450 to 510 pm
Mom remains in the nest; the partially eaten fish remains untouched since Mom brought it to the nest by Mom at at 950 am.

514 pm
Crows heard close to the nest or ravens perhaps. Wonder if Lil Paddy body and the damage egg are releasing odors yet as the odors may attract other predators to the nest. Is so quiet...and peaceful right now. Sounds from the attic are heard periodically too.

5:20 pm
Belle continuest to stand near 7 oclock just looking all around quietly.

5:20 to 550 pm
Sounds of dog barking, crows cawing and a motorcycle are heard in the distance. Belle does a wee bit of preening.

5:50pm
Belle does a leg stretch then moves over to the fish; grabs it with her talons; just holding on to it. Mom takes her fish and moves up closer to 11 oclock.
Just standing there looking all around quietly with her fish.

554 pm
Mom standing near 12 but facing us starts to cheep and echum; appears to be tracking something flying overhead near 10 Belle head, neck and body move as she appears to follow something overhead. Landing is heard in the attic above the nest again. Belle looks up is whimpering and calling out she is not happy and appears upset! Intruder is back in the attic or so we assume based on Momma Belle's response.

558 pm
Mom is now at the egg cup area and is digging and loosening the bedding that surrounds the egg cup...bless her heart.
Mom has buried or covered Lil Paddy's body up with bedding again.

6:00 to 605 pm
Mom moves back to 12 and is facing the inside of the nest. Mom calls out softly again. Windy gusts at times.
Mom continues to look up towards the attic above the nest; she calls out again and looks all around too. The intruder is still perched up in the attic as we can hear movement coming from there.

6:06pm
Belle exits the nest using the side exit near 2.

6:06pm
The intruder enters the nest; moves over to the egg cup area where Lil Paddy and the egg are buried. Can hear Belle whimpering so she must be perched up in the attic or very nearby.

6:07pm
The intruder is gently poking about in the egg cup area and it looked like he patted the area with his foot/talon.
The intruder then opens his wings and hops over to 5oclock; bends over the edge of the nest and is looking out from there.

608 to 612 pm

Belle is out of our view but ishe is up in the attic as she cries and echums while the intruder continues to perched at 5. The intruder has very visible markings that includes dark staining on the top part of his head and some white break thru feathers are visible on this back.

Additionally more dark staining is on the side of his face and on the tips of his white tail feathers too. The staining is actually his immature dark colors that are now being replaced by his mature white feathers on his head and tail feathers.

The intruder just looks all around calmly like nobody's business and even looks up at Belle in the attic a few times....seems bold as brass.

614 to 625 pm
Belle returns to the nest. Moves up to 12 oclock and starts to rip, tear and eat her nice fish. Belle is hungry and looks tired. It has been 6 days since this ordeal began. Belle eats the entire fish then moves up closer to 11 oclock where she cleans and sharpens her beak on a branch.

625 to 627 pm
Just before Belle left the nest she went over to the egg cup area and poked a bit; she seemed very careful where she placed her talons and gentle
when she was digging in the egg cup area. Another one of those moments that just tugs at your heart.

628 pm
Belle exits at 1 oclock. The fish is totally gone and the body of our Lil Paddy and her egg buddy remained covered up with nest bedding.

6:39 PM
Nest still empty.

650 to 652 pm
Belle is back in the nest again. Belle moves to the egg cup area and starts loosening the bedding that surrounds that area.

6:54pm
Then the intruder lands on nest rim inbetween 11 and 12 oclock and is fairly close Belle, which is really bold of him.
Belle immediately goes into defensive mode again and lunges at the intruder X2 and actually pushed him out and off of the nest.
Belle continues to stand up near 11 and is watching or following the intruder out of the area.

7:00pm
Mom is puttering around the nest area after digging some in the egg cup area and nest bowl..

7:03pm
Mom is sitting there looking around..wind comes in gusts.

Think we lost the forum for about 15 or 20 minutes.

725 to 733 pm
Belle remains in the nest standing near nest center. Belle continually turns and looks back at the egg cup area where Lil Paddy is buried.

