Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019-2024 Seasons

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sassyk
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Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019-2024 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:46 pm

Welcome to the Royal Roads Eagles thread for the 2019-2024 seasons.

This nest is on the property of Royal Roads University in Colwood, BC. The eagles have produced many eaglets over the years with 3 successful fledglings this past season.

Please feel welcome to post your observations, photos and videos of these eagles when you visit their nest area.

You can find info and photos of these eagles from the 2018/2019 season here

Link to the opening post for the 2021-2022 nesting season here

Link to the opening post for the 2022-2023 nesting season here

Link to the opening post for the 2023-2024 nesting season here
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:33 pm

A local resident has reported seeing one of the eagles perched in trees around the lagoon several times in the past few weeks.
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:05 pm

I spent some time Nov. 25th watching the eagles at Esquimalt Lagoon.

I think this was the female in a tree near their nest. She was there when we arrived and was still there when we left.
Royal Roads Eagle(1) 25 Nov 2019.JPG

The male flew in and all the gulls and other birds scattered. He chased one around the lagoon then landed in a tree near the bridge.
Royal Roads Eagle(2) 25 Nov. 2019.JPG
Royal Roads Eagle(3) 25 Nov. 2019.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:27 pm

My birding partner has checked the nest area and didn't see any action in the nest. She has seen an adult perched in a tree near the entrance to College Dr.
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:33 pm

There is a 2nd eagle nest on the Royal Roads property that was brought to my attention last summer. My birding partner and I visited the nest area a short while after the 2 eaglets had fledged. We heard an eaglet calling from somewhere near the nest area but could not find it. I will be referring to this 2nd nest as the Cottonwood Lane nest.

I visited this nest on July 9th and saw 2 big healthy looking eaglets. When I first arrived I could hear an eaglet calling and after a short walk to the nest tree I saw an eaglet fly from a nearby tree and land at the top of the nest tree. The 2nd eaglet was down in the nest but did get up to have a look around.
Cottonwood Ln Eaglet(1) 9 July.JPG
Cottonwood Ln Eaglet(2) 9 July.JPG
Cottonwood Ln Eaglet(3) 9 July.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:38 pm

A few more photos taken on July 9th. The 2nd eaglet hopped up to a branch
above the nest while the fledgling continued to call.
Cottonwood Ln Eaglets(1) 9 July.JPG
Cottonwood Ln Eaglets(2) 9 July.JPG

The 2nd eaglet hopped back down into the nest but looked out at me as I left the area.
Cottonwood Ln Eaglet(4) 9 July.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:59 pm

On July 9th I was at Esquimalt Lagoon and it was so foggy we couldn't even see the nest tree. After about 30 minutes we saw one of the adults flying from the nest area and landing in a tree across the road. It appears the eagles are not using this nest; however, my birding partner has found their alternate nest that we looked for 2 years ago. There are 2 eaglets in the alternate nest and 1 has fledged :thumlft: I plan to visit again very soon.
Royal Roads Eagle(1) 9 July.JPG
Royal Roads Eagle(2) 9 July.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by gemini » Fri Jul 31, 2020 2:11 pm

2020 Cam Maintenance
Matching Drive

It's hard to believe that the fluffy little eaglets we first met in April are already flying around - and at least one of them is already half-way up the coast of British Columbia, feasting on salmon at one of the rivers with early salmon runs. The rest will be heading out soon, which will give us a brief window to clean the cameras, check the wiring and do any additional projects near the nests. Only one of our nests is currently sponsored (big thanks to Russ Cmolik for donating a new close-up cam for White Rock!) so we are asking those who enjoy the cams to help us get them ready for next year. We know life this year is different for many of us - but if you can help, we would really appreciate it.
Image

We have some big plans - two new cams for White Rock, replacement domes at Surrey Reserve and Delta 2, and hopefully getting to the bottom of the connectivity issue that keeps taking the South cam at Harrison Mills offline - and there will be some large expenses if we're going to do it all. We'll need a lift to get people up to the cams at White Rock and possibly at Delta, and the tree at Harrison Mills is very tall, requiring a professional climbing team if we are to do any work on the cams themselves.

