Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam - Seasons 2018-2023

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JudyB
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Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam - Seasons 2018-2023

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:40 am

Thanks to forum member golden1 for researching much of the information for this nest.

Link to the Cams: https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams ... ergy-cams/

There is also a public Facebook group that follows this nest - http://www.facebook.com/groups/445733962172528/

(Admin note: Because there are not many posts, I'm going to continue this thread into the next season)


Links to the start of the current and previous season's discussion in this thread:
  • 2022/2023 Season starts HERE
  • 2021/2022 Season starts HERE
  • 2020/2021 Season starts HERE
  • 2019/2020 Season starts HERE
  • 2018/2019 Season starts HERE
Link to the 2017/2018 thread


Thank you to Xcel Energy and Raptor Resource Project for all you do for this nest. Fort St. Vrain is near Platteville, Colorado, on private property near the Xcel generation station; it's in the mountain time zone. The nest is in a large cottonwood tree near the junction of the St. Vrain and Platte rivers. It measures eight feet, one inch by six feet, seven inches by nine feet, ten inches and "has excellent flyways – perhaps due in part to stick-snapping and nest-building activities." The cameras got an update in August 2017 - the existing side-view cam was cleaned and repositioned, and a new PTZ cam was added, providing a great look down into the nest. The Raptor Resource Project reported that they "did the best we could to position all of the cameras out of poop range!" (Read more here, with thanks to the Raptor Resource Project.)

Mom and Dad Fort St. Vrain do not really migrate but they move around the area during the summer, but also visit the nest area. They usually begin nestorations in early October. Eggs are laid in mid February. Eaglets hatch in March and the eaglets have fledged in early June. Both eagles have been banded. Mom has 2 bands and Dad has one. He may have a orange-ish yellow, maybe faded tag on his right leg. With the new cam we may be able to get a better look at the bands. The top view we have been seeing the last few years has not afforded us a very good view of the bands. Mom has a deep inverted v on the front neckline. Dad's is more of a rectangle in shape but also can appear to be even along the front of the neckline.

2017-2018 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid: February 12, seen 10:08 pm; February 15, 9:34 pm; February 19, 5:23 pm
  • hatched: FSV36 - March 24, 9:45 pm (40 days); FSV37 - March 25, 12:27 pm (38 days); FSV38 - March 28, 7:00 pm (37 days)
  • named: FSV36, FSV37 and FSV38
  • fledged: between June 14 and 22
  • last seen: all three fledglings were seen in the area July 19;
2018-2019 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid: February 13, 8:40 pm; February 17, between 1 and 4 am; February 20, before daybreak
  • hatched: FSV39 - March 25, 9:43 pm (40 days); FSV40 - March 26, 12:34 pm (37 days); 3rd egg didn't hatch
  • named: FSV39, FSV40
  • fledged: June 10?; June 13? (they can perch out of sight so hard to tell)
  • last seen: both fledglings seen July 4
2019-2020 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid: February 14, 5:55 pm; February 17, 5:41 pm; February 21, 6:39 pm
  • cams down: turned off to conserve energy; Xcel provided occasional pictures
  • hatched: March 26 (38 days); March 29 (37 days); one didn't hatch - I suspect the 1st
  • sad news: one of the eaglets died between April 15 and April 21, probably as a result of a bad spring snowstorm
  • named: FSV41, FSV42
  • fledged: I think so but couldn't find date
  • last seen: unknown with no cams
2020-2021 Nesting Season:
  • new male: Observers noticed that the pair was acting a bit differently than they had in previous years - and discovered that the previous male had a band on the left leg, and the male we've been seeing since the cam came back up this year has a band on the right leg.
  • eggs laid: March 4, 5:17 pm; March 7, 5:10 pm; March 10, 6:30 pm
  • sad news: one of the eggs broke on March 15; there was a lot of snow and a chunk of ice fell off a branch over the nest and cracked the egg; based on the hatch dates, I'm guessing it was the first egg that was lost
  • hatched: April 14, 6:17 am (37 days); April 17. 5:50 am (37 days)
  • named: FSV43, FSV44
  • sad news: we don't know why, but first chick FSV43 died on April 15; the eaglet appeared fine when the adult began brooding that afternoon, but was not moving when the adult got up later.
  • fledged: FSV44 fledged on July 6, 9:46 am
  • tagged: FSV44 was captured after fledging and is now banded and has a tracking tag; they determined he was male
2021-2022 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid: March 3, 5:09 pm; March 6, evening; March 9, 6:56 pm
  • hatched: April 11, 9:40 am (39 days); April 13, 12:50 am (38 days); didn't hatch
  • named: FSV45, FSV46
  • sad news: a raccoon came into the nest the evening of May 23rd when the chicks were alone; 6-week-old FSV45 scared it off the first time, but it returned and grabbed the feisty young eaglet and dragged it off the nest even though at least one adult had arrived by then and was flying at the raccoon; the remains of the eaglet were recovered in the morning
  • fledged: July 1, 3:58 pm (79 days)
  • last seen: FSV46 - on cam, August 15; in area, August 28
  • lcam off: August 16
2022-2023 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid:
  • hatched:
  • named:
  • fledged:
  • last seen:

20180226_006.jpg
Dad arrives to take a turn incubating the eggs, 2/26/18

Thanks to the Raptor Resource Project and Xcel Energy for providing this wonderful look into the world of eagles.

