The Forum Has Moved!

The 2015 season ended with the knowledge that there may not be enough funds to continue streaming these cams!!
But then a windstorm came along and snapped the tree, causing the whole nest to land on the ground.
Members rallied around to work out what could be done and it was suggested that with an extra funding effort, a man made nest could be put in a nearby tree

This was done thanks to a huge effort from everyone concerned - So lets hope that the eagles accept this starter nest and build it up to a full eagle's nest.



Dad visiting the new nest on Oct 3rd


Now everything depends on enough monthly donations to keep it going for the rest of the season.

A concise explanation of the funds needed to keep the HWF cams running



Link to the cams -
East view and West view

History of the Delta nest and its inhabitants

According to David Hancock the nest tree is a cottonwood; the tree height is about 90 feet with the nest being positioned about 75 feet up the tree.
It is situated in the Delta area - not far from Tswawwassen Ferry.

This pair have been followed since 1990, when they nested in a tension power pole - not very successfully, as the nest and chicks kept falling out! There was a little more success when they moved to an adjacent tower. Meanwhile, the cottonwood tree was used by Red-tailed hawks.

In 2006 the eagles moved to the tree - attacking and eating the Red-tailed chicks! Thinking that the nest would be worth a camera, now that the nest was being used, two cams were placed in 2006 fall but they were removed in 2009 as no one had used the nest. Of course, the eagles returned and reared young in 2010, so two cams were again placed in the fall.

Ma hurt her left leg early in the year 2014. It healed on its own but she often exhibits a limp on that leg. She laid 2 eggs that year and raised 2 chicks to a successful fledge.
The next year, 2015, Ma laid 2 eggs again. However this time, the eggs were not fertile but both Ma and Pa continued to incubate them until 60 days or more, well past the due date, before finally giving up..........speculation is that Ma's injuries could have caused so much discomfort that she could not stand still long enough in the right position for Pa to fertile her eggs, according to David Hancock.

We think Ma has continued to be able to catch her food..............we have seen her arrive at the nest with prey..........she is quite accomplished. I'm sure her pain does interfere at times with her success. At other times we have seen Pa bring food into the nest for her. They have a great partnership. And since our eagles don't stay together once they migrate, Ma would have to catch her own food to survive.

On Sat Aug 29th, a windstorm snapped the tree, The upper part of the tree fell down, bringing the nest with it and crushing the truck parked beneath!
Pictures of the devastation

Parts of an eagle's foot



How to ID Dad

There is a small spot, upper right in his right eye





Pa has single white feathers at the back of his neck:

Here is a map showing the relative positions of the cams near Vancouver

This cam is also available on UStream - http://www.ustream.tv/hwfdeltaeagles

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE WILDEARTH ARCHIVES: http://www.wildearth.tv/video-archives

Smaller versions of the cams:
West/Overhead Small
East/SideView Small

Screenshots and photos and/or links to videos are welcome in this thread as part of the discussion. We welcome all screenshots and videos of the Delta 2 nest captured via the webcams.

As a courtesy to viewers with slower internet connections, please limit the pictures in each post to no more than a total of 150,000 bytes (4 to 6 average screenshots), and please do not post animations (though it's fine to post a link to them).

Timeline 2015/2016

Eagles return:
Dad - To the area - Oct 3rd - 2015
Actually in the nest -
Mum - in the nest -

Eggs Laid: First egg: March 10th - 2016
Second egg: March 13th - 2016

First hatch: ACE 18th April - 2016 6:21 am

Second hatch: PIPPIN 18th April - 2016 8:05 pm
Pippin finally succumbed to his breathing difficulties just before midnight June 3rd 2016

Named:

First Branching: ACE 8th July - 2016 Early morning.

Fledge date: ACE - Jul 14 - 10:15 am


Click HERE to compare with 2014/15 Timeline

Nest Adoptions for 2016 are now available!

In the 2016 nesting season (September 2015-August 2016) this nest has been adopted by:

~ Bonaccord Elementary
~ Bonnie
~ Bonnie Duke (aka bonbon)
~ Candy-cockatiel
~ Carleen O. Vandegrift
~ Crystal (aka kitcatldy)
~ Div. 8, Grade One Dave Kandal Elementary Fledglings
~ Gail Morris
~ IrishEyes
~ JudyB
~ Katherine Calkin
~ Kathy H.
~ Martina Ellingham
~ Mr. and Mrs. Lantz_56
~ Pat B
~ Sandra and David
~ Spotted
~ Syd
~ the Nesters ... In Memory of Judy Cronk (SJ)
~ Val
~ Woodlands Bleu
~ Y.A. Proctor

Previous Year's Adoptions

2013
2014
2015

You too can honor your favorite fine feathered family -
and support the work of Hancock Wildlife -
by adopting the HWF nest of your choice -

Click HERE to see how!

HOW TO ID MA: Ma has a very noticeable limp due to her previous leg injuries. Some days her limp is more noticeable than other days.

Here are some photos to show some of Ma's physical characteristics:



A good picture to show Ma's jagged front collar. Not always visible if it is windy.


Comparing Ma on the left with Pa on the right.........Ma is slightly larger, with a rougher neck line. Pa has a slimmer head and neck.

I have a request from David Hancock. When you are posting videos here please put them on YouTube so that David can download them for use in his PowerPoint presentations. While a video mark from WildEarth is nice to show something in the archives that was otherwise missed, there is no way he can download that video. He wants to be able to show Pa landing in the nest as proof that eagles will come to a man made nest.

Thanks so much.

11:24am................Thank you Pat for getting this new thread up and running! Now that Pa has returned we look forward to a new season with our eagles here.

Thank you Karen for your reminder about videos............I do not do them myself but we do have faithful followers who take extra time to record and document them for us.

Pa returned October 3, 2015. He was seen on the poles in the distance and spent a moment or two in the "new" nest as well as a quick perch on the "old" nest tree that evening.

We are currently waiting for Ma to return. Last year (2014) Ma returned on October 26th..........travel safely Ma.

I've been checking the Archives from this morning...............no sign of Pa since he left the pole earlier this morning. The west cam is sticking somewhat so the Archives reflect that............but from what I can see Pa has not been seen since then.

From the Archives: There was someone perched out on the hydro poles after Pa left.......9:36am..............could be a hawk.