Thank You, John!

John installed the fuel cell for the solar panels today. This should resolve the power issue for the cam! Whoo Hoo!! Check out the size of those panels! Looks like a rather involved task. Thanks John, Steve and the IT crew at NCTC!!

PS - Don't forget to click on the pics to see them full size!

Momsters make the News!

Thanks to an article by Steve Chase in The Observer, a Shepherdstown, WV monthly publication.

Steve Chase, Special Assistant to the Director of NCTC, wrote an article for the Observer on NCTC's first decade. He discusses how NCTC was originally planned to be in Harper's Ferry, but when that deal fell through, a Shepherdstown resident sold her property to NCTC for their current site. Steve also discusses the numerous programs NCTC has initiated with Shepherd College and the Shepherd Wellness Center. NCTC's local partners include The Conservation Fund and their local Freshwater Institute, the Potomac Valley Audobon Society, the American Conservation Film Festival and others. Steve also discusses the popular conservation and community series of lectures and flims, in conjunction with the Friends of NCTC, that bring internationally renowned writers, artists and scientists to Shepherdstown for public events.

West End Sunset

Photo courtesy Steffani at IWS

West End Nest is up and has a new view! IWS will be able to zoom in on the nest later in the active eagle season.

The nest is circled in yellow.

http://www.iws.org/

And here is a short video of West End Nest today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8cHFMn9ScM

A short video of the Blackwater Osprey Cam

Please be sure to visit and support

The Friends of Blackwater at

http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3hE6S3slU

And for those of you who cannot view youtube, you can view it below.

How lucky are we tonight!!

Click on the above picture for a little

"Nest Animation"

NCTC cam is back in operation!

Thanks to Mits for snapping the first picture of the season!!

After months of waiting, the NCTC cam is back in action! And look who showed up! Belle paid a quick visit to the nest tonight!

Visit the cam at: http://www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/eaglecam.htm

First and Second and Third Egg for Frieda and Frodo!

Frieda and Frodo are a pair of peregrine falcons nesting on an apartment building ledge in Brisbane, Australia. The first egg arrived just after midnight, on the morning of Sunday, August 19. The eggs are laid at around 48hr intervals. She will actively incubate the eggs when the second and later eggs are laid. With Peregrines, the first couple of eggs are likely to hatch on the same day with the last up to 2 days later. Incubation will take about 33 days with fledging happening around 6 weeks after that. In Australia, peregrine falcons will nest from August through to October, laying two to four eggs. Last year I watched this pair raise 3 healthy eyasses. The webcam has been in operation since 2003.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/extras/frodocam/default.htm

Morning Has Broken

Sunrise on the Santa Cruz nest with Limuw set to music

NCTC Visit, July 14, 2007

Yes, a great time was had by all! Most met at the Clarion where they boarded the Eagle Express for a quick drive thru town before landing at Sandra's house. The Eagle Express was a beautiful motor home driven by Wanda (costumelady) and her husband.We started with lunch at Sandra's house in Shepherdstown. Vicky and Iris both found Sandra's house OK. Jill arrived late, but she made it!! We had subs and chips and fruit and veggies and brownies and Baltimore Berger cookies!!

Around 2 we boarded the Eagle Express and a couple of cars and headed for NCTC....where guess who was waiting for us in the tree!!! Yes, Belle was there to greet us. We actually drove right up to the barn next to the tree. She stayed in the tree for about 5 minutes before taking off across the meadow (directly behind the cam) and perching herself in another sycamore tree. She was actually sitting in a very open spot on the tree, and we gazed upon her for about an hour before she did a poop shoot, took off back over part of the meadow, back around some trees and off to the river. Maybe Lib was waiting there for her with a fish! We waited for over an hour, but there was no return to the tree by either Lib or Belle. Must have been nice down by the river :) It really was a beautiful day to visit the nest...

We headed back to the Clarion for dinner around 4:30, where a couple of other momsters like Dana, Nilla and Sunny met us for dinner. I think we had 28 or 29 people for dinner! The staff at the Rumsey Tavern was wonderful! We started out with drinks, then got our appetizers and dinner. A special cake for dessert, and a raffle to boot!There was much socializing, hugging and chatting going on the whole time! I think the dinner finally was over sometime around 8pm and there were lots of special hugs given out. Oh, and I forgot to mention the special "Eagle Talon" drinks that Wanda's husband whipped up while we were at the nest! Yum!....and Norma did check her cane at the door! LOL

For more pictures......(coming soon!)

Santa Cruz Fledge

Limuw, eaglet A63, fledges from the Santa Cruz Nest on June 28, 2007

Limuw, eaglet A63, returns to the nest minutes after his initial flight

Limuw, eaglet A63, takes off again and truly fledges!

Osprey Banding Trip to Patuxent River Park

Day old Osprey Chick

Greg Kearns, biologist at Patuxent River Park, takes a group of featherheads out on the Patuxent River in Upper Marlboro, MD to band osprey.

Click on each image above for a larger picture.

More pictures and video soon!

A Helping Hand

The Osprey chick on the left at the Connecticut Audobon Society cam had a piece of bubble wrap around its neck. The Connecticut Audobon Society was notified and someone kayaked out to the nest and removed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQunkihb-3Q



Picture above shows bubble wrap around the chicks neck

Picture above shows Mom returned to the nest shortly after the bubble wrap was cut off.

Lunch in Norfolk

A fledgling eating a fish in the Norfolk nest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Y2I2tWBrQ

Sibling Rivalry June 6, 2007

Chick #1 lets Chick #2 know he's the boss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWiFyv-st5o

DPOF Lunchtime June 6, 2007

Betty Feeds Chick #2 a good lunch. The chicks learn to eat fast, as Betty delivers quickly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JARLAw_xqEw