Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019 - closed

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Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019 - closed

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:12 pm

Thanks to MaryF for finding much of the background information for this nest!


Admin Note - I'm continuing this thread into 2019 as there aren't many posts. ~JudyB

Link to the Cam -- http://mnbound.com/live-eagle-cam/

MN Bound Facebook page -- https://www.facebook.com/Minnesota.Bound.Live.Eagles

Minnesota is in the central time zone.

This is a live streaming video of a nesting pair of Bald Eagles located in south central Minnesota. This nest is positioned 75 feet up in a cottonwood tree less than 30 yards from the flowing waters of the Crow River. The nest is over 7x6 feet in diameter and as well about 7 feet deep. The tree's main trunk has 2 large branches (approximately 12 inches in diameter) that the nest sits on as it hugs the main trunk.

The camera is placed on the trunk as it bends away from the nest. The camera is placed about 10 feet from the center of the nest. The camera is powered 100% by solar energy and is equipped with audio and pan tilt zoom features. Thanks to Broadband Corp's wireless network, they are able to bring you this rare look into nature. Special thanks to Broadband MN and Hutchinson Co-op Agronomy for making this possible!

Working through the harsh Minnesota winter, the eagles start rebuilding their nest in early February, preparing to lay their eggs in March. They have fledged 9 young eagles since we started watching in 2012.

2017-2018 Nesting Season:
  • eggs laid: February 23, 5:06 pm; seen February 27, 10:29 am (likely laid overnight)
  • hatched:1st Eaglet Hatch: April 1, 2018 | 2nd Eaglet Hatch: April 3, 2018
  • named: M17 and M18
  • fledged: M17 slipped while branching on June 26 and returned to the nest on June 29; not sure if it was a fledge or an "oops" but s/he was 86 days old; according to the Facebook page, both were flying by July 11
  • last seen:
mnbound1.jpg
Mom & Dad side by side in 2015, courtesy of MN Bound

Link to last year's thread for this nest on our old forum


The sponsor of this nest, Minnesota Bound is a popular Minnesota based television show that has now been on the air for 16 years. They highlight anything and everything to do with the Midwest outdoor lifestyle. Hosted by Ron Schara and his love able black lab Raven, these two have shared thousands of stories. From unique animals to incredible characters, they’ve covered nearly everything. They’ve had an interest in web cams for the past 4 years and their most popular one thus far has been the live loon cam. They really enjoy bringing nature to everyone, LIVE. Their dream is to continue growing the amount of camera’s they have placed and to give several great experiences throughout the entire year.
mnbound2.jpg
Sunset view of the nest tree, courtesy of MN Bound

The 2018 Bald Eagle Cam is powered by Broadband Corp - a company that specializes in bringing high-speed wireless internet to hard-to-reach places (like the country).

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:12 pm

Some history about this nest and cam ~~

Information posted March 2, 2012 on the Minnesota Bound site:

Three years ago (from 2012) MN Bound attempted to do an Eagle cam for the first time. This was in a nest on the West side of Hutchinson MN. This nest was chosen because it was new, it had been created just the year prior but no eagles had raised any young in it.

We installed the camera and had the usual challenges and just as soon as we thought we had everything resolved.....a Great Horned Owl moved in. We watched in anticipation of the Eagles returning home and chasing the owl out. We then learned that Great Horned Owls do not make their own nests, and they often take eagle nests! Who would have thought?! That's when the Eagle cam became the Owl Cam.

Then we took another stab at it and decided to go to a nest that was more mature and maybe more of a sure bet. We found this nest about 2 miles away from the other nest. This nest is located on the south side of Hutchinson on the Crow River. It is 75 feet in the air and it is estimated to be about 7 years old. It sits a good distance from anything, there is a lucky house on the river bluff that gets prime viewing.

I was told by the property owner that when the nest was first built he mowed a trail through the tall grass so people could walk down to the nest, but he felt like all the people traffic was effecting the birds so he stopped mowing the trail. The eagle nest over looks a pond and big grassy field. There are many deer and water foul in the area as well as river critters!

It was also communicated that several years ago one of the folks walking around the base of the tree found the remains of an adult eagle at the base of the tree. The eagle was brought in and it was determined that it had died from lead poisoning. Mind you this is all hear say and I can not back any of it up as factual, but I can't say I have any reason to doubt it.