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:40 am

Nest History

The camera was installed in 2003 and we started watching it in 2006. This pair successfully raised 3 chicks in 2006, 2 in 2007, 3 in 2008, and 2 in most of the previous years that they've been watched. The nest failed quite tragically in 2009, when their three eggs hatched in late March, but all three chicks died April 17; apparently one of the parents was lost or incapacitated around April 14, and the remaining parent wasn't able to keep the eaglets warm and fed during a bad wind/rain/snow storm; a second adult was seen shortly thereafter, leading to speculation that one of the adults might have eaten a poisoned prairie dog and been unable to function for a few days.

It appeared that there was a new female in 2010, possibly a relatively young adult as it looked as if there were a few brown feathers remaining in her head; the male appeared to be the same as last year, though it is hard to tell. Both eagles are banded, but the cam resolution isn't great enough to see numbers on the bands. The pair laid two eggs in 2010, and both chicks fledged successfully. They laid three eggs in 2011, two of which hatched, and both eaglets fledged successfully. 2012 was a very sad year at this nest - they laid three eggs, and all hatched - but one chick got stuck near the edge of the nest when it was 6 days old and died from exposure; the male did arrive during the night to brood the chick while the female brooded the other two at the center of the nest, but it was probably already too late. The remaining chicks died when they were a little over 2 weeks old when the adults were unable to keep them warm and dry during a severe wind/rain storm.

Well, things were slightly better in 2013 - the adults again laid three eggs, and they all hatched. Sadly two of the chicks were lost in mid-April as a result of a large snowstorm, which deposited over a foot of snow on the nest when the chicks were only about two weeks old. The remaining eaglet was renamed "Survivor" by those watching the cam, and fledged successfully. There was historic flooding in the nest area in the fall of 2013, with the St. Vrain Creek covering the camera equipment and solar panels with 5 to 7 feet of water, but happily those involved were able to get the camera streaming again. The weather was still an issue in 2014, but not as severe as the previous year; the pair laid three eggs, all of which hatched; the middle chick ("Argos") died when he/she was a little over a month old, after a week or so of wheezing and difficulty breathing; the other chicks ("Amara" and "Ajax") fledged successfully, though the younger Ajax was observed wheezing occasionally.

2015 was another challenging year here. The pair laid three eggs, and all three hatched, but the youngest D30 died at four days old after ending up outside the nest bowl, perhaps injured or maybe just stuck as the temperature fell, and then there was a bad storm when the remaining chicks were about 3 weeks old, and they didn't both fit under Mom and the one who was more exposed didn't make it (we think the younger, but can't be sure); the remaining chick (nicknamed "Aspen") fledged successfully. There was more sad news in 2016 - the pair laid three eggs and all hatched, but the nest area had a bad storm with cold heavy rain the night of April 15-16, and though both adults tried to shelter the 16 and 19 day old chicks, they could not keep them dry, and all three died. 2017 was better - they again laid three eggs, two of them hatched - and those chicks fledged successfully!

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:40 am

Reserved

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:41 am

Reserved

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:41 am

On February 16, the Raptor Resource Project reported in their Nest News:

The Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain nest has (so far) benefited from an unusually warm winter. While light is by far the most important factor in many areas of a bird’s life (the onset of breeding season, migration, and molt are all influenced by daylight length), the lack of snowpack and ice means more food with less energy expenditure lost to simply staying warm. This won’t push eggs up by long periods of time, but can move egg-timing a little sooner or a little later based on our records. We’re all hoping the weather continues to benefit our sturdy prairie pair!

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:41 am

Monday, February 26, 2018

8:43 am
Dad arrives to take over incubation (I'm basing my ID on their relative size)
20180226_006.jpg

A nice look at the eggs, cozy in the nest cup.
20180226_007.jpg

9:46 am
Dad (I think) is up to adjust some nest material; I included both cams to show their different perspectives.
20180226_008.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:13 am

Two babies so far. Not sure if this is a first feeding. Looks like one of them has probably just hatched recently because it is having a hard time keeping it's head up. Couldn't get a good view of the 3rd egg to see if it is working it's way out. I'll check later if I have time... Dang work gets in the middle of my eagle watching.
fsv_babies_1.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:36 am

Got an egg view. Looks to be intact from this view.
fsv_egg_view_1.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Tue Mar 27, 2018 9:18 am

Egg 3 coming along.
fsv_egg3_view.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Tue Mar 27, 2018 12:17 pm

Some bonking going on by the oldest (FSV36) until it was fed til satisfied. FSV37 or #2 got a nice amount this feeding.
Pic of #2 being fed. Egg #3 is still looking to be about as far along as the previous pic.
fsv_feeding_3-27.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Tue Mar 27, 2018 9:06 pm

Baby 3 born around 7pm.
fsv__baby3.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:52 am

Nice feeding for all 3 @9:40ish ET. FSV38 got plenty along with the others. Mom was giving some big bites but they all got them down. Sorry for the pixilated pics but that is just how this cam is here.
fsv__feeding3-28.jpg
fsv__feeding3-28-1.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Darlene » Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:37 am

Congratulations Ma and Pa Fort St Vrain on your third hatch! Lets hope the weather cooperates this year to keep these precious eaglets safe. :luck:
Darlene, Langley, member since May 10 2006

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by Duck_Keeper » Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:23 am

Another feeding 1:15pm ET. A little bonking - nothing serious - all were fed.
fsv__feeding3-28-2.jpg
fsv__feeding3-28-3.jpg

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Re: Fort St Vrain CO Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:35 am

Thanks for the reports and the great pictures, Duck_Keeper! Keeping fingers crossed....

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