Update on eaglets at Norfolk Botanical Gardens

It was announced today that the Mother Eagle was struck by an airplane and did not survive. She was returning to the nest with a fish for her month old eaglets. I know that many of you have viewed the eagle cam over the last few years. Very sad news. :'(

This is a link to the article.


http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/norfolk ... ane-strike

Update:
The 3 baby eaglets have been taken from the nest to the Wildlife Center of VIrginia where they will care for them and release them back into the wild. They made the decision after several options but felt the Dad could not adequately take care of three babies. So sad for the Dad but hopefully he will find another mate. They were together since 2004 and produced 17 eaglets.
.

 

:'(

 

Oh, I'm so sad about this... oh, I really am. What will happen to the babies? Will the dad take care of them? I didn't feel quite up to reading the article, maybe tomorrow.

 

It is unfortunate that the proximity of human activity has cut short the life of this magnificent creature. I hope that the male can maintain the necessary feeding schedule of the eaglets. If not wildlife officials may have to remove them to assure their survival.

Jerry

 

This is terrible news.
I hope the male will step up to the task.

 

Update on Eaglets

When I went to the webcam this morning, I was thrilled to see the Dad feeding the eaglets. He stayed away most of yesterday but brought a fish last night he did not immediately start feeding as he was waiting for the female. :'( But when I checked in this morning he was feeding them :-D

I am sure the experts that are tracking them would intervene if necessary but hopefully the Dad will continue to care for them.

Here is the link if anyone wants to checkin.
http://www.wvec.com/marketplace/microsi ... e-cam.html

 

Update:
The 3 baby eaglets have been taken from the nest to the Wildlife Center of VIrginia where they will care for them and release them back into the wild. They made the decision after several options but felt the Dad could not adequately take care of three babies. So sad for the Dad but hopefully he will find another mate. They were together since 2004 and produced 17 eaglets.

I am glad I got to see them this morning when the Dad was feeding them, so sad for them all. I hope the website will keep us updated on how they are doing. I have a friend who has been passing on this info to me. She lives in the area and has been watching them since the feed went live several years ago and has visited the gardens. I will update this posting if I hear anything from her.

 

This is the statement from the Wildlife Center, they are a hospital for native wildlife in VA. I copied this from their Facebook page.


Wildlife Center of Virginia to raise eaglets to be released back into the wild

NORFOLK, VA (April 27, 2011) - The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has confirmed that the female of the eagle pair nesting at Norfolk Botanical Garden was killed by an airplane strike yesterday morning. VDGIF wildlife biologists, acting on concerns that the adult male will not be able to provide sufficient food for the three five-week-old eaglets, determined that the birds should be removed from the nest. While the male may be able to meet the needs of the chicks in the near term, the amount of food they will require as they grow will increase exponentially, likely exceeding the hunting capacity of even the most capable provider.

A number of options were considered as the VDGIF assessed the situation, including no intervention, providing supplemental food for the chicks, or separating them for placement in the nests of other eagles. Ultimately, the biologists and agency eagle expert determined that the most appropriate response would be to remove the eaglets and transport them to The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV). There the birds can be reared in specialized facilities and cared for by trained, permitted eagle rehabilitators until they are old enough to be released back into the wild.

According to VDGIF Biologist Stephen Living, "The agency recognizes that there is a very high degree of public investment in these birds. Thousands of people worldwide have watched these eagles over the years and followed their progress."

Living continued, "Without intervention, it is all but certain that one or more of these eaglets would not survive the next three months. Pulling the birds and sending them to the Wildlife Center gives them their best chance. The birds are already old enough to know that they are eagles and to recognize their siblings. Maintaining them as a family unit and releasing them together when they are ready to go will certainly improve their survival potential."

Nuckols Tree Care Service is assisting with the removal of the eaglets from the nest. They had participated in the banding of the eaglets that took place on April 21 and have been long-time supporters of the Eagle Cam project at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

At WCV the eaglets' health will be evaluated and monitored closely throughout their treatment. They will be placed in an artificial nest that has been constructed in the Center's 200-foot eagle flight cage. Other adult Bald Eagle patients may also be in this enclosure. While the chicks will be separated by a physical barrier from direct contact with other eagles, the eaglets will be able to see other eagles flying and feeding. As they begin to fledge, the barrier will be removed and the young eagles will have full access to the long enclosure, to build their wing strength and to learn to fly. The goal would be to get the young eagles ready for release back into the wild this summer.

In 2008, an eaglet was removed from NBG because it had a growth on its beak caused by avian pox. That bird - known as Buddy - is not able to be released back into the wild and still resides at the Wildlife Center and serves as an education bird.

According to Don Buma, Executive Director of Norfolk Botanical Garden, "The eagles have put Norfolk Botanical Garden on the map. They have increased awareness and developed an appreciation of nature for millions of school children and Eagle Cam viewers from around the world."

 

wow that's terrible news of the death of the mother. I remember checkin out the cam when i first joined. I'm guessing these are the same eagles unless there were multiple eagle cam feeds posted.
Poor babies...

 

I watched them quite a lot last year, and feeding the babies kept the mom and dad really busy almost around the clock. I know the babies will be well taken care of at the Wildlife Center. I feel sad for the dad... I hope the dad will find a new mate and carry on next year too.

 

If anyone is interested in checking on the eaglets progress the Wildlife Center website is:
http://www.wildlifecenter.org/

They have a separate link for the eaglets updates highlighted in red . They have photos of their arrival & examination and preparation of their nesting area, pretty interesting. They look so much larger than they did in the nest, especially when you see them being held by humans.