Pritchett Family Eagle Camera
During an interview, Ginnie Pritchett McSpadden recalls her family’s idea of placing a video camera in a large tree directed at an eagle’s nest. They had been observing a stream of visitors photographing the birds on Pritchett property in North Fort Myers on Bayshore Road. The Pritchetts have always lived in Southwest Florida and have deep ties to the community. Ginnie’s family believed in giving back, she says, and the new Eagle Cam was a great opportunity to fulfill that role. Family members were hoping to have 100 people watching the Eagle Cam, amazed in four years that they now have over 10,000 of us at any given minute watching the live streams. The family estimates 65 million web views in 2016. The Pritchetts hail from Alva, Florida, where they learned to love the outdoors and wildlife. The Eagle Cam has provided a way to educate the public about the life history of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), enhanced by viewer and classroom moderated chats. The Pritchetts hope by educating the public about bald eagles, that more of us will take steps to protect and conserve wildlife in our own neighborhoods. As noted by the stunning number of us watching the Eagle Cam, they are having a positive impact on wildlife awareness and conservation worldwide.
Viewers track our national symbol, attracting a world audience
Florida eagle incubation starts as early as October but generally takes place in December through January. Usually one egg is laid per day and not always in successive days. A clutch is generally completed in 3-6 days, varying from one to three eggs, with two being the average, such as the Pritchett nest. Incubation takes 32-35 days and most of the incubation is conducted by the female. Both adults brood the young. The eggs hatch 2-4 days apart and daily weight gain is substantial, with males gaining 102 grams per day, females 130 grams per day. There is a chronology for nesting plumages from the second week (natal down stage held for approximately 2 weeks) to the ninth through 10th weeks ( juvenile stage, juvenile plumage is fully developed, completely dark feathers). In the first few weeks, antagonism among nest mates is at its peak. Nestlings begin flapping their down-covered wings, and when new plumage begins to emerge they preen regularly. After 4 weeks they begin grasping with talons, pecking at prey and casting pellets. In the fifth week they stand and loudly scream. After 7 weeks their wings carry them above the nest; 8 weeks stealing and monopolizing food, and play behavior is very intense and exercise frequent. At 9 weeks they perch on branches and are called “limbers.” They fledge from the nest from 9-14 weeks, usually 10-12 weeks. The life of bald eagles can be very harsh and challenging. The Eagle Cam does not provide for intervention, allowing nature to take its course. The eagle pair Ozzie and Harriet and their nesting history, for instance, was uneventful until March 17, 2015, when Ozzie was found injured and was taken to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, or CROW, on Sanibel. He had a fractured clavicle and other injuries. He was treated by Dr. Heather Barron. Ozzie was released that June 17, re-admitted months later for injuries in a territorial fight with bald eagle M15, Harriet’s new mate. Ozzie would succumb to his injuries. Last February, eaglet E8 was rescued from the nest with fishing line around a leg. And in May the eagle nest partially fell and the eaglet pair had to perch on limbs near the nest. A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) attacked them. Eaglet E8 was not observed after the attack, but was eventually rescued and treated for a broken femur. It was released in good condition in August. A marketing specialist with a Naples firm, Ginnie is also the public relations and marketing chair on the board of directors for CROW. She mentions that volunteers have been life-savers on the Eagle Cam project. The Pritchetts all have full-time jobs and, without their amazing team of volunteers, they wouldn’t be able to provide the great nest activity archives, photos, videos and updates, she says. Thanks to the Pritchett family and their volunteers, tens of thousands of us can observe the life history of nesting bald eagles.
William R. Cox has been a professional nature photographer and ecologist for more than 35 years. Visit him online at williamrcoxphotography.com.