736to 745 pm
Belle digs a wee bit in the egg cup area. Daylight is fading and slowly it is getting dark. Belle does a nice wing stretch. Cam switches to IR cam now.
Belle continues to stand near nest center; looks up towards the attic quietly.

745 pm
Still standing near nest center lots of thunder rolling thru the area.

8 pm
Nearly dark; Belle is quiet and actively looking around; cracks of thunder are heard periodically too.

805 pm
Geese fly overhead and Belle takes notice and looks towards the geese calls.

808 pm
Belle is leaning forward perhaps preening her frontal coat feathers still standing in the same spot near nest center facing 12 oclock.
Stretches and fans out her white tail feathers.

8:10 PM
Belle remains in the same spot; she is still moving around a little.

825 pm
Belle remains in nearly the same spot she is preening abit.

850 to 915 pm
Belle is seated and appears to be brooding in the egg cup area where Lil Paddy cake's body was buried earler today.


915 to 930 pm
Belle continues to brood on the egg cup area bless her heart.

940 pm
Belle is awake she just yawned. She seems to be brooding facing 11.
Current Weather Conditons Thunder Showers. 19 C with a SW Wind at 17 km/hr
Do not think it is raining right now but can hear thunder rolling thru area still.

1010 pm
Belle is still brooding, bless her and all of you watching.

1040 pm
Belles been in the same spot for a long time now, over and seated off the egg cup area now closer to 3. Bless her heart.


1110 to 1155 pm
Mom has been sitting on the side of the nest at 3 for some time..this is all so sad.

March 22 2011

6:39 am
Belle is in the nest standing at 11:00 oclock; Belle flies out of the nest using the side exit at 1:00 oclock.

6:40 am
Intruder flies into the nest at 11 oclock; looks around and starts arranging sticks.

6:45 am
Intruder still in the nest; standing at nest center seems to poking about and rearranging things abit.

646 to 649 am
Intruder continues to poke about lightly at nest center near.

6:52 am
The intruder has his back to us standing off center closer to 3 oclock; he nearly looks like he may be eating something (leftover fish perhaps) his back is blocking our view. Sound is not working.

6:52 to 655 am
Intruder is now facing 2:00 oclock and is looking all around the nest bowl area. Pokes in the nest abit. Moves up to the edge of the nest
near 11 oclock and exits the nest and heads off to the left.

6:58 am
Nest is empty. Intruder was digging middle towards 3 where the big clump of material is, I thought Paddy and the egg were closer to the 11 spot so maybe she found some fish fragments

7:03 am
Nest is still empty.

7:10 to 730 am
Nest is empty. The body of Lil Paddy and the egg remain covered up in the egg cup area. Heard some geese and crows cawing in the distance and occassionally the area dog is barking too.

7:31am
Saw a Fly over(shadow) croxx over the nest.

7:33 to 740 am
Intruder flies into the nest with a stick. The intruder is placing the stick. He is standing by the egg cup area and looking all around.
The intruder does a bit of restorations and is tugging on some of the crib rails or sticks on the edge of the nest.

7:40am
The Intruder exited the nest. Nest is empty again.

7:45 to 8 am
All is quiet except for the occassional dog barking and crows cawing. No sign of Belle, Liberty or the male intruder.

8:00 to 805 am
Noise in attic like one of the adults are perched up there; no calls heard and no visuals.

8:06 to 840 am
Fly over again( shadow).
Nest remains empty; quiet except for the usual sounds posted above.

8:45am
Fly over or shadow seen crosssing over the nest again.

8:56am
Heard some distant calls and thrills. Nest remains empty.

9:16 to 935 am
Can hear little birds chirping in the area; crows cawing periodically too.
Wind has picked up a bit can see the trees moving slightly.
No sign of Belle, Liberty or the male intruder.

9:37am
Saw a large shadow move across the nest from above ...Fly over the nest.
No visuals of any of our eagles.

9:39am
A small bird perches on the edge of the nest near 3 oclock.
Crow cawing in the distance

9:51am
Can hear little bird sounds close to the nest..... mockingbird??
No eagle sounds..

954 am
Nest is empty.

10:01am
Another shadow crosses over nest. Landing heard in the attic above the nest.

10:03am
More movement heard in the attic; nest tree shook abit one of our adults is perched up there.

