Azalea At Back Bay, Dam Neck
April 19, 2011
Extremely Rare Bald Eagle 4-chick Brood Documented on James River
April 21, 2011The three bald eagle nestlings at Norfolk Botanical Garden received identification bands today April 21, 2011 from Dr. Bryan Watts, Libby Mojica and Reese Lukei from The Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William and Mary. The event was broadcast live over the WVEC webcam. A second camera was provided by WVEC to give closeup views of the banding process. Stephen Living, Watchable Wildlife Biologist with the Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries, provided on line narrative explaining what was happening. Nuckols Tree Care volunteered their services and Julian carefully removed the three chicks from their nest one at a time, youngest first, and lowered them to the ground where Dr Watts removed them from the bag. Once all three were safely down, the eaglets were examined, measured, weighed and banded. The three chicks are healthy and developing as expected. They were then returned to their nest one at a time.
The three NBG eaglets are now identified as follows
Purple band NV – #0679-01293 – youngest chick – male – weighed 2633 grams = 5.81 lbs
Purple band NX – #0679-01294 – middle chick – female – weighed 3100 grams = 6.84 lbs
Purple band NZ – #0679-01295 – oldest chick – female – weighed 3405 grams = 7.52 lbs
28 Comments
thank you so much for the wonderful fotos and the care every one took with the process of removing the eaglets from their nest, banding and returning them.
Wonderful Photos. Enjoyed the banding today. I wondered why the gap in the letters on the bands: NV (no NW), NX (no NY) and NZ. Thanks for allowing us to experience this.
Response – Some letters are not used because confusing to ID at a distance or can be misread. For example if NW was used it could be put on upsidedown and be read as MN. MN not used either for the same reason.
OMG! Look at their size. I missed the banding.
Haven’t been here in less than a week and I can’t believe how big they are. Comparing their feet to the hand showed me how big they really are.
Do you have a video on it. Could only find photos.
Thank you so much to everyone for this live cam. It has been truly awesome!
Awesome! Life is good.
so exciting to watch. Thank you to all who participated today in this endeavor.
Great photos. It is amazing how much they have grown and how much they weigh already! Thanks for the pictures and the info on each. I am so glad they are healthy. Wish I could have been there.
They are HUGE!! Seeing them being held by a human puts their size into perspective. Can’t get over how large their beaks and feet are.
This was my third time watching the banding,it is wonderful to be able to see it,and some superb pics,thanks to everyone who makes this possible for us to see.
Watched the banding this morning. AWESOME! Than you for all you do.
wonderful Norfolk Ambassadors
thank you CBBC and WVEC
My husband and I were at the banding this morning and it was such a moving sight to see. I want to thank everyone who makes it possible for us to be a part of this whether in person or watching the cam.
Awwwwwwwww! Great job today! Thank you so much!!!!
Great pictures, Reese! what a wonderful day for all of us! I really enjoyed watching you (on cam) taking notes and taking pics and smiling at our “kids.” The picture of the bands on someone’s fingers and Dr. Watts holding NV’s feet really help give some scale to the size of those feet and the eaglets.
Response – Thanks Paula – They are my fingers. Shows just how large the eagles legs are.
Great photos and what an extrodinary experience you and all the others involved have introduced to the world. So many tense and touching moments today, looking forward to continue to watch these beautiful creatures until they fledge, and leave the nest for the last time . Many tears will be shed when that day arrives but we have to remember they are Gods creatures. May they soar high and free for many years to come as we look forward to next years clutch. Once again thanks again for all you do
Reese – Thank you for all you do! The banding was great, the tree climbers were great, CCB was great, VDGIF was great, NBG was great and the eaglets were the cutest things – each year gets better and better.
Now everybody, while we are praising and bragging on these people, now is the time to dig down and pay them back for their expense, time, planning, and all their hard work. What? You thought it was FREE???
Thank you so much for such a great experience. This is the first year I have watched them. It is amazing how much they have grown in a little over a month.
Thank you so much for sharing online the banding and the daily live cam of these three eaglets. I watched the banding from beginning to end this morning. It is not every day we get to see something so awesome and the care you all took to make sure they were totally safe throughout. I cannot wait to watch them grow more and eventually leave the nest with a little sadness to be on their own. May they all stay safe. Thanks again.
Thank you for all you do, the banding process yesterday, handling the eaglets with such care and for the entire education process this cam presents to the world. I’ve been hooked since the beginning and support this site totally. Keep up the fantastic work and thanks to the Modsquad especially Congowings, Shoebutton and MVK. Also to zoomer who brings us all the closeups. Doesn’t get any better than this. Looking forward to receiving the 2012 calendar. Thank you.
I am 78 yrs old and this is an experience of a lifetime for me! Wonderful to look forward to each and every day. I learn something new each day that humbles me.
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this process. It was awsome to watch and to be able to view the eaglets every day as they grow.
Based on size, behavior, and feather development, I was certain the birth order was girl/boy/girl. How did you you determine it was girl/girl/boy? Thanks!
Response – Based on feather development and observation prior to removing from the nest
This year is my first experience ever of watching the Eagle family via nest cam. I never would have dreamed that I would become so interested and learn so much about Eagles! The Mod Squad and all of you agency folks have been so informative and patient as we viewers have asked the same questions over and over. It has been amazing to watch nature unfold before my very eyes from the first hatch to yesterday’s banding activity. And we are not done learning yet as we continue to watch our babes develop into Eagles day by day. It will be a day of mixed emotion when the last Eaglet leaves the nest and doesn’t return—a day of sadness but mostly a day of happiness as the Eaglets will have reached that point in their lives that God intended for them—–to be free to soar the Heavens above. May God bless them with many years of life and good health.
I missed the banding, but from the pictures it looks like the eaglets were very calm during the process. Did they appear to be frightened at all? And what were the parent eagles doing during this process? I was surprised that the handlers weren’t wearing gloves. Thank you.
Response
The adults were flying about above the nest during the banding, which is normal. The chicks were calm except the oldest did not want to be weighed. You can’t do that kind of work with gloves. you need to feel what you are doing.
I asked a question here the day after banding day and it has disappeared. I was wondering if anyone was going to post some of the nest cam video, especially the part with Julian taking pictures of himself with the eaglets. Both of my feeds went down right about the time they were lowering the third eaglet. I have seen the slideshow with the pictures and I have watched all of the videos of the banding, but it would be nice to see some of the nest cam video as well. I know other interesting videos from the nest cam get posted and was just wondering if these were going to be posted? A huge thank you to you and everyone involved with this nest for all that you do!
Response – Several videos are posted at WVEC and NBG, but none yet from the webcam.
I missed the banding and so happy to see it in your links.
I can’t believe how big they have gotten this quickly. That photo of their feet next to the mans hand.
Unbelievable!
Thank you so much!!!
The pictures from the banding are great. Seeing the eaglet’s head held by a human hand, and the feet so close to a hand – really puts into perspective just how majestic, and *big* an eagle really is. I’m in awe – really. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to observe, and enjoy these eaglets.
This was my third time watching the banding,it is wonderful to be able to see it,and some superb pics,thanks to everyone sex
who makes this possible for us to see.