Re: Wildlife Cameras that are really good
Posted: June 6th, 2009, 12:14 am
Thanks for bringing that sad news here, Carmel. David Hancock has written about it on his forum -
FROM DAVID HANCOCK:
Delta 1 Update: June 4/09
What a dilemma! This nest is in a sad state of repair -- or non-repair. How to best save the remaining chick is the challenge.
Background:
This is the nest that produced two young last year - 2008. One chick fledged normally and the other fledged - or more likely fell out of the nest - about a week early and was rescued, after notification by our viewers, by Bev Day of OWL. The happy ending was that the OWL team rehabilitated the bird successfully and it was later released with full ceremonial colors. Most of the 2008 viewers will recall that the incident that probably prompted the early fledging was the collapse of the north-west face of the nest structure. Almost 1/2 the nest had simply rotted and fell off the supportive cottonwood branch. The remains of the nest, about 1/2 the surface area was all that was left for the 2009 season.
This 2009 Seson: As we watched the various pairs of eagles in the region move back into their territories in the fall of 2008, many initiating rebuilding their nests that fall, and then undertake more nest building activities through winter and even more intensively in January and February, this Delta 1 nest had no adults present. We concluded that the Delta 1 pair had not returned. It was then that we moved the encoder from the Delta 1 landowner's shed and installed it at OWL. As you know we were wrong. Several of our viewers, including Bev Day, Karen and I, saw the Delta 1 adult sitting on the nest on April 4. It was then the logical happening for us, once the OWL bald eagle pair failed to hatch their young, to move the Delta OWL encoder back to Delta 1 where it had been in 2008.
The surprising event was not just seeing Delta 1 brooding but she was doing so on a nest base that had not been added to that fall or spring. The female simply laid her eggs on the remains of the 2008 season's nest. The first tragedy was the landowner then finding one of her eggs on the ground. This was a couple of weeks before replacing the encoder in the building and hooking up to the cable.
Then as you know we were delighted to find two more eggs in the nest, both of which hatched. Then today's tragedy. One chick fell off the nest rim. Surprisingly when we spoke to Bev this afternoon she said the chick had fallen off the eastern side on the road edge. This was the better side in terms of a natural structure. However, on reviewing the nest from the ground today, it is still apparent that the parents have not added any meaningful amount of new materials to the west side that had fallen or sheared off.
So now what? We, by law, cannot go and rescue the chick. Furthermore I would not enter the nest as in further review with the landowner today shows his great love of having the nest there. And of course my assessment is that by going into the nest we will cause the birds to abandon the site for next year. So between the law and the landowners wishes we are not going into the nest.
Another option does seem possible and I gather several people have proposed some version of what I have decided to do after today's detailed review at the site.
I have just assembled the materials to assemble a "catch net" around the tree base. If the other chick should prematurely fall, hopefully this net will break its fall and Bev will be there in minutes. It is interesting how the first phone call Bev got this AM was from an Arizona member -- thank you. The sad part is that the chick's fall had killed it.
Hopefully tomorrow we will construct this 'catch basin. We will not be entering the nest or even be close to the nest. Our efforts will not endanger the nest or nest tree or, I believe, increase the parent eagles' concerns as we will be well below the nest. Every day many people go to this nest and stare up at the parents and young. Once the chick is fully feathered and ready to fly we will remove this emergency support.
This will be a good compromise. We will not be entering the nest and performing any alarming acts to disturb the birds any more than the eagles seeing any one of many daily visitors. Let's hope the net is not necessary. If it is let's hope it works.
Cheers
David Hancock
FROM DAVID HANCOCK:
Delta 1 Update: June 4/09
What a dilemma! This nest is in a sad state of repair -- or non-repair. How to best save the remaining chick is the challenge.
Background:
This is the nest that produced two young last year - 2008. One chick fledged normally and the other fledged - or more likely fell out of the nest - about a week early and was rescued, after notification by our viewers, by Bev Day of OWL. The happy ending was that the OWL team rehabilitated the bird successfully and it was later released with full ceremonial colors. Most of the 2008 viewers will recall that the incident that probably prompted the early fledging was the collapse of the north-west face of the nest structure. Almost 1/2 the nest had simply rotted and fell off the supportive cottonwood branch. The remains of the nest, about 1/2 the surface area was all that was left for the 2009 season.
This 2009 Seson: As we watched the various pairs of eagles in the region move back into their territories in the fall of 2008, many initiating rebuilding their nests that fall, and then undertake more nest building activities through winter and even more intensively in January and February, this Delta 1 nest had no adults present. We concluded that the Delta 1 pair had not returned. It was then that we moved the encoder from the Delta 1 landowner's shed and installed it at OWL. As you know we were wrong. Several of our viewers, including Bev Day, Karen and I, saw the Delta 1 adult sitting on the nest on April 4. It was then the logical happening for us, once the OWL bald eagle pair failed to hatch their young, to move the Delta OWL encoder back to Delta 1 where it had been in 2008.
The surprising event was not just seeing Delta 1 brooding but she was doing so on a nest base that had not been added to that fall or spring. The female simply laid her eggs on the remains of the 2008 season's nest. The first tragedy was the landowner then finding one of her eggs on the ground. This was a couple of weeks before replacing the encoder in the building and hooking up to the cable.
Then as you know we were delighted to find two more eggs in the nest, both of which hatched. Then today's tragedy. One chick fell off the nest rim. Surprisingly when we spoke to Bev this afternoon she said the chick had fallen off the eastern side on the road edge. This was the better side in terms of a natural structure. However, on reviewing the nest from the ground today, it is still apparent that the parents have not added any meaningful amount of new materials to the west side that had fallen or sheared off.
So now what? We, by law, cannot go and rescue the chick. Furthermore I would not enter the nest as in further review with the landowner today shows his great love of having the nest there. And of course my assessment is that by going into the nest we will cause the birds to abandon the site for next year. So between the law and the landowners wishes we are not going into the nest.
Another option does seem possible and I gather several people have proposed some version of what I have decided to do after today's detailed review at the site.
I have just assembled the materials to assemble a "catch net" around the tree base. If the other chick should prematurely fall, hopefully this net will break its fall and Bev will be there in minutes. It is interesting how the first phone call Bev got this AM was from an Arizona member -- thank you. The sad part is that the chick's fall had killed it.
Hopefully tomorrow we will construct this 'catch basin. We will not be entering the nest or even be close to the nest. Our efforts will not endanger the nest or nest tree or, I believe, increase the parent eagles' concerns as we will be well below the nest. Every day many people go to this nest and stare up at the parents and young. Once the chick is fully feathered and ready to fly we will remove this emergency support.
This will be a good compromise. We will not be entering the nest and performing any alarming acts to disturb the birds any more than the eagles seeing any one of many daily visitors. Let's hope the net is not necessary. If it is let's hope it works.
Cheers
David Hancock
check them out.
checked out, they are cute.... think i will become a vegan... 
