Live Barn Owl Web Cam

[annekat]

Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (http://www.haywardrec.org/sc_owl_cam.html)
This is WAY off topic, but could be entertaining. I have the link on my desktop so I can check in on the mother owl whenever I think of it. Sometimes there's not much going on, other times she's preening herself, turning her 6 eggs, or rearranging herself on top of them. If we are lucky, we'll see some chicks hatching, which is supposed to happen soon, or maybe see the father owl swooping in with treats for his mate. This takes place in Hayward, CA, but the info says there are barn owls all over the world.

[pberggren1]

This is neat. Thanks Anne.

[drz]

I like these internet cameras to watch the falcons and eagles around here. We have one birdhouse on other end of our facility with a camera to watch whatever birds nest in there. I hope it gets occupied. Mayo Clinic (MN) has camera set up to watch falcons that nest on their buildings.

[Al]

I like this, Anne--thanks! Too bad there's no audio....

Al

[Debbie C]

Anne that is really neat...I added it to my favorites,I can't wait for them to hatch now.

[annekat]

I notice the light gets worse toward the end of the day and the picture isn't as good, the color fades out. So best time to watch is probably by 4:00 or so PDT, or 7:00 EDT.

[Sangye]

Cool! Thanks for posting it, Anne. I'm pretty disconnected from nature where I live, so this is a treat. :smile1:

[annekat]

I just saw Papa owl in there with Mama! Hope to see something more in the morning, maybe a new owlet.

[Al]

I saw him too, Anne! This is going to be fun....

Al

[mr.g]

it's alive, it's alive

[Al]

it's alive, it's aliveCouldn't see the chick, but Mama just stretched her legs, and there were four, no, five eggs visible. Maybe that extra little ball in the chick?

Al

[annekat]

Cool! There were 6 eggs to begin with, so if you only see five, the chick must be there somewhere. Right now, Mama is just lying there on top of everything. Visibility should be better in the morning.

[Debbie C]

I thought one of the owls hatched also but it turned out to be a mouse and mama took it of camera and started eating it. I waiting for her to move so I can count the eggs. This is really cool.

[annekat]

I thought one of the owls hatched also but it turned out to be a mouse and mama took it of camera and started eating it. I waiting for her to move so I can count the eggs. This is really cool. I was just observing the same thing. I wish she would move so we can see what is going on with the eggs. Many years ago, I observed 3 baby barn owls in an old rural water tower next to a Victorian farmhouse. The mom was gone at the time and they were moving their heads from side to side and hissing at me. So I left. I hope we will get that good a view of them at some point!

[annekat]

OMG... I just looked, Mama had moved, and I could see the 5 unhatched eggs and one little tiny chick! Then she promptly moved back on top of them. My impression was that the chick was alive and healthy, a little white fuzzball. So keep checking and you might get lucky!

[Debbie C]

I can not believe I have been sitting here all this time watching this bird and when I got up for a minute it moved. This is addicting..Thanks alot !!!!
I wish I could make a noise and make her move.

[Sangye]

LOL Debra. "Please do not tap on the glass."

[annekat]

Silly me, with my pred brain, I keep wanting to use the mouse pointer to move her over! As the chicks get bigger, they will be a lot harder for her to hide!

[Debbie C]

ok someone needs to go in there and move that camera to the other side..whenever she moves she covers the camera up and u can't see anything. This is getting ridiculous I need to get a life and get away from this bird for awhile,and watch when I came back there while probably be 6 new babies!!!!

[mr.g]

The first egg hatched about 10:00PM, PDT, 3-27-12. She moved off the eggs at 10:15PM and I saw the chick moving. The left egg of the pair closest to the camera was number one.

1:00PM 3-28-12...I "dug out" an old PC and have it on "owl Watch." She is moving around a lot and moved the empty shell around. Will she or the chicks eat any of the shell?

1:25PM...She moved off the eggs... only one chick, five eggs.

Can group members post updates like this so we will know what has happened while we are gone?

Thank you Ann and the city of Haywood,
Mr.g

[annekat]

Yes, Mr.g, we can be more diligent about posting the times, etc., of various events we observe. Thanks for your great update! I saw that the eggshell had been moved, too. I want to get a better look at the chick! It's cool that you have a separate computer dedicated to this.

In case anyone doesn't know, Hayward is on the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area, a little south of Oakland and north of San Jose, CA. There is a campus of California State University there.

[Sangye]

Just checked in with her. She was preening for quite a bit. My cockatiel was preening at the same time. LOL Birds spend a lot of time taking care of their feathers!

Then she got up and turned around. I could see something white that wasn't an egg but couldn't see any details. I guess it was a baby! She dug at the nest for awhile and is now falling asleep.

[Dryhill]

Anne, thanks for this link. The colour going is due to the camara switching to infer-red so it can see in the dark (do not want any light suddendly switching on and scaring mummy or daddy owl do we?).

A few years ago I was watching a live tv programme about barn owls, we were watching some baby owls that were about four weeks old. The owl expert pointed out that one was much quite small and said this one would eventually be pushed out by the bigger babies, just then the biggest turned round opened its beak and swallowed the little one whole ......... you have been warned!

Jim

[mr.g]

For those looking for the chick, as of now it has moved or been moved from space one where it hatched to space three. (Three is the left side of the middle row.)

mr.g

[marta]

Here's another live webcam that you might be interested in. Mr. G, you might need to get another computer... ha ha - just kidding.

Hornby Eagle Group Projects Society (http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm)

[annekat]

Anne, thanks for this link. The colour going is due to the camara switching to infer-red so it can see in the dark (do not want any light suddendly switching on and scaring mummy or daddy owl do we?).

