Southwest Florida Eagle Cam

The 2018-2019 season is the seventh season Dick Pritchett Real Estate has provided the live look into this Southwest Florida nest. This season we will again catch all the action using cameras that film the birds 24/7 and stream live video directly to this site.

Camera #1 is positioned six feet above the nesting tree and is equipped with night vision or infrared light, which emits no actual light. Nor does it make any noise. The birds do not see or hear anything coming from the camera. Camera #2 is located approximately 100 feet from the nest and has the ability to capture images of the nest action outside the view of Camera #1. Both cameras are environmentally friendly, non-intrusive and positioned to offer the best view of the nest and birds while preserving the pristine beauty of the nest and their surroundings.

A third camera (Cam #3) is installed closer to the north of the pond, to capture activity happening around the pasture and in the pond area.  Added in 2018 was a 360 degree cam; when launched from an icon under the cam it allows the user–anybody– to operate the cam themselves!

• The original adult bald eagles pair, known as Ozzie and Harriet, had been coming to this nest since 2006. After Ozzie’s passing in the early fall of 2015, Harriet & M15 bonded in late fall of 2015. This is their fourth season as a mated pair at this location.
• While spotted most months out the year in the area, they officially reside in this nest between the months of October and May.
• The nest sits 60 feet above the ground, in a Slash Pine tree. In the Spring of 2016, the nest deteriorated and completely fell apart. This season, if they re-build, will be a brand new nest for this couple.
• The nest camera faces South East.
• The pair relocated the nest from across the street to its current location for the 2006-2007 nesting season. This nest is labeled LE026-B of the Florida State Monitoring Program.

2018-2019 Harriet and M15 laid two eggs, on November 16 and 19, 2018.

2017-2018 Harriet and M15 laid two eggs, on November 19 and 22, and both hatched, on December 26 and 27.  E10 fledged on March 14 and E11 fledged on March 16, and as of April 21, both are still being seen on the cameras, exploring the area.

2016 – 2017 Season marked the second season Harriet and her new mate M15 mated as a pair. The season started with much anticipation if the eagles would return as the nest had been completely lost after the end of the last season. Luckily, Harriet & M returned to the area and got to work in September and the nest was in great shape for the laying of their two eggs in November. (Egg #1 – November 22, 5:03PM/ Egg# 2 – November 25th, 6:13PM). Unfortunately Egg #1 was not viable and did not hatch. Egg #2/E9 hatched December 31st at 7:33AM. Being the only eaglet in the nest, E9 thrived and grew on schedule, even setting a record for the earliest fledge when accidentally fledging on March 14th at 7:22 (age 73 days). Making a triumphant return to the nest after its accidental fledge, E9 learned all the fundamentals of survival from Harriet & M and was last seen in the nest area on May 2.

2015 – 2016 Season was a season of many firsts for Harriet & her new mate M15 (short for Male 2015). After Ozzie’s passing, Harriet spent a few weeks courting possible new mates but eventually bonded (or mated) with M15, laying two eggs. (1st egg: December 19 at 4:25pm; 2nd egg: December 22 at 5:40pm). Both successfully hatched eaglets (E7 hatched January 26 at 7:23am (day 38); E8 hatched January 27 at 10:39pm (day 36)) and spending the first few weeks of life developing on schedule.

On Feb. 9, E8 had to be cut free from the nest after getting monofilament fishing line wrapped around its leg and foot cutting off circulation and causing swelling. E8 was taken to the CROW clinic for treatment and released back to the nest 3 days later. The young eaglets continued to thrive and develop into juvenile eagles, fledging the nest on April 16th (E7) and May 3th (E8).

But as the nest started to deteriorate, the eagles were attacked by an owl on May 7. E7 returned the next day, E8 did not & was feared dead. On May 13th, volunteers found E8 alive in a nearby neighborhood with a broken leg. E8 was again admitted to CROW for rehabilitation and recovery. After nearly 3 months at CROW, E8 was released back into the wild on August 18th.