bald eagle cam

March 28, 2006 10:21 PM

Live Eagle CamHigh quality stream from a camera pointing at a Bald Eagle's nest on Hornby Island. Direct link to video here. [via digg]
posted by null terminated (43 comments total)

Warning: extremely distracting.
posted by null terminated at 10:22 PM on March 28, 2006

Cool! I was up on Denman Island (next to Hornby) recently and spent a fair amount of time watching random eagles.
posted by Staggering Jack at 10:43 PM on March 28, 2006

If this is live, and only available during daylight hours -8 GMT, then why is it that I can watch it now, at 8:47 +2 GMT? It should be almost 11 p.m. there, and yet it's broad daylight on the webcam with the bird sitting in the nest.

Cool, though.
posted by moonbiter at 10:51 PM on March 28, 2006

moonbiter: It's most likely a conspiracy.
posted by null terminated at 10:54 PM on March 28, 2006

I saw an eagle and a seagull and many other coastal animals on Hornby Island. Lovely place.

Man, the water stinks like hell, though.

I will be checking this site in the morning, when the sun's up.
posted by Savannah at 10:58 PM on March 28, 2006

Pretty cool. Though, no matter what I say, the bastard refuses to chat with me.
posted by JWright at 10:59 PM on March 28, 2006

By the way, if you've never seen a calico cat go apeshit and attack am LCD monitor, I highly recommend it.
posted by JWright at 11:01 PM on March 28, 2006

I was just thinking, what would be really cool would be a live, CD-quality audio stream from various state and national parks around the world. Kind of like those Sounds of Nature CDs but live and online. I'd love to have something like that playing in the background while I'm working at the computer.
posted by moonbiter at 11:02 PM on March 28, 2006

null terminated: I blame Bush.
posted by moonbiter at 11:03 PM on March 28, 2006

This would be a lot better if there were a button to poke the eagle.
posted by borkingchikapa at 12:31 AM on March 29, 2006

it just chirped (?) and scared the shit out of me.

I'd forgotten that I had the window open in the background.
posted by pruner at 2:53 AM on March 29, 2006

This is absolutely the coolest thing I can remember seeing on the internet. I cannot wait for the hatchlings.
posted by bukvich at 4:04 AM on March 29, 2006

When it makes noise, that's when it's the coolest. (And I think it can see me!)
posted by OmieWise at 5:13 AM on March 29, 2006

I want "subservient bald eagle"...

What moonbiter said: It's 5:45AM PST and the eagle is sitting in its nest in bright overcast daylight. Strange...
posted by anthill at 5:46 AM on March 29, 2006

Xcel energy has an eagle cam at their Fort St. Vrain Power Station in Platteville, CO. (see also their daily pic archive). I've enjoyed watching several year's worth of chicks hatch and grow up.
posted by jazon at 6:19 AM on March 29, 2006

Why the long face?
posted by pmbuko at 6:26 AM on March 29, 2006

Moonbiter and anthill: Last night I saw a note to the effect that the feed is a replay at night.
posted by bowline at 6:28 AM on March 29, 2006

Sometimes, something just does exactly what it says it does, and it's awesome.

Thus, this is one of the greatest links ever.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:44 AM on March 29, 2006

Wonder if its name is Sam.

I keep saying stuff like this whenever there's a critter thread, but again, I love living in Florida, because I get to see critters like this whenever I go out in the woods. There are bald eagle nests in a few of the nature parks I go to, and I can usually stand there for a while photographing the eagles before they get miffed-looking and take off for hunting or whatever. Sometimes I'll see one just flying over the road while I'm driving. They're gorgeous, and even their cry is beautiful-sounding.

This cam is much more up-close and personal than I can get, though. Neat.
posted by Gator at 6:55 AM on March 29, 2006

awesome.
posted by geeky at 7:41 AM on March 29, 2006

It's an interesting property of the web that when something is this good I am almost certain it's fake. The people reporting that it is this good even at night are making me that much more certain it's fake.
posted by The Bellman at 7:51 AM on March 29, 2006

Bellman, did you see Bowline's comment above?