A few years ago I was watching a live tv programme about barn owls, we were watching some baby owls that were about four weeks old. The owl expert pointed out that one was much quite small and said this one would eventually be pushed out by the bigger babies, just then the biggest turned round opened its beak and swallowed the little one whole ......... you have been warned!

Jim Oh how awful! Thanks for the warning, and for the explanation about the light conditions.

[annekat]

Here's another live webcam that you might be interested in. Mr. G, you might need to get another computer... ha ha - just kidding.

Hornby Eagle Group Projects Society (http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm)

Cool, Marta, thanks! Mama eagle is currently feeding her little one. Or maybe it's Papa eagle. And this one has audio, Al!

[marta]

Whoa, I just went on and the camera started moving and panning in and out and now it's on a branch filming another eagle. Someone is controlling the camera on the eagle ones. I'm waiting to see the baby owls too. Thank YOU Anne for starting this thread.

[Debbie C]

Yea thanks alot Anne for starting this ...I've been watching these birds on and off allllll day and not getting anything done that I had planned on. It is really cool,I finally saw the baby owl. And then the one eagle brought back what look like a squirrel and starting eating it. I just hope the owls don't eat one another like someone said on one of the posts...how sad ! Oh and I quess I have Marta to thank for this also !!

[pberggren1]

This reminds me when I had a pet owl.

[Dryhill]

Now Phil I would have expected you to have a pet bat, then you would really be batman :biggrin1:


Jim

[pberggren1]

I just shot at bats because they carrie rabies and can be deadly.

And other annoying flying things.

[Sangye]

That isn't funny, Phil. Every animal feels pain and fear.

Last year when someone posted comments about harming animals, both Jack and I almost left this group. I will not stay if that happens again. Of all people, we who suffer on a daily basis should have compassion for others.

[marta]

That isn't funny, Phil. Every animal feels pain and fear.

Last year when someone posted comments about harming animals, both Jack and I almost left this group. I will not stay if that happens again. Of all people, we who suffer on a daily basis should have compassion for others.

Hear hear Sangye. I remember that very well.

[Al]

I just looked; Mama Owl stirred and I only saw four eggs. The rest seemed kind of fluffy. Have two eggs hatched?

Al

[annekat]

I just looked; Mama Owl stirred and I only saw four eggs. The rest seemed kind of fluffy. Have two eggs hatched?

Al I just caught that, too. Then she got on top of it all again. Time will tell! There could well be another chick.

[Al]

Here's another live webcam that you might be interested in. Mr. G, you might need to get another computer... ha ha - just kidding.

Hornby Eagle Group Projects Society (http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm) This is also excellent, Marta. I watched the eagle saga in Virginia for a while. Tragic that Mom got killed, but I think the eaglets have turned out okay. (I haven't heard a report in a while.)

Al

[mr.g]

At about 10;30 both adults left the box. There was one chick. Tonight the adults spent a lot of time together in that small area. Another warning, when she was alone and moving around several times she stepped lightly on the chick and the eggs. Sorry.

When I checked them after 10:00 both adults were there. I could not tell which was which. The neat thing was that one pushed the other off the eggs and that one left. They are both in there now. I wonder, will they will get a better night sleep than some of us will. They look coooozzzzyyyy and warm.

[pberggren1]

Post ammended.

[Rose]

Webcams - SANParks (http://www.sanparks.org/webcams/)

Yes Anne, thanks for this thread though I must remember to visit the owls during their day as when I am on the internet around 8am, it is around 11pm there, so don't get the best view with the night camera. For those who have always wanted to go on Safari in Africa, thought you might like this: Webcams - SANParks (http://www.sanparks.org/webcams/)
Probably the best time to view the water holes is early morning (South Africa is GMT+2) and the early evening especially during very hot weather when a lot of the animals will sleep during the heat of the day.

[Sangye]

WOW! A webcam for Africa. Thank you, Rose. How fortunate we are to have this technology.

[Debbie C]

I just look on the owls at 10:30 a.m. and mama stood up for a minute and I counted 5 eggs still then she laid back down real fast..I'm surprised she doesn't smother that one as much as she lays on it. Haven' looked at the eagles yet, I go to do some things that I didn't get done yesterday
cuz I was bird watching .Later I'll go on an African safari

[Jaha]

Thanks guys, I needed something like this to cheer me up. It is amazing and very fun to watch.
Jana

[alexciasmom]

wow love it..

[annekat]

Mama Owl is being annoying this morning. Blocking the view of everything, and constantly preening herself. I hope to goodness she takes care of the eggs and chicks and doesn't just tromp all over them or worse. I hope the site will publish some more still photos, as the more interesting developments occur.

[annekat]

It's 12:50 PM PDT, and there is an egg with a hole in it right under the Mama. A few minutes ago, I saw her picking at it, trying to help it along. And just a couple minutes ago, I caught a good glimpse of the first chick, very white and gangly looking, but apparently alive and well. I think sometimes when Mama appears to be preening herself, she is actually attending to the chick underneath her.

[marta]

I just saw a momma - baby moment. Baby reaching up towards momma, it was so cute. Thanks again.

[annekat]

The second chick hatched at 12:53 PM PDT! For some reason the webcam is not loading onto my computer right now, but that's what the update says. I was on there about then and must have just missed it.

[Debbie C]

I just checked in on the African Safari and nothing in happenin there.It came up with error on page so I don't know if I'll be able to get into it. The pictures never change. I know the migration is going on now there...it would be neat to catch some of that.

