Norfolk Eagles are back

[Kris G.]

Preparing for 2010 Eagle Season at NBG

Both eagles and humans are busy preparing for the upcoming 2010 bald eagle nesting season at Norfolk Botanical Garden. On Friday Dec 11 both the adult eagles were in the nest (photo - male on left, female on right -notice how much larger she is) bringing new sticks and pine straw. We humans were busy cleaning and connecting the camera and replacing the infrared (IR) light provided by Virginia DGIF so that we can all view nest activity at night. Nate Jones from Nuckols Tree Care and Joe Foreman from NBG went up in a lift to the camera 80 feet above ground. Stephen Living, DGIF biologists, and I remained on the ground checking the computer hookups and confirming that the camera was working and sending out a picture. Last night I confirmed that the IR light was working. You can view some of the photos I took yesterday and this morning on the eagle forum sites http://Norfolkeagles.com and http://www.hostingphpbb.com/forum/index.php?mforum=tdbc. At WVEC, Pete McElween is creating a new web page for the eagle cam, which is scheduled to begin broadcasting with an improved picture shortly after the holiday season.

We all hope you are getting as excited about our next bald eagle season as we are. Azalea has shown us around many parts of eastern Virginia and seems to be getting closer to her home at NBG. At The Center for Conservation Biology we are planning to fit another NBG eagle with a satellite transmitter in 2010. Where will she or he wander??

Reese Lukei, Jr - CCB

[Donna]

Great News Kris!!!    Thanks so much.

[valhalla]

  The Norfolk Eagle for 2008 (nicknamed Buddy_ - not releasable is a member of the Wildlife Center of Virginia's Caring for Critters program.  I am sponsoring him and 3 other critters this year (2 little kids we know get the sponsorship papers for Christmas gifts).  Anyway, if you would like more information, go to http://www.wildlifecenter.org   

[Donna]

Azalea left Virginia’s Northern Neck last week and headed to Virginia Beach. Her flight path passes over the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Did anyone see her in the gardens last Thursday? If she did stop at the nest, it was a short stopover before continuing south to the North Landing River. The river is channelized in the northern section connecting to the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake via the Intracoastal Waterway. I’ve never been on this section of the river, but from the map it appears undeveloped with lots of marshy habitat (see a photo of the river here).