If we can raise $10,000, we should be able to do the most essential work at most of the nests. And happily some friends of the eagles have pledged to match the first $1250 raised in the next three days - so if you adopt Delta 2, Harrison Mills, Surrey Reserve or White Rock for next year for $250, Hancock Wildlife will get $500!

The easiest way to adopt a nest is to
  • go to the "Donations" page on our website (https://hancockwildlife.org/donations/ - or click the button below)
  • click the "Donate via CanadaHelps Now!" link
  • enter the amount of your donation ($250 to adopt the nest of your choice for the coming year)
  • pick "Adopt a Nest" from the Fund list
  • use the message box to say which nest you are adopting and how you would like your name to be listed
  • fill in your contact information and credit card details, and
  • click "Complete Donation Now"
Image

And if this isn't a good time for adopting a nest, you can also make a donation of any amount to the "Eagle Cams/General Repairs" fund or you can make a monthly donation by changing the highlighted box at the top of the page from "Donate Now" to "Donate Monthly" (the first month's donation is eligible to be matched). Many of the funds have a suggested amount - but that is just a suggestion. The amount you put in the Amount box is what you'll donate.

You don't need to be in Canada to use CanadaHelps - and the rate of exchange right now is favorable to those of us in the United States - a donation of $250 Canadian dollars is currently less than $200 US dollars, so if you give $250 through CanadaHelps (or PayPal), HWF gets $250 Canadian dollars, and the cost to you is based on the current rate of exchange.

You can also use the other methods on the Donations page, but it's not as easy to provide all the information, so if you're sending a check or planning to give a donation directly to someone at HWF, please let me ([email protected]) or gemini ([email protected]) know a donation is coming so it gets included in the matching drive.

And if you have any questions about any of this, please do contact me or gemini and we'll be happy to help.
Image

Thank You!
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020 Season

Post by sassyk » Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:54 pm

This has indeed been a very strange season for eagle watching. I have not been able to get out to the nests I monitor on a regular basis and have sadly missed a lot of the action at the nests. I made one last trip on July 16th to see if the eagles were still in the area and did not see any of them anywhere around the nest area or the lagoon. My birding partner was told by a neighbour that the eagles have built an alternate nest near their previous nest and have successfully fledged 2 eaglets this season. I wish them luck with their travels to the salmon spawning grounds and hope to see them back in their territory within the next 2 months.
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:26 pm

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have not been able to get out to check the activities of the eagles. Therefore this thread will be continuing to include observations, photos & videos of the eagles for the 2020/2021 nesting season. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the eagles will produce offspring this season :luck:

I hope to visit the nest areas soon.
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:11 pm

My birding partner saw 2 eagles in the nest at Royal Roads on Oct. 22nd :thumlft:
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:23 pm

I visited the area of the Cottonwood Lane nest at Royal Roads on Oct. 27th. Just before I arrived at the nest tree an eagle flew out across the field and out of sight behind the big trees. As I was wandering down another path I heard a short cry from the other eagle who I discovered was perched in the tree above the nest :thumlft:

IMG_0426 - Copy.JPG

A few new sticks are visible in the nest.
IMG_0430 - Copy.JPG
IMG_0433 - Copy.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:13 pm

I went to Royal Roads with my birding pal yesterday and saw both eagles in nearby trees near the entrance to College Dr.
IMG_0852 - Copy.JPG
IMG_0854 - Copy.JPG

This is their nest down College Dr. that they have been using for many years.
IMG_0835 - Copy.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:16 pm

This eagle continued to perch in the tree near the entrance to College Dr.
IMG_0839 - Copy.JPG

This eagle flew to a tree at the edge of the school property.
IMG_0858 - Copy.JPG
IMG_0859 - Copy.JPG
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Re: Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019/2020/2021 Seasons

Post by sassyk » Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:21 pm

Last breeding season the eagles used an alternate nest close to the entrance of College Dr. and raised 2 eaglets.
It is not possible to view the nest from College Dr. between all the surrounding trees.
IMG_0866 - Copy.JPG

We managed to get a glimpse of the nest from a vantage point near the school.
IMG_0862 - Copy.JPG
IMG_0864 - Copy.JPG
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