[annekat]

The Owl Cam is not working for me ... anyone else having the problem? It just keeps trying to load and never does.

[Al]

The Owl Cam is not working for me ... anyone else having the problem? It just keeps trying to load and never does.Right now, it won't load for me either, Anne. It must be either the camera or the server.

Al

[Rose]

I have also been a bit disappointed with the web cams. It is not live streaming as such, just photos updated every 30 seconds. When I first went on yesterday I saw giraffe and buck all within about 30 minutes but then nothing for hours except a few birds. The best place to view the animals is at the waterholes but maybe because of recent floods in the Kruger there are a lot of pockets of water around and so the anuimals do not need to seek out the usual waterholes. I did some more searching on the internet for other webcams in the area and found the one below which is live streaming. I haven't viewed it much so far but even if there are no animals around you can listen to the sounds of wild Africa....live!!

Djuma Game Reserve | Vuyatela | Galago Camp | African Safari Game Lodges, South Afric (http://www.djuma.com/)

3 hours later.
I have just been viewing this site for the past 30 minutes, Excellent. It seems that the camera is manned as it moves around and the zoom function is used often. About 10 minutes ago a huge elephant filled my screen. He was followed by the camera until out of sight. Great stuff!!! I have sent the link of the owl to friends and everyone is loving it. Just concerned that I have been spending hours in front of this computer....not good for my health!!!

[Debbie C]

I'm watching that new website of Africa and it is really good .There is a big herd of elephants roaming around and a think it is a water buffalo laying down by the water...cool stuff wish I could actually go there though

[drz]

I'm watching that new website of Africa and it is really good .There is a big herd of elephants roaming around and a think it is a water buffalo laying down by the water...cool stuff wish I could actually go there though

I think the few days I spent at a private game reserve in SA were one of the best experiences I had. I think SA is a very beautiful country to visit, especially the Cape areas. We weren't lucky enough to see a leopard as they are very elusive and it took a couple days to find some hippos but got some great pix of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, lions, and lots of other animals. The food was very good and the guides were great.

The bad thing was my wife gave lot of over counter stuff to boost my immune system so I wouldn't get sick in Africa. I didn't but my Wegs started acting up shortly after my return. The local doctors thought I caught something in Africa but Wegs isn't contagious. It took a year and half to find out what it was.

[annekat]

I'm watching that new website of Africa and it is really good .There is a big herd of elephants roaming around and a think it is a water buffalo laying down by the water...cool stuff wish I could actually go there though It looks like a great one, Rose! I don't see any animals yet, but the trees are moving and it's very pretty. I've bookmarked it and "liked" it on Facebook. And BTW, the Owl Cam in California is working again. This all does take a lot of time at the computer.... a year ago when I was bedridden, it would have been perfect!

[Sangye]

Mama Owl is being annoying this morning. Blocking the view of everything, and constantly preening herself. I hope to goodness she takes care of the eggs and chicks and doesn't just tromp all over them or worse. I hope the site will publish some more still photos, as the more interesting developments occur.
Birds preen constantly. They have to maintain every single feather-- huge amount of work! When you see her working on the longer feathers and running them through her beak, she is "zipping" the feather to reattach tiny hooks and keep the feather intact. It actually sounds exactly like a nylon zipper. I love to hear it.

[annekat]

Birds preen constantly. They have to maintain every single feather-- huge amount of work! When you see her working on the longer feathers and running them through her beak, she is "zipping" the feather to reattach tiny hooks and keep the feather intact. It actually sounds exactly like a nylon zipper. I love to hear it. That is really interesting, Sangye! Another reason to wish for audio on this cam, so maybe we could hear that zipper sound! I just checked the cam and could only see Mama. Though the photo quality is not the greatest, I can see that her feathers are very beautiful, perhaps with an iridescent quality.

[annekat]

Just caught a glimpse of both chicks and the 4 remaining eggs! But I really do need to get to work on some other things today!

[Sangye]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Mama's sleeping.

[annekat]

OK, here's another one..... this time it's Great Blue Herons.
Great Blue Heron Camera 2 at the Cornell Lab - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellherons2)

[Sangye]

OK, here's another one..... this time it's Great Blue Herons.
Great Blue Heron Camera 2 at the Cornell Lab - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellherons2)

ROTFL Now stop that, Anne!!! If this keeps up none of us is gonna be able to get anything done! Bills will pile up. Children and pets will go hungry and pee everywhere. Plants will die. Our prescriptions will run out. We won't bathe. Neighbors will send the police to check on us when we don't leave our homes. They'll find us sitting in our stinky pajamas staring at a computer screen, clicking through multiple tabs in order to monitor all the webcams. This is how nations fall!! http://www.smileyhut.com/laughing/rofl.gif (http://www.smileyhut.com)

[annekat]

Very true, Sangye. But a friend of mine posted it on Facebook and I couldn't help but share. Last I looked, it was just a lone egg sitting there. So maybe I'll post it as a separate thread if it gets more interesting. Not that that will help us get anything done!:biggrin:

[pberggren1]

Oh Sangye, I laughed so hard I coughed up a nasty chunk out of my nose........lol.

[annekat]

Oh Sangye, I laughed so hard I coughed up a nasty chunk out of my nose........lol. Another helpful function of this forum! It's always good to get rid of those chunks, and if we can laugh at the same time, so much the better!

[pberggren1]

I think I will still irrigate though......lol.

