Maine Bald Eagles

[beans]

Viewers always want a happy ending.  But this is not the way in the wildlife world. 

[NancyM]

Given the rarity of documented siblicide in cammed eagle nests, it is astonishing that it seems to be a pattern here.  I am wildly guessing that it must be a genetic trait that is being passed along.

You might be interested in this Opinion Piece that ran in the NYT on June 20- it concerns viewers of cammed eagle nests who insist on rescues, one in particular. The comments are interesting, too.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/20/streaming-eagles/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=todayspaper&_r=2&

[gzebear]

Thanks Nancy. Typical NYT opinion and projection, and I didn't get very far into the comments. But none of the reasons she listed cover my purpose in watching a webcam. I think I may have learned more than she will ever know about Bald Eagles, some of which there are no words to describe. Having 'met' through chatrooms and Facebook a number of "Somebody Do Something" watchers, I think I understand the basis for their concern, their need to 'do something' themselves. It's not the Disney channel. There's no background music telling you how to feel. It's raw and heart-wrenching and beautiful and real, and then there is a 'child' who is suffering; we watch and learn and develop more compassion for other beings, and then we want to 'help' them. I think it's the risk you take when you set up a webcam, that your phone may start ringing.

I too have been wondering what is going on with this Maine pair. Could they have lead poisoning? Not enough to totally debilitate them, but perhaps enough to cause some brain damage or impaired coordination. It seems clear at least that the siblicide is related to parental neglect and lack of food.

[NancyM]

I think it's the risk you take when you set up a webcam, that your phone may start ringing.

I think that am I not alone in believing that when people put a webcam on a nest, they need to take responsibility for assisting those whom they are watching, if assistance is needed. They should not have to be shamed into showing compassion for a creature in need.

[boodle317]

I think that am I not alone in believing that when people put a webcam on a nest, they need to take responsibility for assisting those whom they are watching, if assistance is needed. They should not have to be shamed into showing compassion for a creature in need.

I could not agree more with this!

[gzebear]

I agree! And I am disappointed that BRI has not been more responsible in answering to people's concerns. But I also feel that this eaglet is not currently in need of rescue. I peeked in on the cam this morning, and the eaglet has been eating something for quite awhile. I didn't see what was brought or maybe she is working off the body still on the nest. At least she has food. There's a good chance she will be fine. There were a lot of people who seem to have spent an entire day trying to save a bird that quite possibly doesn't need saving.

BRI was similarly inattentive with their falcon cam, which suddenly went off with, I believe, eggs on the nest. The chatters begged to know what was going on and there was no response from BRI. The fact is, the male was injured and taken to Avian Haven. With BRI's permission, we posted his rescue and recovery info on our Facebook page. After a few days, I finally worked my way into their forum and posted the link. I don't understand why BRI didn't just share this information with viewers.

I see that BRI finally posted an 'announcement' yesterday: http://www.briloon.org/eaglecam1 Don't get me started on the "this unfortunate event occurs regularly in eagle nests ..." part!

[gzebear]

I just looked in again ... the eaglet has received several food drops of fish already today - yay!

The regular chatters, in addition to their grief, have had to deal with a barrage of questions and rumors - there's no food, the parents are gone, the eaglet is starving, the nest should be removed, the cam is coming down, etc. Hard day for them yesterday, so it's nice to see a sunny day with lots of fish.

[NancyM]

thanks for the update, gze.  I was not thinking that the remaining eaglet needed help, although I suppose if the viewers thought the parents were not bringing food, they would indeed worry.

BRI wrote:

From an evolutionarily perspective, additional eggs or chicks in a nest offer an "insurance policy" of sorts in the event that an egg does not hatch or that a particular year may offer abundant food to support more than one, and up to three, chicks. By any measure, a single eagle surviving to the fledgling stage is a great success for eagles.

I guess they are influenced by (1) old information and (2) what they see on their own cammed nest, rather than take a look at the information from those nests we all have observed over the last few years and as you so nicely summarized. 

This statement applies to species of Aquila (e.g., Lesser Spotted Eagle) and it can be gruesome to watch obligate siblicide happen in years when the nesting pair does hatch two eggs. Most cam watchers that I know leave until that episode is over.   It is shocking to see this happen on a Haliaeetus nest.