The "Treetop Sanctuary" Story

View from the eagle cam on a snowy day.

It was an ordinary day.  Can't take my eyes off my computer screen.  The nest is swaying from side to side and much of it is covered in a layer of snow.  I have my entire 21" screen covered with an Eagle's nest located 75 feet from the ground in an Oak tree in York, Pa's Codorus State Park.  This past December the Pennsylvania Game Commission placed a web cam in the tree to allow the world to experience the perilous mission of two bald eagles while raising their family.  

You can see the two eggs in this view from the eagle cam.

Last week two eggs were laid in the nest in weather that combines temperatures well below freezing as well as heavy snow and freezing rain.  The Game Commission has set March 21st as the due date for the hatching of the first egg.  I was watching one afternoon when the eagle sitting on the nest took flight and saw the first egg.  Temperature was well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit at the time.  

Large crane used to hoist the eagle
cam into the tree bearing the nest.
Photo from Lancaster Newspapers.

Not sure if it was the male or the female that left the nest, since you really can't tell the difference.  You cold see the buildings and roads below it moving back and forth as the wind blew at over 25 MPH.  Had to be five minutes or more before the bird returned to the nest to continue sitting on the egg.  The birds have been named Liberty and Freedom by voters in an online poll and continue to add to their nest.  The nest is a architectural marvel weighing in the hundreds of pounds with a width of 5 to 6 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet deep according to the Game Commission and birdwatching experts.  The nest had been at the same spot for over six years and is comprised of large branches and enough grass to that it would make a bale.  This pair of eagles have continued to add to the nest to make it their own.  The wife of a nearby farmer said that she saw one of the birds grab a beak full of high grass and begin to fly into the air pulling the grass until it came out by the roots.  Another local farmer said he saw one of the eagles perch on a manure pile on his farm and grab a clump of steaming manure and fly back to the nest.  When it snows the grass provides warmth to the nest.  I am amazed watching the pair meticulous place the many twigs and grasses that I have seen them bring to the nest.  Last year two eagles were born in this nest, but only one survived long enough to fly away.  Five times since the nest was built in 2006 have  young eagles have been raised in this nest.  The web cam that was installed has no moving parts, makes no noise and doesn't emit any light.  

Another view from the eagle cam showing both the
male and the female in the nest with the two eggs.

Any other way probably would have spooked the pair into leaving for another nest.  The camera is a high-definition camera and is run by an electrical connection for uninterrupted live streaming, even during the night.  As I write this I can see the nest on the other side of my computer screen moving in the wind.  At present I hear no noises, but hope that can be corrected so I can hear the screeching of the eaglets when they start to ask for food.  Some of the photos I have posed here were taken of the nest from my computer screen.  The eagle population has been growing in the past few years, due primarily to the Game Commission, and has now been taken off the endangered list in Pennsylvania.  Since the eagle cam has been placed a few months ago over 1.6 million online views have taken place.  Approximately 20,000 people are viewing LancasterOnline.com every day now.  If you care to take a gander, click on this link, lancasteronline.com/eaglecam/ and enjoy it with me.  It can be addictive!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.