[Dryhill]

They'll find us sitting in our stinky pajamas staring at a computer screen, clicking through multiple tabs in order to monitor all the webcams. This is how nations fall!! http://www.smileyhut.com/laughing/rofl.gif (http://www.smileyhut.com)

Sangye, do you realise you have discovered that we no longer need armies, all we need do is make sure everyone in the world is watching webcams. The result world peace! It probably could be used to control crime as well.

Jim

[Al]

OK, here's another one..... this time it's Great Blue Herons.We have plenty of blue herons in the northwest, but when I was at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology last year, they were all agog about a much rarer white heron in plain sight across the pond.

For the record, I am not in my stinky pajamas (though one might protest, as my sense of smell is not what it once was), and I do worry about nations falling, for whatever reason. I much doubt, however, birdwatching--even vicarious birdwatching--will be our ruination and demise as a civilization; there are too many other factors ahead of the mere sloth of exciting curiosity.

Anyway, this is leading up to my enthusiastic approval of the gang at Cornell. The Lab of Ornithology, the Bioacoustics Research Program, and particularly the Macaulay Library are exciting resources for anyone who wants to understand how the real world works. And its denizens are really nice folks too. (Full disclosure: I have given a couple of presentations at their sound recording workshop.)

Hey, we Weggies could sit around and mope and stink, or we could learn a new language or just exult in new life (even if still in our jammies), avian or otherwise. You know how I would vote.

Al

[pberggren1]

WOW! I have not seen a blue heron is a few years.

[annekat]

As Al says, there are lots of Blue Herons in the PNW, including here at my place by the water. But I've never seen a nest up close like that. I had the feeling they are prevalent in other parts of the country, too? I guess just near water, where they can fish. We have lots of bald eagles here, too.

[annekat]

6:30 on the west coast and it looks like maybe a third owl egg has a hole in it. And I saw the two chicks under the mother.

[Sangye]

10:30 on the east coast and Mama owl is sleeping. Again. Those kids aren't gonna raise themselves, you know! Wake up and tend to the babies! :flapper:

[annekat]

10:30 on the east coast and Mama owl is sleeping. Again. Those kids aren't gonna raise themselves, you know! Wake up and tend to the babies! :flapper: Yes, and we haven't seen as much of Daddy owl as we should have.... he's supposed to bringing food for all of them.

[Sangye]

Is anyone on right now? I can't see anything. I think the Mama is right up against the camera!

[pberggren1]

All I see right now is a white blotch.

[Sangye]

Yeah, that's it. What the heck? Did the owls tape a sock over the camera?

[pberggren1]

Yes, the owls have become very wise.......lol.

[annekat]

That might have been Father owl in front of the camera. Now, at 10:25 PM, he is in there with her, but perched on the ledge and looking into her face. Reading the info on the site, I was reminded that the father comes and hangs out during the night and that's when he brings morsels of food to eat. What he does during the day, whoo knows? :wink1:

[annekat]

11:05 PM PDT, Friday 3/30/12, both the parents are in there vying for space, and I do believe the 3rd chick has hatched!

[pberggren1]

I think the dad shoots some stick during the day.......lol.

[annekat]

I think the dad shoots some stick during the day.......lol.Made me laugh out loud, Phil... :biggrin1:

[annekat]

Just checked the bald eagle cam, see link in Marta's post above. Mom and Dad were in the nest with 3 chicks!

[pberggren1]

My brother had a pet eagle for a while, but he eventually flew the coop.

[mr.g]

1315 hours...she is eating what looks like a mouse. I did not see how the mouse got in the box. She showed no interest in the mouse for some time so she does not seem hungry?

I saw only two chicks. Has anyone seen a third?

Mr.g

[annekat]

Mr.g, I do believe I saw a third chick late last night, after previously having seen an egg with a hole in it. And I only saw 3 remaining eggs. If so, and it wasn't my imagination, the website hasn't updated the info yet. I also saw Mama eating the animal you mentioned, a few minutes ago, and it looked like she was feeding some of it to her chicks underneath her. But I couldn't see how many chicks were visible at that point.

[annekat]

The eagle cam Hornby Eagle Group Projects Society (http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm) is a lot more exciting than the owl cam at this point in time. I just caught a great show of Papa eagle feeding his 3 chicks. I think it was Papa because the smaller Mama had been sitting on the chicks and flew off. But I could be wrong, don't know that much about eagles, except that both sexes have the dramatic bald eagle markings.

[Al]

The eagle cam Hornby Eagle Group Projects Society (http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm) is a lot more exciting than the owl cam at this point in time. I just caught a great show of Papa eagle feeding his 3 chicks. I think it was Papa because the smaller Mama had been sitting on the chicks and flew off. But I could be wrong, don't know that much about eagles, except that both sexes have the dramatic bald eagle markings.Male bald eagles are a bit smaller, Anne. But males do feed the chicks sometimes, although they often look like they need more practice. Sometimes the Mama eagle dies, and the male tries to take over the whole deal. This is usually not too successful until the chicks are older. This is because when one of the pair is the sole caregiver, predators have easy access.

Al

[annekat]

Male bald eagles are a bit smaller, Anne. But males do feed the chicks sometimes, although they often look like they need more practice. Sometimes the Mama eagle dies, and the male tries to take over the whole deal. This is usually not too successful until the chicks are older. This is because when one of the pair is the sole caregiver, predators have easy access.

Al Thanks, Al... I had a suspicion that might be true about the male being smaller, so must have heard it before. I'm not really sure which was smaller or if one was just closer to the camera. I suppose the male could take a turn sitting on the eggs and keeping the chicks warm, since he is so versatile, or tries to be. I found the chicks to be very cute to watch and the photo quality is much better than that of the owl cam, which is currently not working again. Maybe they have it offline to review the footage and find out when the third chick was hatched.

