Barton's Cove, Massachusetts - Bald Eagle Cam

http://eagles.firstlightpower.com/eagles/live/default.asp - then click on the camera link.
This cam has streaming video, but not sound, and is limited to 10 minutes viewing at a time.

Barton Island is a small island in the Connecticut River, near Barton Cove, in Gill, Massachusetts. A female eagle originally raised and released at the nearby Quabbin Reservoir in 1985 paired with a male bird released in 1986, forming the Barton Island territory in 1989. The original male was subsequently replaced (in 1996?) by a male with leg bands indicating it came from New York State. The nest has produced one or two chicks most years since 1989, although there were three years that the pair was unsuccessful (1997, 1999 and 2001). They fledged two chicks in 2002, one in 2003, two in 2004, one in 2005, and two in 2006 and 2007.

2007-2008 Season:

• eggs laid: first egg seen early morning February 29 (may have been laid during the night - female very restless at dusk); second egg seen March 3 at 8:10 am (again may have been laid during the night); third egg seen March 6 at 7:55 am
• hatched: April 9 at 8:35 am (40 days for #1, 37 days for #2); April 10-11 (seen 5:57 am April 11) (39 days for #2, 36 days for #3); remaining egg did not hatch
• sad news: the younger chick died April 14 - no obvious reason
• fledged: morning of July 5 (87 days - about 12.5 weeks)
• nest tree collapsed: the very dead nest tree blew down July 27; parents and fledgling are fine
• last seen: in the nest July 27 as it fell over; in the area August 18 (18-1/2 weeks) (the fledgling may have been there longer - that's the last time SharonFeeney reported after kayaking in the area)

May 3, 2007, picture posted by SharonFeeney

(Information from FirstLight Power Resources)

Link to last year's thread for the Barton's Cove bald eagle cam

I sent an e-mail to the website a couple of days ago asking if they knew when the cam might be back on line, and if the eagles had started preparing for the new nesting season, and which nest they might use. Here's the reply I received from William Gabriel of FirstLight Power:

Dear Judy,

Thank you for your interest in the eagle cam.

The MA State Fish and Wildlife Department only allows us to access the island during the last week of November and the month of December. We recently went out to perform maintenance on the solar panel supports, batteries, electrical connections, and vegetation control. As we suspected, the batteries need replacement. We have ordered the new batteries and plan to install them as soon as possible. The cold weather from the past few days has put a skim of ice on the Cove, too much to break with a paddle, yet not strong enough to walk on. So we are waiting for either thaw weather, to paddle out, or a continued freeze so that we can walk out.

The tree that holds the nest is dead and quite unstable, so we are unable climb the tree to access the camera. Rickety as the tree is, we believe that the eagles will return to the old nest again for the 2008 season, so keep your fingers crossed that the tree stand up this year during nesting season.

We are also working on website accessing issues. Last year there were several times when the camera was functioning but viewers were unable to see the birds due to limited band width issues.

If the weather cooperates we plan to have the camera up by the time the eagles return to the nesting area around the end of the month.

Cheers
Bill

thanks for the update Judy

More bandwidth is always good news. And hope they can get it all up and ready soon. Can't wait to see them again.

Glad to see this thread 'ready to go' for the new season. Thanks emc and JudyB for the input. Barton's Cove was one of my favourites last year - but there were certainly some anxious, nail-biting moments with the weather and that dead tree. If your contact is right, Judy, we'll have the same concerns this season with the dead tree, etc. - but what an amazing view of the nest that camera gives - and hopefully it will be more reliable now. Can't wait to see if they are adding to the nest - guess we'll find out sometime in the next couple of weeks. Woo Hoo!

I'd been meaning to do a follow-up - and finally remembered to send them an e-mail asking if they'd been able to replace their batteries and do the other maintenance during the "window of opportunity" which sounded as if it might have ended December 31 - and here's the reply:

Hi Judy,

The batteries were installed yesterday, now we're tracking down
electronic gremlins with Montague TV ( the local cable access provider),
final testing of the new dedicated eagle line, and the various switches
and settings associated with a new set up.

Bill

Sounds to me as if things are on track, and we should be seeing something here in a few days (or maybe a week or two if the gremlins are the persistent variety!) - but they did get their on-site work done!

Barton's Cove camera is finally up and running. Both adults seen on nest yesterday and this morning. Mom? currently there for at least last 45 minutes. Maybe she's waiting for lunch to be delivered? She's looking all around - and occasionally upwards too.

