Raptor Resource Project: Decorah Eagles

[Blackrosefencer]

Just thought I'd share this link with you all.

http://www.farmyou.com/falcon_cams/index.html

This is a link to the Raptor Resource Project's bird cam. The Raptor Resource Project is dedicated to preserving a number of bird species such as ospreys, owls, eagles, falcons, etc. They set up a bunch of different bird cams to watch the nesting of different bird species. It's a tool that I hope to use in the next few weeks to help my third graders learn about wildlife and conservation and other things like that.

Anyway, this particular link is to the Decorah Eagles. The Raptor Resource Project set up a web cam right by the nest of a pair of Bald Eagles in 2009. In 2011, they started making the video available via live stream on UStream. According to their website, over 200,000 million people from 184 countries worldwide watched the eagle family build a nest, lay eggs, and raise their young. You can watch 24 hours a day! It is such a neat experience to watch this family grow, bond and suffer together. It is amazing to see! I highly recommend watching it.

According to my mother (who watches these eagles religiously), one of the eggs hatched today! I'm sure you can watch a video of it hatching on the website (it won't be live anymore though). I think there are two more that have to hatch yet. They sit on the eggs (and the babies) all day to keep them warm. In fact, the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs and catching food.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

I think I actually posted a link to this last year, as well as the live feed cam of the red-tailed hawks at the Philly Franklin Institute. I watched both last year quite often (it can be addicting, especially when the eaglets get bigger and require more food). Very, very awesome to witness how the parents care for their babies through very rough weather and nighttime predators (like great-horned owls).