[Al]

Thanks, Al... I had a suspicion that might be true about the male being smaller, so must have heard it before. I'm not really sure which was smaller or if one was just closer to the camera. I suppose the male could take a turn sitting on the eggs and keeping the chicks warm, since he is so versatile, or tries to be. I found the chicks to be very cute to watch and the photo quality is much better than that of the owl cam, which is currently not working again. Maybe they have it offline to review the footage and find out when the third chick was hatched.Males of many species take a turn with the egg drill. Mama sometimes needs to get some fresh air and exercise the wings. (Certain penguins are the most famous example, when Dad takes care of the egg for months while Mom is out fishing.) On the owl cam, there were a couple of brief moments i say no adult in the box. But, clearly, someone needs to fetch the groceries. Single parenting in the bird world, even more that the human world, is really tough.

Al

[Sangye]

Owl cam was down last night and still is down this morning! :sad:

[annekat]

Owl cam was down last night and still is down this morning! :sad: Yes, darn it! So I went to the eagle cam and saw that it snowed overnight there! And the video is currently showing in black and white.

[annekat]

I may have been wrong about the snow on the eagle's nest, as I don't see it now. Maybe an old shot turned up. I think I might be able to find a link where we don't have to sit through an ad, and I'll work on that. Owl cam is still down.

[annekat]

http://static-cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/live/viewer:54.swf?vrsl=c:169&cid=3064708&v3=1&bgcolor=000000&campaign=facebook&rmalang=en_US Here's a better link to the eagles nest, where you don't have to see an ad before viewing. The eagles are magnificent.

[Sangye]

Great! If anyone is online right now, you can see the baby eagles really welll

[Al]

Great! If anyone is online right now, you can see the baby eagles really welllThey are really cute little balls of gray fluff. But we have a new camera angle now, from above and behind, that has a good view of Mama's back, but not the chicks.

Al

[annekat]

They are really cute little balls of gray fluff. But we have a new camera angle now, from above and behind, that has a good view of Mama's back, but not the chicks.

Al I've noticed they've been moving the camera around, playing with different angles. Someone is there who may not always be there.... it will probably go back to how it was. At one point, no parents were present and the chicks were there by themselves, and one looked a bit smaller than the other two. I hope all three survive. Then a parent returned, keeping them safe.

[drz]

http://static-cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/live/viewer:54.swf?vrsl=c:169&cid=3064708&v3=1&bgcolor=000000&campaign=facebook&rmalang=en_US Here's a better link to the eagles nest, where you don't have to see an ad before viewing. The eagles are magnificent.

I like that it is in color with sound. When I go look at local eagle nests all you can see are the tops of the birds or the one sitting in the tree nearby guarding the nest. This way you can see down into the nests and that is really neat. You can't get very close to an eagle nest either when they are hatching so you have to view them from a distance with good binoculars or bird watching scope. This is much better and easier. Thanks for finding this.

We don't get to see them "hunting" for food but probably just as well since I always feel sorry for the hawks and ospreys who have their catch stolen by the eagles. It is fun to see them sometimes catch a live fish but usually they scavenge dead ones floating on the surface. I like watching them any time and would like to get some good close up pix with a telephoto lens when chicks are bigger and birds less wary.

I love listening to other birds too in the background. Woodpecker drumming right now and good view of one baby chick.

[drz]

Watched them eating. Mommy didn't seem to appreciate dad's help much. Two chicks ate well but wonder about the third that seems much weaker. Wonder if that one is eating. Anyone see the third one eat?

[annekat]

Watched them eating. Mommy didn't seem to appreciate dad's help much. Two chicks ate well but wonder about the third that seems much weaker. Wonder if that one is eating. Anyone see the third one eat? I noticed the same thing, the bigger ones were being fed more by the parent. I feel bad for the little guy and hope he comes around and gets some attention. I guess part of the deal here is that we'll have to see nature take its course whether we like it or not.

[Sangye]

The eagle cam is way cool. I like the detail, even at night. Right now the mama is sitting on everybody but every few seconds one of them pokes up from under her like "Hello, here I am!" LOL

[drz]

At last feeding the third one looked stronger so it might be eating now too. Pappa brought in another squirrel. Barn owl camera still not working.

[annekat]

At last feeding the third one looked stronger so it might be eating now too. Pappa brought in another squirrel. Barn owl camera still not working. I sure hope so. Last time I looked, the little one didn't seem to know that he needed to open his mouth in order to get fed, and the other two were in front and pushing him aside when he tried to come forward. Time to look again, and hope I see him looking better.

[Sangye]

I don't think bald eagles are nocturnal are they? If not, where is the father right now?

[annekat]

I don't think bald eagles are nocturnal are they? If not, where is the father right now? I'm not sure we can always tell the difference between the father and the mother, since both have the same markings and can perform the same duties. Al says the father is a little smaller. I think I've seen both parents together in the nest during another day, if not today. If one isn't there, he or she must be out looking for food. I think you are right that they aren't nocturnal, whereas the owls are more so.

[annekat]

Oh, I see i completely missed the point of your question, Sangye! It is NIGHT in Iowa right now, though still light here! Duh! So, yeah, if they aren't nocturnal, the father shouldn't be out flying around too much. Maybe Al can shed some light on this.

[Sangye]

LOL Maybe the father is out playing pool. Phil, go check the pool hall would ya?

[annekat]

Maybe the dad sleeps somewhere else than in the nest? Like nearby, in the crook of a tree, where he can be semi-alert in case of marauding owls or whatnot. Guess I should get out a bird book and do some research.

