Glenbrooke News

This morning when I logged in to the Turtle Bay Eagle cam I was surprised to see the  once tiny eaglets are now fledglings.   The wind was blowing and one was flapping its wings – what an impressive span already.  The best time to view them is early morning when they are feeding.

It has been fun watching them grow.   Mom and dad are rarely in the nest now and seems the eagles, named Liberty and Freedom, will be flying away soon.    If you haven’t had a chance to see them yet, be sure and click on the web cam at the left side of the page before they are gone.

Turtle Bay has provided  some more facts about this pair of eagles that we have been privileged to observe every year.

Identification:  Liberty is the female and Patriot is the male.  Liberty is larger than Patriot

and has a very distinct notch  in the front of her white cap of feathers.

Nest location:  The nest is located in a cottonwood tree on the north side of Rt 44 just east of exit 1.

Nest Materials:  As of  fall 2010 the nest is 5.5 feet wide and 5 feet deep.  It is made up of sticks and grasses.  They will continue to add materials every year.

Nesting behavior:  Most Bald eagles return from their wintering sites in February and begin nesting behaviors in March or April. Historically, Liberty and Patriot return around late October to begin their additions to the nest. They work on the nest in December and incubate eggs in February.  Eaglets can usually be seen hatching in March.

Fun Facts:

Liberty and Patriot moved in and began to nest in the fall of 2004, but were not  uccessful hatching any eaglets until the spring of 2006.

Most eagles are very sensitive to any human disturbance, but Liberty and Patriot were determined to nest at this site, even  when, in late 2007, a cone was erected over their nest to try to encourage them to choose a new nesting area.   The Rt 44 Dana to Downtown project began in the spring of 2008.  Liberty and Patriot fledged two eaglets that year.

The first camera was placed over the nest in October 2008.   This allowed citizens of Redding to watch them up close for  the first time.  They have now been viewed by over a million people all over the country.

The first egg to be seen by all on the Eaglecam was laid on February 6, 2009;  followed by one on the 10th and a third on the 13th.  All three eggs hatched and all three young fledged in 2010!

Less than 5% of all Bald eagles lay and successfully fledge three egg.

A new camera was installed in October 2009.  The new camera allowed close viewing of the 2010 egg laying and hatching, which occurred on February 15th, 18th, and 21st.  Again, all three eaglets fledged.

As of 2010, they have successfully fledged 10 eaglets (soon to be 12) Liberty and Patriot are very successful due to the abundance of food near their nest, thanks to the Sacramento River.­