Empty Nest...So Sad
For the past couple of months most everyone who works in the office at Ocracoke Island Realty, along with thousands of others across the country and around the world, has been watching the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam. I think our office started watching around the time the first of three eggs hatched.
We have enjoyed watching the eaglets grow from hatchlings to self feeding. We have learned many interesting facts about the parent eagles and eagles in general. We have watched the parents feed and protect the babies. We have watched the babies establish pecking order. We have watched them grow through awkward phases such as the development of those clown-like yellow feet. We have watched the progression of feather growth...from down to adult-like feathers.
We have watched this eagle family closely for the last couple of months and somehow feel a great kinship with them. The fourth grade class at Ocracoke School raised money to help support the eagle cam and many classrooms around the country have monitored the eaglets progress since they hatched. The camera link has been shared through e-mails, blogs, Facebook and Twitter and who knows how else. A good portion of Ocracoke has been watching.
Sadly, the mother eagle was killed yesterday in a collision with an airplane. Many tears were shed and comments and condolences poured into the moderated chat and the Facebook page. It is such an emotional thing for so many. It is akin to losing a close friend or family member.
The NGB had to make a fast decision as to the eaglets immediate and future well-being. They could leave the eaglets in the nest and hope that the father could continue raising them on his own. The problem with this solution was the concern that the father would not have been able to provide enough down the road to sustain all 3 eaglets and help them achieve adulthood.
There was the option of trying to foster the eaglets out into other eagle nests. The problem with that solution is that...if they could find three other eagle nests to house the youngsters...the foster parents could reject the new eaglets. Also...the eaglet siblings would have been separated. They are now at an age where they recognize that they are eagles and they know that they are siblings.
The third solution was to remove the eaglets from the nest and transport them to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, Virginia, to be raised in an eagle habitat until they are ready to be released back into the wild. Of course, this is the solution that was chosen and I have to agree that it is probably the best solution.
The eaglets will be housed in an artificial nest in WVC's 200 foot eagle flight cage. Physical barriers will be in place to keep them separated from other eagles but they will be able to see them, watch them and learn from them. Once the eaglets fledge (learn to fly) the barriers will be removed and the eaglets will be able to fly around and build their wing strength. If all goes well the hope is that the eaglets will be ready for release this summer.
One thing that is easy to forget when you are watching wildlife, such as this eagle family, is that they are, in fact, wild life. As we watched their daily life via webcam they are not even aware that we exist. Even as we laugh and cry and learn so much from them...they really have no idea that they have touched us all in so many ways and taught us so much. They have triggered much emotion from us humans but did we trigger any in them? How could we? Wildlife runs on instinct, not emotion. We greatly mourn the death of the eaglets' mother and the father's mate...but do the eaglets and the father mourn as well? Or does it just disturb their daily routine? Will we ever know? Most likely not. The eaglets will adapt to their new home and eventually, hopefully, be released into the wild to make their own way. Who knows how, or if, they will even remember their parents? The father will probably wonder where his family has disappeared to but will he search for them? Not likely. After a while he will hopefully find another mate and keep on living an eagle's life. So many questions...all I know is that I, along with many, will miss checking on those baby eaglets throughout the day to see what they are doing. I will miss watching the parents work together to do what needs to be done to keep their babies safe and healthy. Wild animals or not, they were a wonderful to watch and learn from. We will miss them but we wish them well!
With tears in our eyes we watched as the eaglets were removed from the nest this morning and even though we know that it is in their best interest we will miss them every day...for a while. Although it is sad to look now at that empty nest we will always remember this experience.
Thank you to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, the Wildlife Center of Virginia, WVEC TV 13, all of the moderators and fellow eagle watchers for sharing with us.
If you would like more information about the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, the Wildlife Center of Virginia or the eagle cam...please visit the following:
www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
www.wvec.com/eaglecam
www.wildlifecenter.org
You may also make donations to help support the continued care for the eaglets to the Wildlife Center...just specify that it is for the NBG eaglets.
We have enjoyed watching the eaglets grow from hatchlings to self feeding. We have learned many interesting facts about the parent eagles and eagles in general. We have watched the parents feed and protect the babies. We have watched the babies establish pecking order. We have watched them grow through awkward phases such as the development of those clown-like yellow feet. We have watched the progression of feather growth...from down to adult-like feathers.
We have watched this eagle family closely for the last couple of months and somehow feel a great kinship with them. The fourth grade class at Ocracoke School raised money to help support the eagle cam and many classrooms around the country have monitored the eaglets progress since they hatched. The camera link has been shared through e-mails, blogs, Facebook and Twitter and who knows how else. A good portion of Ocracoke has been watching.
Sadly, the mother eagle was killed yesterday in a collision with an airplane. Many tears were shed and comments and condolences poured into the moderated chat and the Facebook page. It is such an emotional thing for so many. It is akin to losing a close friend or family member.
The NGB had to make a fast decision as to the eaglets immediate and future well-being. They could leave the eaglets in the nest and hope that the father could continue raising them on his own. The problem with this solution was the concern that the father would not have been able to provide enough down the road to sustain all 3 eaglets and help them achieve adulthood.
There was the option of trying to foster the eaglets out into other eagle nests. The problem with that solution is that...if they could find three other eagle nests to house the youngsters...the foster parents could reject the new eaglets. Also...the eaglet siblings would have been separated. They are now at an age where they recognize that they are eagles and they know that they are siblings.
The third solution was to remove the eaglets from the nest and transport them to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, Virginia, to be raised in an eagle habitat until they are ready to be released back into the wild. Of course, this is the solution that was chosen and I have to agree that it is probably the best solution.
The eaglets will be housed in an artificial nest in WVC's 200 foot eagle flight cage. Physical barriers will be in place to keep them separated from other eagles but they will be able to see them, watch them and learn from them. Once the eaglets fledge (learn to fly) the barriers will be removed and the eaglets will be able to fly around and build their wing strength. If all goes well the hope is that the eaglets will be ready for release this summer.
One thing that is easy to forget when you are watching wildlife, such as this eagle family, is that they are, in fact, wild life. As we watched their daily life via webcam they are not even aware that we exist. Even as we laugh and cry and learn so much from them...they really have no idea that they have touched us all in so many ways and taught us so much. They have triggered much emotion from us humans but did we trigger any in them? How could we? Wildlife runs on instinct, not emotion. We greatly mourn the death of the eaglets' mother and the father's mate...but do the eaglets and the father mourn as well? Or does it just disturb their daily routine? Will we ever know? Most likely not. The eaglets will adapt to their new home and eventually, hopefully, be released into the wild to make their own way. Who knows how, or if, they will even remember their parents? The father will probably wonder where his family has disappeared to but will he search for them? Not likely. After a while he will hopefully find another mate and keep on living an eagle's life. So many questions...all I know is that I, along with many, will miss checking on those baby eaglets throughout the day to see what they are doing. I will miss watching the parents work together to do what needs to be done to keep their babies safe and healthy. Wild animals or not, they were a wonderful to watch and learn from. We will miss them but we wish them well!
With tears in our eyes we watched as the eaglets were removed from the nest this morning and even though we know that it is in their best interest we will miss them every day...for a while. Although it is sad to look now at that empty nest we will always remember this experience.
Thank you to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, the Wildlife Center of Virginia, WVEC TV 13, all of the moderators and fellow eagle watchers for sharing with us.
If you would like more information about the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, the Wildlife Center of Virginia or the eagle cam...please visit the following:
www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
www.wvec.com/eaglecam
www.wildlifecenter.org
You may also make donations to help support the continued care for the eaglets to the Wildlife Center...just specify that it is for the NBG eaglets.
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