Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Camera discussion for the Surrey Reserve nest in Surrey, British Columbia

Moderator: Surrey Reserve TA's

Locked
User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by JudyB » Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:58 pm

Click here to view the cams!

A big thank you to Dawson & Sawyer for sponsoring these cams!

The Surrey Reserve bald eagle nest is new for the 2018-2019 nesting season in several ways. This is the first year we'll be able to watch this nest - and the nest itself is new, built in late August 2018 to replace one that fell down a couple of years ago. Also, this nest is in the first bald eagle reserve in British Columbia, land set aside by an agreement between the city of Surrey and developers Dawson & Sawyer to guarantee space for eagles to nest while adjacent land is cleared for a housing development (read the full story here). The nest is on the southern edge of the city of Surrey, and is not that far from the home of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation.

The nest is about 90 feet above the ground - and David Hancock saw one of the eagles checking it out earlier this month, so we hope they will move in.

There are two powerful pan-tilt-zoom cams in place to watch the nest, one overhead and the other in a tree about 35 feet away that should let us see the eagles come and go from the nest. I believe both have sound and night vision - and we'll be looking for people to post observations - and to control the cams as we watch the eagles.

2018-2019 Season:

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:29 pm

Once the eagles began visiting the nest, and we had a preliminary guess as to which was the male and which was the female, we gave them tentative names - the one we thought was male we named Sur (pronounced like sir to help us remember who is who) and the one we thought female we named Res - for Surrey Reserve! David Hancock liked the names - so ... meet Sur and Res!

Res, who we believe is the female, is on the right in the first two, and on the left in the third; it's not obvious from these pictures, but Res generally appears to be larger, which is why we're calling her the female. We'll know for sure when one of them lays an egg! :)

Image

Image

Image


Sur, who we believe is the male, has dark feathers around his eyes; his neckline more jagged; he has one or two white or light feathers on his chest below the neckline; and he has a dark spot on the right side of his tail.

Res has a little tuft of feathers that sometimes seems to stick up on the top of her head, which appears as a shadow or gray spot at times; her neckline is rounded; and she's bigger. The mark on her beak was a temporary thing, maybe from digging in the nest.


The following image from a video by Gemini does a better job of showing that Res (on the left) is definitely larger, and you can see how her little tuft of feathers is looking more like a shadow here; it also has a clearer view of the spot on Sur's tail:

Image

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:24 pm

We have seen eagles nesting on the industrial Vancouver waterfront - and if all goes well, we'll be watching how eagles adapt to a busy residential neighborhood. The Surrey Reserve is an area set aside for eagles and other wildlife as part of the permitting process for "The Eagles" housing development (read the full story here), and the nest is in one of the tall cottonwood trees on the right, in back of the buildings).
20181013_SR01_DH.jpg

The map below is courtesy of the City of Surrey Online Mapping System, and is open data which may be republished without restriction. The x right above the dotted line showing the international border is approximately where the nest is, so our eagles are very close to Semiahmoo Bay.
20181013_SR04_Map.jpg

This is some of their hunting/fishing territory, showing the Semiahmoo shoreline with the pier in Blaine, Washington, in the distance.
20181013_SR03_DH.jpg

This is a wider view of their territory, from a bit further back.
20181013_SR02_DH.jpg

All the images except the map click much larger.

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:48 pm

I am hoping to have some images from the installation of the nest here.

For now, please check out this great article with lots of pictures from the Surrey Now-Leader - https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/ph ... th-surrey/

Please note that the pictures are copyrighted and may not be posted here without express written permission from the newpaper, which we do not have. Thanks!

Update - gemini was able to visit the site and provided this picture giving an idea of how high up the nest is, as well as a look at the nearby trees which seem well placed for perching (clicks larger).

Image


This is the view to the southwest from the nest tree, again with thanks to gemini - and just beyond the trees is Semiahmoo Bay, which is a super feeding area for eagles! I am not sure, but I think this is what you would see if you stepped back a bit more from the pictures of the Bay in the previous post.