10:10am
Some one is still perched up in the attic; no visual and no calls heard.

1019 am
Another landing is heard in the attic above the nest.
No visuals or calls heard; nest remains empty.

1020 to 1030 am
Nest remains empty. Saw another large shadow cross over the nest followed by more sounds coming from the attic.

10:42am
More movement is heard coming from the attic.

10:44am
Can hear children's voices. More movement heard coming from the attic directly above the nest.

10:46am
Wind is blowing can hear it on the mic. Crows cawing in the distance too.
Nest remains empty.

10:54 to 11005 am
Belle...or is it Lib? arrives in the nest with a flopping fish. Standing up near 12 oclock Belle starts to eat her fish.
Belle moves over closer to 3 oclock and continues to rip, tear and eat her fish. Movement is heard from the attic
above the nest but no calls or thrills heard...quiet.

1105 am
Belle has eaten the entire fish. Standing and quietly looking all around now perched near 3 oclock.

1109 am
Belle exits the nest using the exit near 3 oclock.

1115 am
Nest is empty.

1116 am
Thought I heard some calls in the area. Sounds coming from the attic above the nest. Someone is perched up there.

11:30am
Nest is empty, mourning dove calling, crows in the distance.

1116 to 1215 pm
Nest remains empty. Sound is buffering. Overcast with sunny periods at the nest and looks like it may rain tonight.
At 1142 and 11:50am a shadow crosses over the nest like a bird is flying over the nest area.

12:36 to 1250 pm
Nest is unattended. Sounds keeps buffering. Crows heard in the area. No eagle activity at all and no calls heard either.

1250 to 145 pm
No change. No eagle activity; nest is empty.

145 to 220 pm
Nest remains empty but there are sounds from the attic so presume someone is on point guard....A small bird perched up on the brim of the nest
near 12...otherwise no bird activity in our nest.

230 pm
Heard a vehicle horn in the area otherwise all is quiet and no activity in the nest.

Here's the update from FWS:
March 21
Over the weekend, we were able to confirm the presence of a third adult eagle near the nest, and we are almost certain that it is a breeding age female. Typically, the presence of a new female means she is competing with the established pair of eagles for the current nest. Nest competition is a common occurrence in areas with healthy eagle populations, meaning the total population of eagles near NCTC has likely increased in recent years.

We have also confirmed multiple sightings of the male eagle who is part of the established breeding pair. The male does not appear to be injured, and appears to be in good health. The eaglet which hatched on March 17th has died and the remaining egg is not likely to hatch given that it is not being regularly incubated by the parents.

We do have biologists on staff here at NCTC who have been offering their expert assessments of the situation. In addition, our land manager has been communicating with another raptor biologist based in our Chesapeake Bay field office. There is general agreement among our biologists that if the new female eagle is successful in chasing off the current female, the new female will then need to recruit a male to join her. However, it is likely too late in the nesting season for success in laying, incubating and hatching any new eggs.

You may wonder why there is competition over this nest - and there are several potential factors. Eagles prefer to nest in the tops of large trees located near rivers, lakes, and other wetlands. The NCTC nest is located very close to the Potomac River, which is a plentiful source of fish for nesting eagles to hunt. In addition, eagle nests represent a considerable investment of effort to construct: they can be up to 10 feet in diameter and weigh up to 2,000 lbs. And finally, as mentioned above, nest competition frequently occurs in areas with a significant eagle population.
All I can add to this is to thank you for your concern, passion and understanding that intervention in this episode was not the right thing to do. Things don't always work out the way we'd like in nature, but I think we would all agree that we have gotten a rare glimpse, these past few days, into the world of bald eagles that most people do not see or will ever know about. The fact that we have competition such as this is speaks well for the recovery of the Bald Eagle, a species that was nearly extinct fifty years ago

310 pm
Another horn heard X2. Perhaps we will have a ground crew report soon!


310 to 340 pm
Nest has been empty all afternoon. Horn just heard again.

340 to 4:20pm
No change; just saw a shadow fly over the nest. Dog barking.

430 pm
Ground crew report as per the Shepherdstown Blog; Pam apparently saw two adults flying together in the general area of the nest but not at the nest site. Additionally, a third adult eagle was also seen in close proximty too. Since the NCTC eagles are not tagged we cannot say for sure if the eagles seen today are infact Belle, Liberty and the male intruder.