[annekat]

American Bald Eagle - Nesting & Young (http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle4.html)
Here's a good page about eagles' nesting and raising young... very informative, though didn't answer my question about where the male sleeps.

[pberggren1]

The father is at the Eagle's club........lol

[Al]

The father is at the Eagle's club........lol...Grabbing a few quick ones with the lads for the road, maybe...?

A nesting pair does not share the nest, though they do trade off with the incubation duties. The few time both parents are at the aerie are more for "business" reasons--who has carrion duty today and such. Eagles are indeed diurnal rather than nocturnal. I'm not sure where the one off duty sleeps. My guess is on a perch nearby, which is where eagles hang out in non-nesting times. But there is little or no "sleeping around" (many birds are life-time pair bonders, yet rather promiscuous in spite of that). Mating is essentially for life, though if one or the pair were to die, the widow or widower would typically try to find a new mate as quickly as possible.

Eagles are not great hunters, like Falcons or Hawks. Rather, they are opportunistic scavengers. And, yes, they often get harassed for their findings I once saw several turkey vultures and a raven hounding an eagle until it dropped the fish it was carrying. It is a tough world.

Al

[mishb]

Three nice sized babies in the barn owl nest and three eggs still yet to hatch.

All these webcams are fantastic ........ not getting much work done though :rolleyes1:

[drz]

American Bald Eagle - Nesting & Young (http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle4.html)
Here's a good page about eagles' nesting and raising young... very informative, though didn't answer my question about where the male sleeps.

The page had some interesting info. Prognosis for youngest or smallest one doesn't sound promising if a big sister gets hungry and mean. Amazing to me was statistic given that 40% do not survive the maiden flight. Wonder if that is accurate?? One eagle usually is sitting on near by branch when the other is sitting in the nest unless it is out looking for food. At least that is the way it looked to me whenever we have seen eagles on their nests. This is to help guard the nest I suppose or be close by for relief work. My guess is the male would sleep in same location.

A nearby state park offers tours to one of their nests but you are not allowed to get very close for obvious reasons. Most nests around here are on private land but some places we can see the nests on shore from a boat when out spring fishing during daylight hours. But from a distance you can only see the one in the perch or when it brings in food so the view on these cameras is much better. The large size of the nests is very impressive though.

[Sangye]

I finally got to see some action! Mama eagle fed her babies this morning. So far all I've seen on any of the cams is just a bird sitting there with an occasional view of a hatchling or egg. LOL

[Sangye]

You know what I really love about these cams (especially the eagle cam) is that I feel like I'm out in nature. On the eagle cam I can hear all the sounds of nature--something I don't get to experience at all. Before Wegs I spent many hours in nature every day. Thanks Anne for posting these cams!!

[Sangye]

Eagle camera just did a great close-up of the babies while mom was feeding them. You could see every tiny detail on their bodies.

[Jaha]

It was just feeding time for the eagles, and the little one did not get to eat again, the big one pecked it out of the way and I hope its okay. I love watching these cams. Thanks
Jana

[Sangye]

Early today the big one pecked at the littlest one and knocked him flat. He didn't move for several minutes and I wondered if he was dead. Finally he lifted his head. The middle child has done the same thing-- a little exertion and s/he goes totally flat.

[annekat]

Early today the big one pecked at the littlest one and knocked him flat. He didn't move for several minutes and I wondered if he was dead. Finally he lifted his head. The middle child has done the same thing-- a little exertion and s/he goes totally flat. Darn it, it doesn't sound good for the little one. We can still hope, I guess. Glad to see the Owl Cam is back online this morning, but I haven't seen the chicks yet, and no update about when the 3rd one hatched.

[annekat]

You know what I really love about these cams (especially the eagle cam) is that I feel like I'm out in nature. On the eagle cam I can hear all the sounds of nature--something I don't get to experience at all. Before Wegs I spent many hours in nature every day. Thanks Anne for posting these cams!! I'm glad you are getting that out of the cams. Looks like there a quite a few more out there, for those who have the time (which is probably not many of us!). I am pretty much surrounded by nature here where I live, but don't get out in it enough and certainly can't see into any big bird nests from where I sit. I know what you mean about hearing the sounds and am grateful to my new hearing aids for that. I look forward to hearing the "bird symphony" on summer mornings with the windows open.... might have to put my hearing aids in while still in bed.

[drz]

After listening to the birds on the Eagle nest i got motivated to walk a block to nearby park and look at the Egrets and cormorants and Canada geese nesting on a small island in the small lake in the park. I counted 30 egrets in the trees and half dozen cormorants plus three dozen geese and some gulls. Only one pair of geese seemed to have an active nest right now. It was fun watching the egrets trying to land in the trees against the wind. They hovered just like hummingbirds so I went to get my camera for some pix and took a few. Will upload a couple here when I figure out how to do it.

[annekat]

After listening to the birds on the Eagle nest i got motivated to walk a block to nearby park and look at the Egrets and cormorants and Canada geese nesting on a small island in the small lake in the park. I counted 30 egrets in the trees and half dozen cormorants plus three dozen geese and some gulls. Only one pair of geese seemed to have an active nest right now. It was fun watching the egrets trying to land in the trees against the wind. They hovered just like hummingbirds so I went to get my camera for some pix and took a few. Will upload a couple here when I figure out how to do it. Cool, drz! I think sharing photos of nature is one of the best things we can do for each other here, aside from Wegs-related info and advice. I still find it hard to figure out how to insert a personal photo into a post, since the system seems to ask for a URL. I haven't tried recently, but maybe some smart person like Al can help with this.