Image


Please visit our new Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 - Eagle Nest Ground Observations thread for more pictures and videos of the area - and if you are in the area, we'd love to have you post your pictures and observations here! Thanks!

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:42 am

Nest Adoptions for 2018/2019 are now available!

In the 2019 nesting season (September 2018-August 2019) this nest has been adopted by:

~ Irish Eyes
~ JudyB
~ gemini
~ Seear Grandchildren: Gia, Ava, Ula, Janiece, Roman, Bo, Kaiden, Quincy and Caleb
~ Irish Eyes
~ Charlie Ipcar
~ Parkland Burnaby Refinery


Previous Year's Adoptions

2013 - 2018


You too can honor your favorite fine feathered family
and support the work of Hancock Wildlife by adopting
HWF nest of your.

Click HERE to see how!

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:42 am

Details of Female Res's Leg Injury

Res was seen at the nest around 6 am in June 5th looking fine (link). That evening at 9:30 pm she came to the nest limping or hobbling, and after delivering food, moved to the little perch beside the nest, where she spent much of the night, often with her right foot hanging down.

Timeline:
  • June 5, 9:30 pm - initial observations start here
  • June 6, 4:29 am - leaving perch in the morning
  • June 6, 9:38 am - Res brings a black bird to the nest; eaglets removed feathers and self-fed
  • June 6, 12:38 pm - Res brings additional food; she managed to prepare it and fed the eaglets, then left at 12:49 pm (video focused on view's of Res's leg - 5:49 min)
  • June 6, 1:40 pm - Res brought a medium-sized fish; Res put her wing out to balance as she moved around the nest, and wing-hopped to the leftover bird to feed a bit of that before leaving; she ate some of the fish and maybe some of the bird; she flew off at 1:56 pm (video - 3:26)
  • June 6, 2:31 pm - gemini observed Res bringing a fish and noted "Mom can't tear the fish apart or down the fish whole - she takes it to her chick (I think fully intending on eating it herself) and between the two of them they tear it open. She then grabs it away from the chick and tries to swallow it again. She still can't swallow it so lets the chick tug on it again and enough breaks off so she can manage to swallow the whole thing!" (video - 3:19)
  • June 7, 8:20 pm - Res brought a fish; Beth observed that "her leg didn't seem like it was dangling that much but is still hurt." (video - 1:05)
  • June 8, 6:56 pm - Res brought a bullhead; her leg was still sore but she was hanging in there (screenshots)
  • June 9 - no visits by Res; there were several food deliveries by Sur
  • June 10 - no visits by Res; Sur brought food several times, and also fed the eaglets; the last feeding ended at 3 pm (photos of that feeding start here)
  • June 11 - no adults seen, so no food deliveries; some adult trilling heard
  • June 12, 7:20 am - Sur brought food to the nest; this was the first of several rapid deliveries - final morning deliver was 10:05 am
Note - as of June 18, she's still careful of the leg but can put some weight on it and appears to be recovering well; I'll add to the timeline as I have time so we have a more complete record here. ~JudyB

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:43 am

Reserved

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:43 am

Reserved

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam 2018-2019

Post by JudyB » Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:46 pm

These are background pictures from while we were getting the cameras ready to stream - these are great cameras, but they are different from the older Vivotek cams, so it took time.

This was my first look at an eagle in the nest, on October 16 at about 3:30 in the afternoon.
20181016_013.jpg
20181016_018.jpg
20181016_024.jpg

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by JudyB » Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:08 am

These are all from the North or Wide Angle cam, located in a neighboring tree. The South/overhead cam took a bit more tweaking before it came online.

