle cam is again the best source of information. There are a few voids in the wall of the aerie through which you can occasionally catch a glimpse of movement from the eaglet. That is, if it isn’t raining and the wind isn’t blowing and the tree isn’t swaying and those pesky herons aren’t in the way! They eaglets should weigh almost 2 pounds by now and are stretching their necks to get food from the adult birds. A few days ago I was able to catch a glimpse of a gray head and dark beak in the low spot to the right side of the nest during one of the many daily feeding frenzies.
As the weather permits, the Eastwood Eagle Watchers still gather at the east end of Eastwood Lake with our cameras, scopes and binoculars to watch the nest and the frequent hunting forays. Last week, Jim flew across Harshman Road to fish Eastwood Lake and was only about 50 feet high as he passed overhead! Very impressive and very inspirational. (JBW/EEW)
Tuesday, April 12 - The feeding of the week old eaglets continues. I say eaglets because we suspect there may be at least two! Cindy has occasionally been observed shredding fish and feeding on alternate sides of the nest during a single feeding. While the young eaglet is now able to move around within the nest, the arrival of a meal becomes the center of attention and the prime focus of the eaglet. Cindy’s activity may indicate that she has more than one mouth to feed!
If you have had a chance to view the nest from the east end of Eastwood Lake you may have noticed the “Great Blue Heron alarm”. There is a large sycamore tree to the right of the aerie that serves as a heron rookery with a dozen or so nests. When a flying eagle is approaching the aerie you can clearly see sometimes 15 or more Great Blues flush from the rookery in the direction opposite the eagles approach. We use this heron retreat to alert us that the airborne eagle is just a few seconds away.
[Eastwood Eagle Watcher] Roger was able to witness and photograph a legendary eagle activity yesterday. Jim chased down a passing Osprey and "persuaded" him to share his freshly caught catfish. (Actually there wasn’t much sharing!) The Osprey finally dropped his catch and Jim caught it in midair and took it home to the family. I have watched the Ospreys fish these lakes for over 20 years and have seen this show before. It is amazing to watch the eagle with a more than 7 feet wingspanchase down the Osprey with about a 5 feet wingspan. Jim figures that the fish was poached from his territory anyway by this thief wearing a black mask. (JBW/EEW) *A few images from this incident are available in the Eagles 2011 photo gallery.
Friday, April 8, 2011 - The large bird that Jim attacked yesterday, as observed and reported on by my fellow eagle watcher (see Thursday entry, below), very likely was a wandering immature bald eagle. Roger, the Eastwood Eagle Watchers’ chief photographer, was able to capture a picture of the young intruder as he roamed the skies over Eastwood Lake. Until a Bald Eagle matures at the age of 4 or 5 years, when they develop the distinctive white head and tail, they are nomads. Without the instinct to mate and nest, they will travel the skies in search of feeding areas and often other eagles. Adult eagles with established territories and especially those with eaglets in the nest will not tolerate the presence of the immature eagle. Often the adult will streak across the sky and strike the other bird to “suggest” that they try the fishing elsewhere. Usually the younger bird will flinch, turn and dive away from the talons of the adult bird. Then they will take the hint and move on.
Jim and Cindy seem to be fairly tolerant of their neighboring Great Blue Herons, only occasionally chasing them off their nest and away from the rookery. Last year’s nest was atop a different heron rookery and Jim and Cindy seemed to be less tolerant of them even though their egg failed to hatch. Maybe the now more mature eagles have adapted to the presence of the herons or maybe with the new eaglet(s) being still totally sheltered by their parents, the neighbors are not yet perceived as a threat. My expectation is that as the eaglets grow and become more active in the nest, their guardians will become more objectionable with who accesses the area.
If there are two or three eaglets in the aerie, they will be a day or two apart in age and already the eldest is noticeably larger than its siblings. If this eaglet is an aggressive enough eater, the younger eaglets may not receive enough nourishment to remain healthy or the older eaglet may eventually force the weaker sibling out of the nest. Jim and Cindy will not interfere with this activity. Again the next few weeks are crucial, as every stage of life in the wild is fraught with dangers. (JBW/EEW)
Thursday, April 7, 2011 - Yesterday morning, I was observing the Eagle around 8:30 a.m. and saw both Eagles at the nest with their heads down looking into the bottom of the nest for a couple of minutes, something had both of their attention. Jim flew out of the nest while Cindy continued to perch on the nest edge with her head down towards the bottom of the nest. I saw this behavior several times throughout the day.
Today I observed Jim flying out of the nest and attacking a large bird over Blue Lake inside the Well Field. This possibly could have been another Eagle for the bird he attacked was as large as he. The attack was very violent. The bird he attacked fell towards the left before being able to catch air in it's wings, then it flew away towards Huffman Dam.