[Sangye]

Is anyone on the eagle cam right now? I just tuned in to see the mom burying one of the babies in nest material. Looks like she's sitting on the others. Maybe the one wiggled away and it's her way of keeping him warm? I hope she's not leaving it to die. I wish I had seen what led up to it

[annekat]

Is anyone on the eagle cam right now? I just tuned in to see the mom burying one of the babies in nest material. Looks like she's sitting on the others. Maybe the one wiggled away and it's her way of keeping him warm? I hope she's not leaving it to die. I wish I had seen what led up to it I just saw the baby's head sticking out from the nest material. She does seem to be trying to care for it. The other two are apparently under her. If it's the little guy, I wish she would just reach over and grab some of that carrion and feed it to him.

[Sangye]

There sure is enough carrion in the nest! It's getting messy.

[annekat]

At 2:00, my time, I got a good look at the owls and there are 4 chicks! And mother eagle is feeding her 3, looks like one is getting left out again, but may have gotten some, can't be sure... There was a cute little bird, like maybe a chickadee or sparrow, hanging around the edge of the nest.

[Sangye]

I can't see all of them but it looks like the one off to the side found its way back. Right now one is laying inside the carcass of something. "That's not a bed dear, it's dinner."

[pberggren1]

This is better than NGEO.

[Sangye]

Aaaaaah! One is getting very close to the edge of the nest. :sad:

[annekat]

I can't see all of them but it looks like the one off to the side found its way back. Right now one is laying inside the carcass of something. "That's not a bed dear, it's dinner." Lol. I was thinking, if the chicks can get that close to the carcass, or into it, they should be able to pick at it and feed themselves.

[Al]

Regarding the issue with the runt of the clutch, I have to refer to the other thread which was hard for me to engage in fully; my stance, and my sensitivities, are very human (more specifically, they reflect my personal sense of being human) Yet it is not fair for me to impose those sensitivities on the rest of nature. Frankly, nature doesn't care a fig (to sort of paraphrase Rhett Butler) what I think. I would, if I could, whisk away the little thing. But, from a birdish point of view, it is right that only the strongest survive. It is a tough world, you know. Darwin took note that the fiercest competition is among siblings. This is true, by the way, even among humans, except that we typically have more than enough to go around, so we get to indulge sensitivities that many animals cannot. Indeed--and here I must be horribly graphic, so it is okay to skip this part--in times of low resources, bird parents often eat their young. As awful as this sounds to us humans, the brutal fact is that this makes perfectly good sense in the bird world: The young ones would, under the circumstances, surely die anyway; much better for the adult to survive into the next mating season by recycling the calories. Again, nature's program is not obligate to attend to our sensitivities, to be as gentle as we might wish for (neither, by the way, is nature obliged to confrom to political platforms). I call this the "for all the yowling, there is no shortage of kittens" principle. We people might translate this into something utterly human: The heartbreak of love betrayed. "So what?", says nature: I have a job to do too, you know, so I have no truck with your morals and ethics." Yet, we have them, and we are creatures of nature. A paradox? Only from a fixed perspective.

Nearly alone among all creatures (or so they say) save for elephants and, perhaps, some marine mammals (I would include the corvids--crows and ravens, at least), we humans have elaborate rituals to grieve form and honor our dead. I have my own ideas why this should be so. But, for whatever reason, it manifestly is so. Does this indicate a special place in the universe for us? Or is this "exceptionalist" stance merely a demonstration of our arrogance as a species?

Again, I realize that this is perilously close to religious commentary. But I beg tolerance, on the grounds that my context is the ebb and flow of nature. As to what started me off on this short essay: Please, littlest eagle, soar. But if you cannot, I will yet honor you.

Al

[Sangye]

Eagle cam is showing close-ups of the babies right now, including ultra close shots of their HUGE feet! Wow,

[Sangye]

Oh noooo, a friend on Twitter sent me this:
Red-tailed Hawk Nest - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellhawks)

[annekat]

Oh noooo, a friend on Twitter sent me this:
Red-tailed Hawk Nest - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellhawks)

Oh, boy! Red-tailed hawks are great. It didn't look so great in the eagles nest just now.... I'm not sure all the chicks are still alive. Hard to tell for sure, though.

[Sangye]

The eagle chick in the foreground moves every so often but I'm worried that the mom seems to be ignoring it. She has her back to it and isn't covering it with nest materials.

[annekat]

Thanks for your heartfelt ideas, Al. I don't know how others feel, but it doesn't seem to me that you are getting into a religious realm by talking about the ebb and flow of nature or honoring our dead. If people were quoting scripture, etc., to try to prove a point, it would be different.

As for the runt of the clutch, the babies are not hatched all at once, so the smallest was probably born last, and isn't necessarily intrinsically weaker. But in the bird scheme of things, that does make him the runt, since the others got a head start. I gather it is somewhat rare for eagles to have 3 chicks in a brood, so I think we know what to expect. But all the same, like you, I honor the little guy whether he survives or not.

[Sangye]

D'oh! The little guy in the foreground was a total faker. Now he's up and begging for food.

[annekat]

I just looked, and they all look pretty good, although the one in back looks a bit smaller and left out. Funny how pieces of carrion and debris can look a bit like a dead chick at times.

[Sangye]

Just tuned in. Is that a dead chick in the foreground? Looks exactly like a chick foot.

[Sangye]

I'm pretty sure it is. I see an open beak and two little eyes. I wonder what happened. :sad::sad::sad:

[annekat]

I was just looking at it, too. Part of it looks like an outstretched wing. I see what looks like a foot. But I'm confused, because it partly resembles what I saw before when all 3 were alive. :sad:

[Sangye]

I definitely see a face. And the breeze blows its downy feathers every so often. One of the other chicks had their foot right by it and you could see that they were identical in shape and color.