After that first visit, I checked the cam whenever I could - but didn't see another visit until about 3 pm on October 22nd, when an eagle visited and looked around, but didn't seem very interested in the nest.
20181022_001.jpg

He or she flew off at one point...
20181022_006.jpg

And returned a couple of minutes later, to continue scanning the territory.
20181022_009.jpg

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by JudyB » Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:09 am

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

One eagle arrived at about 7:18 am (before the cam switched to color for daytime)
20181023_002.jpg

And a second one joined him or her a few minutes later! And they showed an interest in the nest!
20181023_012.jpg
20181023_018.jpg

:vid: Eagles Visit Surrey Reserve Nest (4 minutes)


I sent some of these pictures to David Hancock - his response is in the next post.

davidh
Admin
Posts: 105
Joined: Apr 21, 2018

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by davidh » Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:09 am

Hancock here - the Surrey Reserve a wondrous moment
20181023_014a.jpg

Judy: the shot in B & W of the two adults on the Surrey Reserve nest is so wonderful - I vacillate between ecstasy and crying - maybe they are the same. Thank you so much. I realize that the image is B & W because you captured this image as this pair of eagles inspected their possible new nest in the dawn’s early light before people could disturb their privacy. I sure hope they think our effort was worth it.

The Back Story:

I have been speaking for eagles for a long time. I have had the incredible support of many like-minded conservation people in the different levels of government say "Yes, Hancock, we will give the eagles this break!" - and another eagle nest gets spared momentarily. But nowhere have the eagle supporters been so pushed - had to make decisions that pushed their department policies so far, and again and again - than for this incredibly resistant 'pair' of south Surrey bald eagles.

So I guess my momentary happiness is that we have given this pair of eagles at least a moment in their life cycle, a moment when they returned from migration to find their nest and all the surrounding trees totally obliterated - trees felled and land cleared to sand - but nearby in their territory an option of nesting, a new artificial framework that they thought enough about to both, at this given moment you captured, land on and inspect this possible new home. Judy, that you captured that moment is one of the most incredible images of my life. Thank you. And to all the people, from developers to City and Provincial officials who when that extra route had to be trodden, went the extra hours and 'steps of concern' to give these eagles this moment. Is it enough? Will this potential home be secure enough? We hope so.

The Details of the Surrey Reserve Bald Eagle Nest.

For 60 - well 40 years, I have been trying to be a voice for eagles, for environment. I certainly started to watch this Surrey pair in the 1990’s or earlier. The first proposal I gave to preserve this nest was almost a decade ago. It was so flatly rejected that my comfort was that at least no development momentarily continued to disrupt them. The developers shelved their plans - momentarily. Then new developers came with more aspirations. I offered another similar proposal, another offer to speak for the eagles against a tide of overwhelming development. Again, it seemed no more than a societal blip before the eagles were trodden under. All I was asking for the eagles were a few trees remain in a neighborhood of condos. But maybe this is part of "enough is enough." This time it was rewarding to seeing the developers, the City and the Province say, yes, we will accept these few trees as a unique Bald Eagle Reserve. Wow - and I don't want to underplay it - this was - is - the first Bald Eagle Reserve in a City in the Province of British Columbia. A small reserve, a big concept.

Then a month later we found out nature dealt a cruel blow - 8 days after the Reserve was established the wind blew the nest out of the tree. This was discovered when the eagle’s new nest was seen in a new tree outside of the Reserve but on property already approved for clearing and development. Could we preserve a Reserve with no eagle nest and save another annoying eagle nest nearby where the land was slated for clearing? We started again.

Now starting again is not simple. The developers had nearly a hundred units sequenced for clearing, road and utility installation, building etc. and a hundred construction permits all scheduled to be acted upon. After and during all the developer rescheduling, the City and Provincial authorities had a whole lot of new Permits to consider and try and accommodate. On the side sat a few voices 'speaking for eagles.' I personally never heard a single bad word spoken. From the developers, Dawson & Sawyer, I only got encouragement of "How can we keep the eagles?" We will even pay to have two CAMs installed to tell the world of these urban eagle lives. Wow. To tell this briefly, we kept the eagles, protected and successfully nesting in the new nest for two years, this enabled the original development to be finished on the north side of the Bald Eagle Reserve. Then, when the buildings were finished and being occupied we constructed the artificial nest frame, shown being inspected by the adults above, and the nest that had housed the pair for two-years and the surrounding trees were removed as soon as the eagles left on migration.