Jim then dropped down out of my sight towards the Lake. In a couple of minutes, I spotted him flying back to the nest with a fish in his talons. After landing in the nest he presented his prize to Cindy. She immediately began to shred the fish and lower her head into the bottom of the nest. I'm sure she was offering the fish to an Eaglet!
She did this for several minutes; each time after shredding a piece of the fish, she would lower her head to the bottom of the nest.
With this behavior and as aggressive as they are right now it can only mean the egg(s) have hatched! The EEW are planning an extensive watch this weekend, and an update will follow. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - Is There an Eaglet in the Aerie?
As a windy Wednesday morning broke on April, 6, 2011, the hazy light from the overcast skies revealed a change in activity at the eagle nest near Eastwood Park. As the nest swayed side to side in the view of the eagle cam, Jim and Cindy were much more active than in the past few weeks of incubation.
Jim was seen frequently flying to the nest and staying in the nest with Cindy for a longer period of time. On at least one occasion he appeared to be carrying breakfast in his talons. Cindy is more active, repositioning herself more frequently and was once observed backing off of the egg/eggs.
All of these activities may mean that there is an eaglet in the nest! Eaglets can take several days to actually free themselves from the egg. During the process the incubating parent will continue to sit, providing warmth and protection to the clutch. Once an eaglet has fully hatched the adult bird will continue to incubate the remaining eggs in the nest and shelter the new arrival. They do however begin to make more frequent visual inspections of the stirring eaglet beneath them, sometimes backing off the eaglet for a quick peak before settling down again. If there are more eggs in the clutch, they will hatch a day or two apart from each other. There may be as many as three eggs, but two is fairly common.
A new eaglet is all beak and feet with its body covered in soft white down. They are totally reliant on their parents for warmth, protection and nourishment. They are unable to stand or even lift their heavy beaks. They spend most of their first days sleeping and squirming.
The adult eagles will be much more aggressive in defending the territory around the nest and may be seen chasing other birds of prey from the area. They may now longer tolerate those pesky, camera-happy, Great Blue Herons. They will be bringing food to the nest and may be clearly visible as they perch on the side of the nest and shred food and feed it to the eaglet. The eaglet itself will not be visible to the eagle cam for several weeks. This extra activity will enhance the eagle watching potential from the area around the Harshman Road end of Eastwood Lake. Without a look into the aerie itself we can only judge the progress of the incubation process by watching the activities of the adult eagles. But if there is an eaglet in the nest it should fledge (take its first flight) in about 70 days. That would be around the middle of June!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - Incubation continues. Jim and Cindy are being very responsible expectant parents. Watching the EagleCam you may catch a glimpse of what we fondly refer to as "the changing of the guard". One eagle will fly into the nest and the eagle sitting on the egg will stand up, stretch, walk to the edge of the nest and fly off. Then, the eagle that has just flown in will tuck its talons up against the balls of it's feet and waddle over the egg, taking a moment to roll it with the tip of its beak. Then it will gently settle down on the egg.
Incubation takes 35 days so sometime around the middle of April we hope to see the parents begin to frequently take food to the nest signaling the hatching of the eaglet! The eaglet will not be visible on the eaglecam for several weeks after that but will grow to adult size in about 2 months!
Saturday, February 26, 2011 - There may be eggs in the nest! You may wonder why we suspect that there are eggs. While we do not have the luxury of a camera positioned above the nest to see what is happening inside, we do have an excellent view of the adult birds on the nest thanks to the Eagle Cam. On the evening of February 24, we were able to witness a marked change in behavior of the adult birds. Cindy began to cease her consistent nest building and was seen repeatedly waddling into the center of the aerie. Jim also changed his behavior and began making frequent flights to the nest, staying only a minute or so and then flying away. In the past two years, the eggs have been laid in the last week of February or the first week of March. The 2009 eaglet did not survive and last year’s egg failed to hatch. In fact, last year's incubation behavior began on February 24. Eagles typically lay 1 to 3 eggs within a period of a few days.
This year's nest, a confiscated Great Blue Heron’s nest, is much shallower than the previous two nests. The Eagle Cam will afford us a good opportunity to watch the 35 day incubation process and observe some interesting behavior from the adult birds. At least one of the eagles will be in the nest at all times. As they position themselves on the egg or eggs they will curl their talons up under their feet and appear to be waddling as they “knuckle walk” over the egg. This behavior protects the egg from being accidentally pierced by their talons. The eagle incubating the eggs will sit in a position with its tail and wingtips tilted upward. Every 20 minutes or so the eagle will stand and gently use its beak to roll the egg and then settle back down on the egg again. Both Jim and Cindy will take turns incubating the eggs. Typically the female does most of the incubation, but last year Jim seemed to have most of the daylight shifts. Watch for the incubating bird to look skyward and call out to its mate.
