BOYCE, LA (AP) — What does a bird's-eye view of a bald eagle's nest look like?
Thanks to the hard work of two wildlife biologists for the Kisatchie National Forest Calcasieu Ranger District, you can find out.
The nest near Kincaid Lake belonging to a pair of bald eagles now has a webcam with streaming capabilities installed.
Steve Shively and Jonny Fryer are the veteran forest workers of nearly 20 years, who scaled more than 100 feet to install the cameras.
That did not prove to be their biggest challenge, though.
"We know how to climb trees, but when it comes to technology, we're … what's the word?" Shively asked.
"Inept," Fryer laughed as he finished the sentence.
The cameras have been running and streaming reliably for several months now, which is no small feat, the two of them said. It took several test runs, the help of local technicians and a lot of patience to get to the point they are at now.
They are hopeful the public can now access the video with relative ease, but still are looking for ways to streamline the process.
So, what can you expect to see after logging on?
The biologists say most nest activity happens in the morning or around dusk, so that is the best time to watch. The two eagles who share the nest regularly are spotted there during that time.
Fryer and Shively also are hopeful the eagles will lay eggs this year. Nesting season will start in December, and if baby eagles were to hatch, the process all could be watched from up close online.
Hatching would happen in early January or February, and the baby eagles probably would be in the nest until June.
The educational possibilities really excite Fryer. He hopes the eagle cam could be something students could watch at school in a science class.
To Fryer, who grew up when eagles were a rare and endangered species in Louisiana, that is an incredible thought.
"We didn't even know the eagles would be coming back that strong," Fryer said.
He and Shively still are amazed at the eagle nest in Kisatchie's own forest. That is not to mention the technology, too.
"I never would have thought when I was a kid" that was possible, Fryer said.
– by AP/ Reporter Miranda Klein