Then the big question. First, would the pair of adults survive the migration and return? Then, how would they react to losing their nest and surrounding trees? Would they simply leave or might they explore our little remaining woodlot, the Surrey Bald Eagle Reserve? Well about a week ago one of the adults was seen in the area sitting in a tree nearby our artificial nest, actually scolding a red-tail hawk that was also exploring the tree with the artificial nest. That was a good start. But so far only one of the pair had returned. We had installed two CAMS, one in the tree with our artificial nest and the other in the adjacent tree. For unknown technical reasons we had not been able to get them live and viewable. Yesterday this happened. This morning at the crack of dawn our key lady - what else do I call you Judy - was checking the cams directly and there were both adults inspecting the nest. Quite incredible. I am sure they have spent 10+ days sitting in nearby trees watching the ‘reserve,' viewing the nest and its surroundings to make sure it was safe. Then today was the day. Incredible. Will they make this home? Or was this an inspection and rejection? Time will tell. They sat and looked satisfied - that of course is my optimism, not the eagles, speaking. I know we have provided many other satisfactory bald eagle nest foundations, so we hope we have again satisfied their needs. The next few weeks will tell. By Christmas we will know if they think the territory is secure enough.

As a note, today October 23 at 1025, I saw what I thought was the pair sitting at tidewater on their beach only 200 feet from the two adults who owned the adjacent territory. I suspect it was a 'territory testing event.' I only saw the other pair return to their nest. I had a schedule to pick up a dead calf for baiting other eagles for our BETA Project, and I left.

I understand our CAMs will be live and on our Web within two days.

Thanks, Myles and Trevor for building the nest and installing the cams, to Ken for getting the cams on the air and Judy for managing our whole site - and especially for capturing this moment for me. But particularly my thanks to Dawson & Sawyer who saw the value in preserving this small element of our Super Natural British Columbia, to the City of Surrey and our Provincial Wildlife Officials who worked towards the correct end. Let’s hope our combined efforts are fully successful.


David Hancock
Hancock Wildlife Foundation
October 23, 2018

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by JudyB » Thu Oct 25, 2018 9:08 am

Thursday, October 25, 2018

The cams are streaming!

Link is https://hancockwildlife.org/surrey-reserve-cams/ - and for right now, you'll need to click a second link after you click the play button, and watch the cams on YouTube. I'm sending a note to Myles because he needs to add something to the site so the cams can stream directly - and with luck that will be done later today or maybe tomorrow.

Enjoy - and please post if you see any eagles at the nest!

User avatar
marg
Content Provider
Posts: 1231
Joined: Feb 19, 2018
Location: Davis Bay, Sechelt BC

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by marg » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:13 am

I did try but unable to get cam I did however get into a video from just after 10 today.... there were 2 in the nest!!!
Sunshinecoast Marg
Member since 2006

Image

User avatar
JudyB
Admin
Posts: 17961
Joined: Dec 09, 2017
Location: Midcoast Maine

Re: Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

Post by JudyB » Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:29 pm

Marg wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:13 am
I did try but unable to get cam I did however get into a video from just after 10 today.... there were 2 in the nest!!!
Wonderful news, Marg - we are hoping to begin seeing them more often, as we now are seeing the other pairs at Delta 2, White Rock and Harrison Mills.

We are still having some major problems with the cams - the zoomer links are working well, but we are thinking that perhaps we're overloading the internet connection at Ken's house which converts the signals from all the cams and sends it to YouTube. Or it may be something else - Ken is continuing to work on it, and hopefully will have a solution soon.

We are beginning to look for zoomers for these cams - and Firefox works on PCs, so it may be possible that Mac users with Firefox will be able to zoom without any extra hassles - but I don't know that for sure yet. If you're interested, please let me know!

Locked

Return to “Surrey Reserve ~ Bald Eagle Nest Cam”