CCB Richmond Eagle Nest Camera

03/18/2015

Three eagle nests in Richmond for the first time in recorded history. Unfortunately, the Richmond Cam pair on Williams Island do not have any eggs this year.

For the first time in modern history, three pairs of bald eagles are nesting in the city of Richmond.

09/25/2013

The bald eagle breeding population along the historic James River has exceeded 200 pairs for the first time in written

09/16/2013

CCB launches new and improved eagle nest locator

One of the central missions of The Center for Conservation Biology is to provide information needed by regulatory agencies and the public to enable responsible land-use decisions. Since 2009, CCB has provided bald eagle survey results within an online Google mapping application. This application provides information to regulatory agencies and permit applicants needed to assess potential impacts of construction projects to eagles and allows the public to explore eagle distribution in Virginia. Since its initial launch, the online eagle nest locator has become central to the environmental review process. During 2012 the site was visited more than 40,000 times by regulatory agencies and the public. Access to survey information is changing business and benefiting eagles.

The new Virginia Bald Eagle Nest Locator (http://www.ccbbirds.org/what-we-do/research/species-of-concern/virginia-eagles/nest-locator/) has several upgrades that were developed in response to requests received by CCB and represent our attempt to better serve the public. Upgrades include 1) updated data for the 2013 breeding season, 2) addition of 100 and 200-m buffers to assist with land planning relative to national and state management guidelines, 3) a search window for navigation to a GPS coordinate or address, and 4) print capability within the internet browser.

CCB would like to express our appreciation to the public for exploring the nest locator and reporting eagle nests that were previously unknown to us. Marie Pitts ([email protected]) is managing the nest locator and is happy to receive information on unknown nests, questions, or comments.

Photos:

Top: Adult eagle on nest PG-11-06 shades small chicks in early March along the Appomattox River. This nest produced 3 chicks in 2013. Photo by Bryan Watts.

Bottom: New features of CCB eagle nest locator.

08/29/2013

Bryan Watts to address Massachusetts Raptor Enthusiasts

On 6 September, Bryan Watts will deliver a keynote address to the annual meeting of the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch Association. The lecture will focus on the breeding ecology, recovery, and conservation challenges of the Chesapeake Bay bald eagle population. The hawk watch association is a 200-member organization dedicated to the monitoring and conservation of raptor populations. The lecture will be held in Medford Massachusetts (Northwest of Boston) and is open to the public. If you would like to attend, visit http://massbird.org/emhw/ to find meeting details.

Photo: Bryan Watts holds an adult female bald eagle trapped in the upper Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Bart Paxton.

07/30/2013

There are more bald eagles than ever nesting along the James River—and it's likely that the population is getting close to the saturation point.

07/26/2013

On the Fourth of July, hundreds of people flopped in chairs and blankets along Shields Lake in Byrd Park to await a fireworks show.

07/15/2013

A golden eagle tracked by satellite telemetry was confirmed dead after 5 years of successfully tracking her movements in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern North America. The eagle, nicknamed Virgil Caine after a folk song, was captured and tagged in Highland County, Virginia in March 2008 by res...

06/10/2013

Ground-nesting eagles fledge:

The pair of eagles that have taken up residence within the dunes of a Virginia barrier island have fledged 2 chicks. The chicks have been observed flying around the island and appear to be progressing well. On Thursday 6 June, 2013 while flying a shorebird survey, Bryan Watts took this photo showing the adult perched on an overturned myrtle shrub and one of the young in the nest feeding on an egret. The pair appears to be feeding heavily on local waterbirds and diamondback terrapins.

05/21/2013

The owners of Curles Neck Farm say they want to preserve that sprawling property on the James River, home to nesting eagles and other wildlife.

05/13/2013

Ground Eagles Update

On 9 May Bryan Watts and Barry Truitt flew a weekly shorebird survey along the Virginia barrier islands and checked on the eagle nest built in the dunes on one of the islands. The chicks were doing fine and appeared to be approximately 7 weeks old. In the overhead view turtle shells can be seen in the nest. Diamondback terrapins are common prey for eagles along the Eastern Shore. The adult male was perched within 15 feet of the nest.

Photos by Bryan Watts.

05/06/2013

Richmond eagle pair raises 1 chick

James and Virginia, stars of the Richmond eagle cam have raised 1 chick in their new nest along the James River. On Saturday (4 May, 2013) during the annual bald eagle productivity survey along the James River, Bryan Watts and Bart Paxton checked in on the resident pair and found a single chick in the nest that was approximately 8 weeks old. Both the chick and nest appeared to be in good condition.

No adults were attending the chick but James was observed along the shoreline less than 200 yards upstream. In an earlier survey flight on 10 March, 2 newly hatched chicks were observed in the nest. One of the chicks was lost during the season. With only 2 observations, the cause of the loss is not possible to determine but is most likely food related.

Over the weekend, Watts and Paxton along with pilot Captain Fuzzzo Shermer counted chicks in more than 200 nests along the James River.

Photo: Single chick in new nest of James and Virginia along the James River. Photo by Bryan Watts.

04/29/2013

Eagles make home in the dunes

Throughout nearly their entire breeding range bald eagles use large trees for nesting. In treeless portions of the range such as the southwest or rocky islands of the northwest coast bald eagles are known to nest on sheer cliffs, sea stacks, or rocky outcrops similar to those preferred by golden eagles. Outside of the treeless arctic, ground nesting pairs are extremely rare. During the 1800s 2 ground nests were reported on barrier islands off the coast of Texas, in the 1970s 3 ground nests were reported on islands in Florida Bay, occurrences have also been reported on islands in Minnesota and British Columbia.

On 26 April while flying shorebird surveys along the Virginia barrier islands Bryan Watts and Barry Truitt discovered an active bald eagle nest with 2 chicks attended by an adult. The nest was built in the dunes of a low barrier island. The chicks were approximately 35 days old and were in good condition. This appears to be the first record of a ground nest for this species along the Atlantic Coast.