The Eagles Have Landed

The eagle's nest is located in North Fort Meyers, Florida.  An errand in the area brought me close enough to swing by and see the nest in person.

(Credit:  Jamie & April Brooks from Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Facebook Page)    The babies were referred to as E1 and E2 until recently being officially named in a poll taken on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Facebook Page.

Like the other 8,550 followers of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, I find myself checking in on the growing baby eagles several times a day.  The Eagle Cam just passed 8 million views so I'm not alone.  People from all over the globe are watching and connecting by social media as they chat, tweet, & post comments on Facebook concerning the two baby eagles that both hatched around January 1st.  Now named Hope & Honor, the baby eagles are growing about a pound in weight each week.  Webcam viewers are watching the babies learn to eat, preen, and now are starting to develop what will be the massive 8 foot wingspan of their parents Ozzie and Harriet right in front of our eyes. 

  Thanks to Dick Pritchett Real Estate, whose property the eagles nest on,  the webcam they installed last fall gives the worldwide web a bird's eye view of the escapades of the eagle family. From Honor & Hope bopping each other on the head and vying for mouthfuls at feeding time there are more than a few comments on Facebook voicing concern about the sibling rivalry. Also, about the feeding - when you tune in be prepared for any number of animals to be on the menu.  I have witnessed lots of fish, rabbits, small rodents, & one seagull head being served up for dinner. Now that the babies are moving about with their gargantuan eagle feet, the new topic of worry is how close the babies get to the edge of the nest. 

A recent trip to the area brought me close enough to swing by and see the nest in person.  After watching the webcam for a month it was great to see the entire site and put it all into perspective.  Mom and Dad are never too far away - just out of camera range perched above the nest or on a tree close by.

(Credit:  Greg Hill from Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Facebook Page)  The camera is mounted 6 feet above the nest without screws or nails to avoid damaging the tree in any way.  The camera's night vision emits no light or noise to avoid intrusion into the eagle's habitat.

(Credit:  Diane Howard from Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Facebook Page)  One of the parents is always close by - something you can't see from the webcam although you can hear the eagles calling back and forth which adds to the viewing experience.

The eagles chose a lovely pasture.

The fence keeps the Eagles a safe distance from all the looky-loo's.

There is a pond across the road and it's a short flight to the Caloosahatchee River as well.

I'm thinking about how I could get my hubby to continue driving to Sanibel since we are so close to there as well.

(Credit:  Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Facebook Page)