Last year (2011) when we placed the camera, we thought we were being clever in its placement but in fact we had terrible placement for seeing inside the nest. Live and learn! We were still excited and were able to see some great footage but gain little knowledge of their habits.

This year, 2012, we revamped almost our entire system from camera to sound to power to internet connection. Remember, this is a completely stand alone system meaning solar powered and wireless internet signal from the nest site to the top of the Hutchinson Coop Agronomy elevator and then to a tower near Silver Lake where it talks to another radio mounted about 150 feet in the air that connects to Broadband's Internet Network.

mnbound3.jpg
The underside of the nest

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:12 pm

History - Part 2 (compiled by JudyB)

2012 was the first year I became aware of this cam, although MN Bound did place a cam at different location attempting to view the nest last year; I haven't seen any reports on the success of the nest in 2011. The folks running the cam believe there was a new male in 2012, probably young as he had a black spot on his head, and initially had a band on one leg, though that apparently fell off (the spot remained constant). The pair laid two eggs, but sadly the younger eaglet (named Kirby) fell from the nest when he was 16 days old and did not survive; it appeared that he was standing on one end of a piece of skin, and when the adult moved the skin, he was tossed up to the edge of the nest.

The older eaglet, named Harmon, became stuck in the nest when he was a little over 3 weeks old; he was removed from the nest the afternoon of May 4 and taken to rehab to be cleaned and checked out (there were some puncture wounds (from sticks in the nest?) - and maggots), and fed. Amazing how big he is!

mnbound4.jpg
mnbound4.jpg (39.58 KiB) Viewed 6936 times
Harmon in rehab - 3-1/2 weeks old

There were no serious injuries, so he was returned to the nest the afternoon of May 6, along with a supply of fish heads and tails. He was alone that night, and as a second night approached, the team made plans to remove him - when the adults suddenly appeared on the nest. The reunion was amazing - I've been watching eagles for a long time - and seeing both adults trying to feed him at the same time, and then Mom preening him (video courtesy of patriotsgirl) - it was one of the most touching scenes I've ever witnessed.

mnbound5.jpg
Adults compete to feed Harmon

2013 was a more peaceful year; the adults laid two eggs, and Harmony and Peace fledged successfully. The pair laid three eggs in 2014, a first since we've been watching, and all three hatched but sadly the youngest Skye died after a week, probably after getting chilled by a night of heavy rain; Arky and Dakota fledged successfully. There were just two eggs in 2015, both hatched, and Spirit and Scout fledged successfully, though we're not quite sure when because of cam issues. There were two eggs in 2016, both hatched, and Hutch and Henry both fledged successfully, though one (maybe Hutch) was blown out of the nest a couple of weeks before fledging, but made his/her way back to the nest by evening. The pair laid three eggs in 2017; all three hatched, but sadly the eaglets named Freedom, Justice and Hope died during bad weather while the cam was down when they were about 3-1/2 weeks old.

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:13 pm

Reserved

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:13 pm

Reserved

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JudyB
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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:13 pm

Reserved

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JudyB
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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:13 pm

Reserved

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by JudyB » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:31 pm

Tuesday, February 27

A family shot (sort of - feet of one adult at top, tail of other at lower left corner)
20180227_011.jpg

A better look at the eggs - not sure which one is darker - will have to see if I can find more information.
20180227_012.jpg

One of the adults incubating the eggs.
20180227_013.jpg

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018

Post by gemini » Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:05 am

4-9-2018 10:24 am PDT Two cuties - lunch time!
4-9-2018  10-24-00 am Minesota Bound.jpg
4-9-2018  10-24-12 am Minesota Bound.jpg
4-9-2018  10-24-48 am Minesota Bound.jpg
Image


Member since: 7/31/2006

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:38 pm

2018 Summary

Most of this information is from the MN Bound Facebook page -- https://www.facebook.com/Minnesota.Bound.Live.Eagles - and it sounds as if the cam was down quite a bit so some of it is sketchy.

Apparently older eaglet M17 fell from a perch on June 26 (86 days old, or a bit over 12 weeks) and was observed on the ground walking and perched on a small tree; he or she finally made it back to the nest on June 29. I couldn't find any information about a more intentional flight by M17 or fledge data for M18, but learned that both were flying by July 11 based on a video in the Visitor Post section of the page.