The adult eagle not in the nest will become much more aggressive in defending the nest from any perceived threat. The two immature eagles that seem to be tolerated just a few weeks ago will find the welcome mat is gone. Any adult eagle passing by will be rudely urged to leave. Also the eagle not sitting on the eggs will spend much of its time perched near the nest, probably just out of sight of the Eagle Cam. This will allow them to have a good position to guard the nest and also conserve energy for the feeding frenzy that will take place once the eaglet has hatched. Occasionally, you may see one of the birds bring food to the nest and leave it for its mate. After several hours there will be a “changing of the guard” at the nest. Often the eagle arriving at the nest will make a wide circle around the nest before actually landing on it. The eagle in the nest will then stand up, walk to the edge and fly away as its mate rolls the egg and waddles down into position. It is not uncommon to see the incubating eagle completely covered by snow from a late winter snowfall, but if these birds can handle the weather in Alaska, Dayton should be no problem for them.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - Jim and Cindy, Dayton's resident Bald Eagle pair, returned in late November from their hunting safaris of the late summer and early fall, and have been very active in the skies over Dayton. Most mornings, they can be seen actively fishing the Great Miami, Mad, and Stillwater Rivers near Deeds Point in downtown Dayton and along the Great Miami River towards Carillon Park. They appear to be in excellent health and very fond of each other. Cindy, now approximately 7 years old, is sporting complete adult plumage; Jim, who appears to be about one year younger, still has a faint dark spot around his ears and a single black tipped tail feather.
Their courtship has been very public this year, as they have soared to great heights and danced across the sky, locked talons and plummeted earthward. They have frequently been seen sitting on the surface of the frozen lakes and dining on fish, mating, and just hanging out. During the last few weeks, their activity has turned more and more from hunting to nest building. They are working on several nesting sites and have been spotted in both last year's nest and the 2009 nest. Eagles will commonly work on multiple nesting sites before deciding on which site to call home. The nest that they seem to be most serious about is in a new location, which is somewhat visible from the Eastwood Lake portion of the Eastwood Metropark.
Jim and Cindy first arrived on the scene in late 2008. We believe that the egg Cindy laid in 2009 hatched, as they were very active in bringing food to the nest, but the eaglet did not survive. We further believe that last year’s egg/eggs failed to hatch. This is a very common occurrence with young adult Bald Eagles. They have exhibited excellent parenting skills in each of the past two years, so our hope is that our now more mature birds will successfully fledge an eaglet this June.
It has been interesting to note that a number of other Bald Eagles have passed through the area this winter. Over the past few days, Jim and Cindy have become more aggressive in chasing these intruders out of their area, which is a positive sign that they are getting closer to egg laying and defending the aerie. Another pair of Bald Eagles is once again frequenting the Englewood Metropark. All of this speaks very well of the increasing eagle population in the state of Ohio, and is a testimony to the fruitfulness of multiple conservation efforts over the past several decades.
The Eastwood Eagle Watchers are committed to monitoring the progress of Jim and Cindy, sharing with others the joy of eagle watching, and assuring that our resident American Bald Eagles lead an unmolested life. Please remember that although these magnificent creatures are no longer considered endangered, they are still protected by federal law. As with most wild creatures, Bald Eagles need their solitude to successfully reproduce and lead a healthy life. We therefore urge you to join us in respecting their privacy and not allowing the temptation to "get a closer look" to in any way disturb these birds. A good pair of binoculars, a spotting scope and a good camera will enhance any bird watching activity, whether the bird being watched is a tiny hummingbird or a magnificent Bald Eagle. And, of course, we also encourage everyone make use of the Boonshoft Museum’s Eagle Cam which features live streaming video of the nest.
rsquo;s photos and a peek at the fuzzy headed eaglet peering out of the nest! br /
text-align: left; This past Saturday, in the cool rain, a number of us gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the eaglets through our cameras and binoculars. In between showers, where we were forced to seek the shelter of our cars, there were a few minutes of relative dryness and hazy sunlight. Roger Garber and I were able to capture a few shots of mother and child in the nest. Click on the g ones. (JBW/EEW)glets may not receive enough nourishment to remain healthy or the older eaglet may eventually force the weaker sibling out of the nest. Jim and Cindy will not interfere with this activity. Again the next few weeks are crucial, as every stage of life in the wild is fraught with dangers. (JBW/EEW)s resident Bald Eagle pair, returned in late November from their hunting safaris of the late summer and early fall, and have been very active in the skies over Dayton. Most mornings, they can be seen actively fishing the Great Miami, Mad, and Stillwater Rivers near Deeds Point in downtown Dayton and along the Great Miami River towards Carillon Park. They appear to be in excellent health and very fond of each other. Cindy, now approximately 7 years old, is sporting complete adult plumage; Jim, who appears to be about one year younger, still has a faint dark spot around his ears and a single black tipped tail feather.
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