[Sangye]

The face is pointing at us, with the beak wide open. I see the outstretched wing now, too

[annekat]

It's definitely a bird and probably one of our chicks. How sad. Well, if it had to happen, it had to happen. 3 is a lot of chicks according to what I read on the page I shared earlier in the thread.

[Sangye]

I hope it didn't suffer. :sad:

[annekat]

I hope it didn't suffer. :sad: Me, too. I'm having a harder time distinguishing the face. I see something like an open beak that is lying sort of sideways. Yesterday, I thought I saw a face, along with some downy feathers, but then saw all 3 alive this morning. Waiting for mama to move so as to see the two remaining chicks. :crying:

[Sangye]

I definitely see 3 chicks alive right now. That means there must have been 4.

[annekat]

Sangye, there are still 3 chicks! Those eagles are jerking us around! Unless I'm nuts or my pred brain is imagining things. There were two around Mama's breast and then another popped out! Maybe the dead one was scavenged from another nest. Either way, it's sad that one died.

[annekat]

I definitely see 3 chicks alive right now. That means there must have been 4. That occurred to me, too! I wonder....

[Sangye]

I also wondered if the dead one was brought from another nest. Wonder if eagles do that

[annekat]

I get the feeling since they are scavengers, they'd take anything dead whether it was an eagle or not. Don't know if they'd go into another eagle''s nest and kill one. Maybe one fell out of another nest or one of its siblings killed it and one of our eagles was in a position to swoop in and take it.

[Sangye]

One of my dogs just ran in the house with diarrhea all over him and it got everywhere. Just got him cleaned up but missed the dead chick being moved.. or partially eaten. I don't see its foot or head anymore.

[annekat]

Oh, ick. I hope he's feeling better soon. I didn't see it being moved either, and just now, the cam didn't want to load on my computer in any reasonable amount of time. So will check back later. I need to get busy glazing some pottery, which I've been procrastinating. :smile1:

[Sangye]

The mom picked it up a couple minutes ago and she was rearranging the nest materials. Now it's even harder to make out the details. She's staring at it a lot.

[drz]

Anyone notice the numbers at bottom about how many people are viewing the web cam for the eagle nest --30,000 at some times. Wow, what an audience momma eagle has!

[annekat]

Anyone notice the numbers at bottom about how many people are viewing the web cam for the eagle nest --30,000 at some times. Wow, what an audience momma eagle has! She is putting on quite a show. BTW, I like your new avatar, drz, and assume it is one of the photos you mentioned taking in the park or at the lake the other day. I'm assuming that's an egret. Someone mentioned white herons, but I don't think it was you.

[Sangye]

Yeah, and a million total viewers. She's a popular gal.

[annekat]

Wow, they are showing closeups of the eagles right now.

[Sangye]

I see a closeup of the nest itself. And with the wind blowing it, it's messing with my vertigo! Aaaah!

[annekat]

I see a closeup of the nest itself. And with the wind blowing it, it's messing with my vertigo! Aaaah! Yeah, someone was experimenting and must have left the camera for a few minutes... it's back to normal now. Doesn't look too windy at the moment.

[annekat]

I see a closeup of the nest itself. And with the wind blowing it, it's messing with my vertigo! Aaaah! I see what you mean about the vertigo... it's pretty windy again and everything is moving. The 3 chicks are being fed and looking pretty good today. Not bigger than yesterday, though. I saw one of the baby owls earlier and it was huge!

[annekat]

Barn owl update 3:30PM west coast time: The site has just been updated to confirm that 4 owlets have hatched and the 5th is expected today! There is also a new link to a video of a chick hatching, which my old computer had a little trouble with.

[Sangye]

I haven't been checking on the owls-- too hard to see at night. The video of the chick hatching is only a couple seconds long but cool.

[drz]

Great view now of eagle nest and three chicks. All looking good.

[annekat]

I haven't been around much but just checked the eagles (Fri. eve.) and they still look good, all three chicks. I checked the barn owls and Mama is blocking the view again but I think it's possible that all 6 chicks have hatched.... didn't see any eggs when she moved a bit. I think it's time to look in on the red-tailed hawk nest.

[mishb]

There is no mama or papa owl in the nest at the moment.

Still one egg left and five little babies all fighting......sibling love

[Al]

There is no mama or papa owl in the nest at the moment.

Still one egg left and five little babies all fighting......sibling loveAll those kids--must take both parents to fetch the groceries....

Al

[annekat]

There is no mama or papa owl in the nest at the moment.

Still one egg left and five little babies all fighting......sibling love Oh, man, I wish I had seen that! I imagine they are quite a range of sizes. Sounds like Mama needed a break. Pretty soon, she won't be able to hide them.

[drz]

No eagle visible on nest right now but one must be guarding the nest out of sight since they seem to always have one protecting the eaglets from predators.

[annekat]

I think all six owlets have hatched now. Mama moved long enough for me to count 6 bodies and no eggs.

[mishb]

Mama owl appears to be having a feast at the moment and the babies look too big to be able to stay underneath her......little arms and legs everywhere
So cute

[annekat]

Right now it is kind of comical in the owls nest. Mama is trying to cover all the babies with her body, but they are so big, she can only squat over them and they are visible beneath her belly.

[annekat]

The baby eagles are getting bigger, too, and I see all three. I notice their heads are starting to turn white compared to the rest of their bodies.