Moonbiter and anthill: Last night I saw a note to the effect that the feed is a replay at night.
posted by bowline at 9:28 AM EST on March 29 [!]
posted by inigo2 at 8:07 AM on March 29, 2006

There are in fact two eagles, a mating pair. Saw 'em both in the nest at once while watching the rerun last night. The one in the nest is the female, since she's sitting on the eggs... unless bald eagles are known to take turns at that.
posted by kindall at 8:23 AM on March 29, 2006

I was able to witness the eagles swapping places. Apparently they do indeed take turns.
posted by majick at 8:36 AM on March 29, 2006

Yes, inigo2, I did. I went looking for that notice, but didn't find it. Also the link to the press release doesn't work, so I couldn't check to see if it's in there. I want to believe! The footage is so lovely! It's just that we've all been burned before.
posted by The Bellman at 8:38 AM on March 29, 2006

This is so cool. A little weird, watching some bird who thinks it's alone in a tree, but cool.
posted by amro at 9:52 AM on March 29, 2006

Awesome!
posted by jokeefe at 10:07 AM on March 29, 2006

This is the most beautiful image. And it just got up and left its eggs for a moment, then got back on top of them and settled in.

Great link.
posted by OhPuhLeez at 10:09 AM on March 29, 2006

Um, okay, the EAGLE got up and left its eggs.

The image stayed right where it was.

More coffee, please...
posted by OhPuhLeez at 10:10 AM on March 29, 2006

Yeah, this is pretty great. When i saw this thread i was wondering if it had anything to do with the zoo that is going to name one of their eagle chicks after Stephen Colbert.

/kisses any chance of being productive today goodbye.
posted by quin at 10:35 AM on March 29, 2006

God, that is a beautiful animal. Can't wait for babies!
posted by LeeJay at 10:57 AM on March 29, 2006

Yay! i just saw the tradeoff.
posted by quin at 11:17 AM on March 29, 2006

I just saw the tradeoff too. And with it, I saw my productivity for the afternoon go right out the window, because now? Cannot. Stop. Watching. Very cool stuff!
posted by idigress at 11:23 AM on March 29, 2006

It knows we're watching! It looked at me! Squee!

Thank you for this.
posted by Uccellina at 12:45 PM on March 29, 2006

the son of a bitch is looking right at me...no...no...through me. GAH!
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:16 PM on March 29, 2006

A few minutes ago, the stream went from dark/overcast, then jumped immediately to bright/sun. And I think the eagle switched positions and is turned the other way.

Anyone else notice this?
posted by avoision at 1:19 PM on March 29, 2006

It's started running all kinda jerky and stuff. This makes me a sad eagle-watcher.

But I second the earlier fangirl type squeeing.
posted by jokeefe at 1:31 PM on March 29, 2006

Ok - I think I just saw the switchoff that people were referring to earlier. So maybe this is a loop? Or maybe I'm totally imagining things.

Either way - great link! I've been watching off and on, all afternoon.
posted by avoision at 1:36 PM on March 29, 2006

Actually avoision, the trade off we were talking about was the mom and dad switching places, though i will agree; the camera did do something weird. i can't tell if it's a different angle, but it definitely went from fairly dark (and the bird was grooming itself) to a bright sunlight scene with the bird just sitting there, so they either switched the camera to a different feed or we are watching the loop.

Either way, i'm hooked.
posted by quin at 2:03 PM on March 29, 2006

Aw, man, this is cool!
posted by deborah at 6:07 PM on March 29, 2006

More info.
posted by fish tick at 8:23 PM on March 29, 2006

... and a warning:
I warn you that once the eggs hatch, it's not going to be a pretty scene.

Several groups of birds, including eagles, some owls, cormorants and others practice obligate siblicide -- the first chick born kills the second. Almost every eagle you see has killed its younger sibling.

The eggs are laid some time apart, to ensure a definite size and strength difference between the two chicks. The second egg is merely insurance in case something happens to the first one - infertility, loss, crushing, etc.

So, parental discretion is advised once the first one hatches!
posted by fish tick at 6:31 AM on March 30, 2006

Mommeagle is looking a little ragged today. Man, she must be bored as hell. Nothing to do but sit around the house all day, rearranging the knickknacks, which is to say, the twigs.
posted by Gator at 3:34 PM on March 30, 2006