I'm not sure when the cam went off for the season. If there's a better source of information about this nest, I haven't found it.

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:38 pm

2019 Nesting Season

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019

Post by JudyB » Mon Feb 18, 2019 3:02 pm

February 18, 2019

Minnesota Bound Live Eagles had the following announcement on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Minnesota.Bound.Live.Eagles/)

2019 EAGLE CAM UPDATE
We regret to inform you all that our eagle cam will not be live this year. We are hoping to make camera gear upgrades for the 2020 season that will bring us an even better view into the life and times of a nesting pair of bald eagles without disturbance to their nest. We're sorry for this break in the action but we do hope you'll join us the next time we're live at the nest. In the meantime, here's a link to a different live feed of another Minnesota bald eagle nest put out by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/we ... index.html


Our thread for the MN DNR nest is here - viewtopic.php?f=44&t=355

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019

Post by JudyB » Sat Nov 02, 2019 3:26 pm

Hi everyone! I have not found any information yet as to whether there will be a cam for 2020; I sent a message to the Minnesota Bound Live Eagles facebook page asking about that, and will post if I get a reply.

I did find some posts on their page from what I believe are people in the area suggesting that the pair may have raised two eaglets in 2019, though there were just a few pictures and no indication as to if the chicks fledged successfully. If this is their current nest, at least it suggests people know where it is.

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019

Post by JudyB » Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:04 am

~
~ The End ~
~
The following was posted on January 14, 2020, on the Minnesota Bound Live Eagles Facebook page:

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your loyal following on our Minnesota Bound Live Eagles Cam Facebook page. We have appreciated your support and interest in our Minnesota Bald Eagles.

We started this live feed as a way for all of us to witness these beautiful birds in their daily lives. It’s been an experience we all have enjoyed.

Unfortunately, we are sad to announce that we will no longer be operating the live eagle cam. All the equipment will be pulled from the nest soon so as not to disturb the pair of eagles.

We want you all to know how sorry we are for this disappointing update. We know this is not what you were anticipating in the New Year.

The good news is we all still can watch eagles. We encourage you to visit this link: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/we ... index.html

You’ll be able to access multiple bald eagle nest cams across Minnesota. May they continue to fly over our North Star state.

Thank you for your support, and thanks for watching Minnesota Bound.



Our thread for the MN DRN eagle cam is viewtopic.php?f=44&t=355 and I'll be adding the place for 2020 statistics soon.

I enjoyed watching the MN Bound nest over the years - and one of my fondest memories in years of eagle watching was the adults bonding with eaglet Harmon in 2012 after he was returned to the nest after two days of treatment - from my notes:

The older eaglet, named Harmon, became stuck in the nest when he was a little over 3 weeks old; he was removed from the nest the afternoon of May 4 and taken to rehab to be cleaned and checked out (there were some puncture wounds (from sticks in the nest?) - and maggots), and fed; there were no serious injuries, so he was returned to the nest the afternoon of May 6, along with a supply of fish heads and tails. He was alone that night, and as a second night approached, the team made plans to remove him - when the adults suddenly appeared on the nest. The reunion was amazing - I've been watching eagles for a long time - and seeing both adults trying to feed him at the same time, and then Mom preening him - it was one of the most touching scenes I've ever witnessed.

The memory still brings happy tears to my eyes. :love:

You can read that story on our archived forum starting here. I'm thinking the pictures of Harmon with people gave me my first real sense of how big 3 week old eaglets are - I knew they were bigger than chicken chicks - but seeing Harmon made it real.

Here's a screenshot I took of the adults feeding Harmon:
Image

There are lots of better pictures and some videos starting here - http://archive.hancockwildlife.org/foru ... 789#358789

Thank you, MN Bound - and to Mom and Dad - live long and prosper!

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Re: Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam 2018 + 2019 - closed

Post by Philjo56France » Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:56 pm

Sad but i will always remember Justice, Freedom and Hope :rh: viewtopic.php?p=8203#p8203
RIP sweet Eaglets !
:cry1:
2020-01-22_08h54_44.jpg
Freedom, Justice and Hope, The last day they were seen
:rh: E9: 7 yo / E14 :rh:
One day in the wild is worth a lifetime in a cage. B.Shofstall
RIP 2017 to 2023-2024

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