I haven't seen any sign of them today - but I've only looked intermittently over the last few hours. What I did notice is that the nest which was bare when I first looked is now filling with snow!

I can't get the cam. The web site that is on top of this page says "Live Cam Disabled for Maintenance"
Can someone give us the correct site?
Thank you
Diana

This (below) works for me - opens in WMP - of course, it's after dark now, so you'll have to wait until tomorrow. I gather there's currently a vicious ice storm happening there!

http://www.neenergyinc.com/eagles/live/ ... ve_100.asx

Thanks, I will try it tomorrow.
Diana

Here is an update on the cam status that I received from Bill at First Light Power. He had asked what link I was using to view the nest....I haven't been able to get on at all this week, so maybe it has been disabled during the final testing phase....The cam is supposed to be ready to roll next week. (meaning week of Feb 10th)

Hi Paula,

Thanks for sending the link. I’m surprised that it works!

I would guess if the IT folks didn’t want people using the site they would disable it. I do know the site is not ready for the 6000 visits per day that it gets during peak season. The site is in its final testing stages before going live on the Firstlightpower.com site. Our IT folks and the cable company still have some bugs to work out ( as well as installing links to and from the eagle page site) so the site will be unreliable until the final work is finished. The IT folks are planning to have the site fully active (with links to and from the cam site and eagle pages) and ready for public viewing during the week of 2-11-08.

We’ve done a lot of behind the scenes work this year, installing new batteries, vegetation removal around the sending equipment on the island, installing a new web server, providing the eagle cam with its own separate bandwidth space, etc. Hopefully we’ll all have a less frustrating viewing season this year .


As you can see the eagles have returned to the same dead pine tree. We’re all hoping that the tree makes it through another nesting season. When we were out doing equipment maintenance on the island this winter it was pretty apparent that the tree has some longevity issues. The trunk has some rather severe areas of decay and rot, also the root system is pretty much non-existent. It appears that the only thing holding the tree upright are the three guy lines that were placed around the tree several years ago. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

Cheers

Bill

Thanks for the update Paula. I like how Bill described the tree.
Bill Wrote:Gosh i was surprised it made it through last year. To bad they can't put a tower for them by the tree.

This camera is now operational, but I cannot access it with the old WMP link. It is accessible through First Light Power Resources website http://eagles.firstlightpower.com/eagle ... fault.asp# and click on Eagle Cam link. (Only 10 mins viewing).

They have been seen in the nest daily, moving sticks and eating fish.

I saw them briefly today:


12:40 EDT - looks like dad's placing sticks ---> ---> ---> 12:42 - Looks like he tells her he's off to get more!

12:43 - There he goes - says 'bye and he's off ---> ---> 12:45 - She only stays a minute or so longer!

Thanks for the updated link, TC - I've made the change in the first post in the thread.

And great pictures - it's nice to see them working on the nest!

Looked in at 10:50 pst time, would that be 12:50 Mass.? Eagle on nest wind blowing i think it may be the female,seems largest poofy head feathers.Still there 11:23 pst.

Just seems a little early for these northern eagles to be laying eggs....doesn't it?

They were observed mating yesterday http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216 ... m/3-15.jpg (capture courtesy of SharonFeeney) and laid first egg last year on February 28th! Dad has also been bringing some big fish to the nest: http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216 ... m/4-11.jpg (another SharonFeeney capture).

It was snowing very heavily a little while ago and now I see that one of them must be preservng a dry spot in the nest!


(3:06 EDT)

5:00
She's amazing (and as of 45 minutes ago hasn't laid an egg).

Awww amazing what females do to protect their offspring & soon to be. Ty Sharon,TC & BBE for the scr. captures.

5:22 - she's still in brooding position, it appears to have quit snowing, no sign of labor.

2:41
It's snowing there again - but she hasn't left!

Yes - but unfortunately no one has told them. Weather is not going to be very good for most of the next week.

They really are amazing - it's so wonderful to see how they adapt to almost anything!

Just watched her for the past couple of hours before it got dark. She is barely moving, occasionally wriggling down into the nest and readjusting her position. Wonder if she'll lay that first egg overnight? It could be there in the morning - a leap year egg! (Unless there's already an egg?)

I captured this just as it got almost too dark to see - lightened it up a bit.


(6:02 PM)