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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:04 PM EDT (Read 701375 times)
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Click here to view the cams!
Smaller versions of the cams:
Harrison North Small - staticpages/index.php/HarrMills-SmallCameraNorth
Harrison South Small - staticpages/index.php/HarrMills-SmallCameraSouth
Weather Report
Link to the Archives
Cam Maintenance Sept .11 .....2017
Ground Pictures with thanks to Karen .. Sept.11.2017
This is a new thread ..Added Feb.22 .2017 I think you will all find it very helpful! I am keeping this thread locked and will add to it as necessary... If you have any suggestions .Please let me or JudyB know ..thank you !
History of the H Mills Nest
The Harrison Mills bald eagle nest is 175 feet up a huge Douglas fir - on the 10th green of the Sandpiper Golf Course at Pretty Estates Resort - and the folks at Pretty Estates have named the adults Mr. and Mrs. Honeycomb, in the Penthouse Nest.
For David Hancock's history of the Harrison Mills nest read his lengthy article. I suggest printing it to read at your leisure: forum/viewtopic.php?topic=575875#575875
2013 was the first year we watched this nest, and while there were some occasional eagle visits, Mr. and Mrs. Honeycomb didn't arrive until mid March (see here for a possible reason). They promptly set to work, fixed up the nest, and laid two eggs four days apart, both of which hatched four days apart. Both Birdie and Bogey did well for a couple of weeks, though little Bogey was always visibly smaller, but then Birdie started a major growth spurt and there were a few days with less food - which meant that there was none left for the now much smaller chick; little Bogey died when he/she was 23 days old. Birdie thrived, and fledged successfully. He was seen flying down near the river - and did return to the nest for a couple of quick visits before heading off to see the world. You can read all about the 2013 nesting season here - Harrison Mills 2013 Observations and Discussion.
The 2014 nesting season was different - you can read all about the 2014 nesting season here - Harrison Mills 2014 Observations and Discussion. Mrs. Honeycomb only laid one egg, and though both parents incubated it diligently, it didn't hatch. We were all a bit heartbroken - but do know this may also be part of the natural way of things. IrishEyes put together a great summary of the 2014 nesting season - Part 1 and Part 2
The 2015 nesting season was wonderful..Mom Honeycomb laid two eggs and both hatched...... they were named Driver and Putter....The Honeycombs knew the area better and there was no shortage of food.....both chicks fledged successfully.....
You can read all about the 2015 nesting season here Harrison Mills 2015 nest season
2016 was another great season ~~ Mom laid two eggs again and both hatched,, they were named Sandy and Piper ..sadly Piper passed away at 3 days old and to Quote Judy B
There was no aggression any of us saw, he got to look around and see the world for a few days, and have a bit of fish, and is spending his final time curled up with Sandy and snuggled by Mom. I wish he didn't have to leave so soon - but if he must, this is not a bad way to go.  Sadly Pretty Estates was sold on April 5 2016...
You can read all about 2016 Here
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:25 PM EDT
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Registered: 08/04/09 Posts: 142875
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:26 PM EDT
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How to tell who is who -
Mrs Honeycomb has a band on her right leg, and appears to have a feather missing on the right side of her tail; it may have broken - sometimes it looks as if I can see the top part of it.

(Picture courtesy of IrishEyes)
Mrs Honeycomb was banded by O.W.L. as a full adult in the spring of 2001 - so she will be at least 21 years old in spring 2016; you can read the rest of her story from David Hancock here - A Good Eagle Story.
Mr Honeycomb has a dark stripe on the edge of one of his ltail feathers:

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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:27 PM EDT
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About the Area and the Cams
The 2 PTZ cams offer fantastic views of the eagle activity on the Chehalis - Harrison Flats to the North East. The cams also see where the Chehalis Fish Cam is situated - and later - where the Eagle Cafe will be!
Map of the area (thanks, terrytvgal, for finding this!)

Map of the Sandpiper Golf Course with thanks to Gail Morris
The view from the nest, with a special guest appearance from 2013 eaglet Birdie! (clicks bigger)

Driver and Putter on the Baby Sitting Branch..Aug.2 , 2015.

Link to David Hancock's report on the installation of the cams in 2012
Link to pictures by Karen Bills of the cam installation (that is one big tree!)
A bit of information about our ptz cam operations.
Our zoomers have been requested to keep the zoom cam and the embedded cam open simultaneously. There is a delay from the time they zoom the cam and the time you see it so they need to see when the change takes place before moving the camera again.
Having two windows open on their screen, which may be all they can fit on their monitor, they can't always read what is being posted at the forum at that time. If you post that you want the zoom changed or the panning changed our zoomers are not aware of your request until after they leave zooming and open the forum window again.
Our own zoomers are not the only people who can access our cam controls. The landowners have access to change the zoom/pan which takes it out of our control. David and Ken can also change the cam at any given time without our knowledge. It is not always our own zoom team on the cameras.
Our zoomers are experienced eagle observers. If the cam zooms in closely they may be checking on the health of a chick/adult, checking food items, checking markings on an adult (eg: Delta Dad has a small spot next to his pupil on the right eye which identifies him from Mom), checking beaks/feet which may change colour if eagles are poisoned, and panning the area checking for intruders and watching eaglets once they learn to branch. Many times observations which may be of concern are reported to David Hancock for his biology records.
We wish we could accommodate all requests to have the camera in the exact spot each of you want it to be but that is impossible.
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:50 PM EDT
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:54 PM EDT
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South Cam