4:31pm
A shadow is seen going over the nest.

Here is a copy of a press release.

National Conservation Training Center Issues Statement on Resident Eagles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 22, 2011

Shepherdstown, WV – Since 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) has connected people to nature by streaming live video of a pair of American bald eagles to viewers across the country and abroad via a camera placed near the eagles’ nest.

The NCTC eagle cam serves as an educational tool to showcase eagle biology, including mating behavior, egg laying, incubation, and in a successful year, rearing eagle chicks until they are old enough to leave the nest. Although the NCTC campus is closed to the public (with the exception of the annual open house and occasional special events), the cam records video year round can be accessed online anytime at: www.fws.gov/nctc/cam/livevideo.html.

After many years of viewing the same pair of eagles, this year we have witnessed the process of natural competition within a species. Recently a third eagle, believed to be a female of breeding age, has been sighted near the nest and appears to be asserting control over the nest and surrounding territory. This is typical eagle behavior in a robust, healthy population and likely indicates that the eagle population near NCTC has increased in recent years.

In response to this behavior, many eagle cam viewers have expressed concern. It is important to highlight to our public viewers that the eagles residing on NCTC’s land are exposed to natural environmental pressures, including the presence of other eagles. At times the camera may be difficult to watch. While NCTC provides the opportunity to view live video of wild eagles, our position is not to interfere in any way.

Craig Koppe, eagle coordinator and raptor biologist at the Service’s Chesapeake Bay field office, is working closely with NCTC to monitor the situation. Koppe said, “there are times when intervention is not the correct course of action. Breeding birds are very sensitive to human disturbance, and interfering could result in abandonment of the nest.” Koppe also acknowledged that, “as hard as it is to watch an older generation of eagles potentially be displaced by a younger generation, we need to inform the public that the aggressive behavior we’re seeing is natural. The most fit individual will emerge as having control of the nest and surrounding territory, and this individual will go on to contribute to the next generation of eagles, keeping the species and the population strong.”

NCTC is committed to providing factual, science-based updates on current nest activity. To monitor these updates, please visit: www.fws.gov/nctc/cam. Contact Sarah Gannon-Nagle (FWS), 304-876-7459 with media inquiries.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

The National Conservation Training Center is the home of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a leader in environmental sustainability. The center provides quality training tailored to support Service employees and conservation partners in the accomplishment of the agency’s mission. For more information about NCTC or our green practices, visit nctc.fws.gov.


-FWS-

-- published -- March 22, 2011
-- photo credit -- Todd Harless USFWS

450 pm
Nest remains empty. Can hear what sounds like children playing in the area.

5 pm
Nest continues to remain empty. Some bird songs heard in the area.

5:23 pm
Saw a shadow cross over the nest so a large bird just flew over the nest.

525 to 550 pm
Nest remains empty. Sound buffers in and out.

550 to 619 pm
No change. Landing just heard in the attic; no visual yet.

619 to 623 pm
Someone is perched in the attic just heard and saw movement too; no visual yet.

626 pm
Belle lands in the nest up near the 12 oclock area of the nest....I think she brought a fish in with her but not sure as the next thing I knew Belle had moved to the 3 oclock location and was eating the fish. The fish was not in the nest prior to her arrival so I assume she brought it with her.

627 pm
Mom is enjoying her fish (think it is fish) she is ripping and tearing it and eating it. Belle looks great despite what has happened in her life the last week or so. Mom pauses while she eats her fish and looks over 9 oclock while she enjoys here meal. She has a wee bit of food in her beak .

6:29pm
Bel continues to enjoy her meal. We can hear her pulling, ripping and tearing the fish apart then she eats it.

630 pm
Belle appeared to be finished eating the fish then we noted that she appeared to dig something up...then she looked up with the
meat in her beak looked towards 9 then flew off with the meal.

728 pm
The intruder is back ....standing near nest center and is looking around; pokes abit too.

The intruder pauses and looks towards 3 oclock. Looks up towards the attic too.

The intruder pauses a bit and digs a wee bit more near center nest.