West End Bald Eagle Cam

Located on the West end of Catalina Island in Southern California

This nest was established in 1991 and it was a bit unusual as the resident pair was actually a trio of three adults; two females Wray, Dianna and a male Shenandoah. In 1986 Wray and Dianna K-69 were both brought to the Island as chicks from British Columbia, Canada and were released together from the Sweetwater Hacktower on Catalina Island. According to Dr. Sharpe, Wray and the original male were a pair for a year before Dianna joined them, so Dianna was the junior member of the trio. Incredibly this amazing trio raised many chicks over the course of their 18 years together. Shenandoah K-77 disappeared before the 2006 nesting season; he was 25 years of age. Superman K01 became the new resident male in 2006, and Wray and Dianna laid five eggs in 2007, three of which hatched (eggs were then being removed for incubation and the chicks returned after hatching because contamination made the shells too thin to survive natural incubation).

2008 was an interesting year. Dianna disappeared before the nesting season and Wray laid two eggs which were removed for incubation and replaced with artificial eggs so the eagles would continue incubation until the chicks were returned – and Wray surprised everyone by laying a third egg which actually hatched naturally the day before biologists arrived to return the one chick that had hatched from the incubator! Miracle (named because she needed help getting out of her shell) and Surprise (naturally hatched) both fledged successfully. Wray and Superman produced 13 eggs from 2009 through 2013 – and fledged 13 chicks. 27-year-old Wray was seen limping in the fall of 2013, and did not return for the 2014 nesting season. K87/Lightning (hatched in 2009 at the Two Harbors nest) spent some time at the West End – but was herself chased off by another young female – her older sister K91/Thunder (also hatched in 2009). Superman and Lightning never seemed comfortable – Thunder seemed a better match, and they have become a great pair. And as an aside, her mother was hatched from a West End egg, so there’s a good chance Thunder is a granddaughter of Wray and her first mate. There were no eggs in 2014, and sadly the pair lost their only chick in 2015 – but happily their luck changed and they fledged 2 chicks in both 2016 and 2017.

They laid two eggs again in 2018, but only the second one hatched, on March 20 – and that youngster is looking great!