ADDED July 25 by Irish Eyes
Incoming branch # 2 on the S Cam

The following link is posted on the 1st page of the Hatchery Forum, and may help identify which salmon are running and when. For those of you who are interested, and who may have missed seeing the link, here it is again. Thanks Yolande !
http://www.chehalis-hatchery.shawbiz.ca/lifecycle.htm
Also, here is a link to birds found in the Chehalis Estuary - it is not as nearly as comprehensive as the link Bev posted, since it refers only to birds found in our particular area - but I have found it helpful from time to time. [didn't need it for the jays lol]
http://www.fraservalleybirding.com/Arti ... ehalis.htm
I am adding this link that shows the five species of salmon in BC
http://www.bcsalmon.ca/wild-bc-salmon/f ... on-species
Added
For inf. purposes ........Mom Honeycomb will be 22 years old this year.... 2017 ......we don't know how old Dad Honeycomb is.
Closing remarks from David Hancock:
So now we have more details -- Chapter 2 of hopefully many! Our big lady was banded in June, 2001 as a full adult and released after she had completed about 2 months of rehabilitation following collision with a car. So this bird was now a minimum 17 years old when she came to the Harrison Mills nest. She had survived a battle with a vehicle but been found by people who cared. Then again, if my suspicions are correct, she is the female from the Morris Valley nest, she has had another run-in with humans -- this time with disturbing chain saws, consecutive work crews and helicopters -- and again survived. No wonder our eagles have been increasing. Once we changed our attitude and considered predators good icons, essential indicators of how healthy an ecosystem is, they rebounded with the very virility our Harrison Mills pair was continuing to show.
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:58 PM EDT
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IrishEyes |
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Time Lines.
Time Line for 2013-2017
Mom has a history of spending a night or two on the on the nest before she lays her first egg. I will include that also
2013
Mom spends the night on the nest April 3
Egg #1 laid April 4..at 8:24pm.... ......... Egg # 2 laid April 8 at 7:44pm
Egg # 1 Hatched May 10 at 6:07pm ...# 2 May 14...at 2:52pm ...both at 36 days.. Interesting to note that Dad was on the nest for both hatches !
They were named Birdie and Bogey
Sad News: Food was scarce.... Bogey died June 6, at 5:09 am;9 ( 3 weeks old ) he or she made a valiant effort, but the older eaglet was enough bigger and stronger to prevent the younger one from being fed.
Birdie Fledged successfully !
2014
Mom spends night on the nest March 23
Mom sleeps on the nest again March 26
.One egg.....laid April 4 at 8:48pm ....... No Hatch
2015
Mom Honeycomb spends the night on the nest March 5
This was the year Mom and Dad didn't take a Winter Break ?? Did that have something to do with the earlier laying of their eggs ?.
Egg # 1 March 24. at 8:58pm .........Egg #2 March 28 at 6:09pm
Egg # 1 hatched April 29 at 4:10pm ( 36days.)......Egg # 2 May 3. at 2:34am (36days )
They were named Driver and Putter ..Both fledged
2016
Mom spend the night on the nest March 31, 2016
Eggs Laid ~~ Egg # 1 April 3, 2016 at 8:21pm ..... Egg # 2 April 7 , 2016 at 5:07pm
Egg # 1 Hatched..May 9 at 6:27pm... 36days..Named Sandy.... She /he fledged successfully
Egg #2 11:11 am 13th May...35 days .... Name - Piper .... Sadly Piper died 16th May
2017
Mom spends first night on the nest March 24 ..10:01pm
Mom spent second night on the nest March 25
Mom spent third night on the nest March26
Mom spent fourth night on the nest March 27[/b]
Eggs laid ~~ Egg #1 at March 28 at 7:50pm ........
Mom Honeycomb laid her second egg sometime after 10:33pm March 31 and it was seen on April 1 at 9:16a
Egg # 1.. 37days old hatched May 4 at 2:55 pm.... Named Bunker
Egg #2 ..36 days... seen on May 6 at 2:01am ... Named Divot
Both Fledged successfully! Interesting to note Dad Honeycomb was missing since June 20 and Mom Honeycomb looked after Bunker and Divot with some help from the Fish Fairy !
* It is also interesting that the Honeycombs lay their eggs 4 days apart or close to it..... except for 2017
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By: IrishEyes (offline) on Friday, August 26 2016 @ 02:58 PM EDT
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IrishEyes |
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Registered: 08/04/09 Posts: 142875
Nova Scotia,Canada.
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