Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - Bald Eagle Cam

http://www.americaneaglefoundation.com/ ... st-cam.php
The cam is streaming but doesn't have sound.

This cam featured a non-releasable pair named Liberty and Justice for several years; they are an older pair and only had one viable egg in the last couple of years - which may be why the American Eagle Foundation decided to feature a new pair on-cam this year. Independence (F) and Franklin (M) sound as if they were made for each other - both are originally from Alaska - and both are non-releasable because of wing injuries. Independence came to the AEF facility in 1994, and Franklin arrived in 1995; they became a pair in 2000 and laid their first eggs in 2002. You can read more about them here and they have some updates about this nesting season at the bottom of the page with the cam.

Based on past experience, look for eggs in late March, chicks in early May, and fledging in mid to late July. The chicks will be removed from the parents at about 5 or 6 weeks of age and transferred to a nearby artificial nest in a hack tower, where they will be released a few weeks later as part of the American Eagle Foundation's captive release program.

2011 Season:

• Cam On: March 12
  
• Eggs Laid: March 23, March 26, March 29
  
• Hatched: April 29 (37 days); May 5, 5:31 pm (40 days); May 6, by 8:37 am (38 days) (first egg spent several weeks in an incubator - removed from nest during a tornado alert - which may be why it hatched faster than the other two)
  
• Moved to Hacking Tower: June 6 (38 days old); June 15 (41 days old); June 15 (40 days old)
  
• Named/Pre-Release Checkup: August 8 - #1 - Halo (M) - 8lb 15oz; #2 - Endeavor (F) - 11lb 11oz; #3 - Atlantis (M) - 8lb 11oz
  
• Released: August 9 - 102, 96 and 95 days old (98 days = 14 weeks)

Here is a good picture from the home page showing the orientation of the nest. It is off the ground but not very high taking in to account the wing problems of both adults. The height allows them to come and go easily. The nest is man-made but the eagles add their own sticks to it.


Thank you AEF and Pigeon Forge!!


(screencap by JudyB)

Link to last year's thread for the Pigeon Forge bald eagle cam, and more information about Liberty and Justice

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It looks like it might be raining and the picture isn't very good, BUT....Look what I found at the PF nest!!! It looks like Independence is sitting on something.

Oh wow! It's been ages since I've thought to check here!

I see we have a new pair of eagles - Independence and Franklin - and they apparently laid three eggs but the first is in an incubator so there are only two in the nest - details are here:

http://www.eagles.org/programs/aef-nest-cam.php

and I think we need to do a bit of updating on the opening post.

Thanks for checking and bringing the news, Mary!

Thanks for posting the link...I never even thought to scroll down to read the "diary"

I admit I was mostly curious if Independence was the Mom or the Dad, since it's a sort of gender-neutral name. (She's the Mom.) The first egg was laid March 23, so it will be a while before we'd expect to see chicks here.

And I did just get a look at the eggs!



Adult was up and did some calling at the edge of the nest, then snuggled back in.

I do think it's interesting that they have their own private space as a pair, unlike Derek and Savannah at the Carolina Raptor Center who share a large area with a number of other eagles.

A look at both parents. The one on the nest was calling a few minutes ago - and the other promptly showed up to take a turn incubating. But now it looks to me as if the one on the nest isn't planning to go anywhere!