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To our Eagle Camera Viewers - Please be aware of several things:
- The Johnson City eagle nest and the Bluff City eagle nest are on private property and anyone entering the property without the permission of the property owner is trespassing and subject to prosecution.
- The Bald Eagle is protected by state and federal law and it is unlawful to approach or disturb an active Bald Eagle’s nest, eagle chicks or the nesting adults. The Johnson City nest is now active with the two adults working daily to rebuild the nest and are present at the nest on a daily basis.
- Out of respect for our eagles and for the million viewers around the world who we are providing live-streaming for, please enjoy them from a great distance or from our live-stream on your computer or mobile device.
Updates
- March 22, 2023
Naming contest for Bluff City Male Eagle concludes. Viewers choose Franklin as the new eagle's name.
Voting concludes for the newest resident eagle of the Bluff City, TN nest. The new male is named Franklin by a leading vote from over 600 total viewer submissions. - February 27, 2023
Naming contest continues for Bluff City Male Eagle.
The ETSU Dept. of Biology is looking to name the newest male resident in Bluff City, TN. We need your help in picking his name! Use the form below to vote on a name for our newest eagle: click here to vote
- February 9, 2023
Naming contest begins for Bluff City Male Eagle.
The ETSU Dept. of Biology is looking to name the newest male resident in Bluff City, TN. We need your help in picking his name! Use the form below to suggest a name for our eagle: click here to suggest a name.
All suggestions are due by 11:59 pm on 2/24/2023.
- March 24, 2022
Johnson City, TN: Female Bald Eagle Receives a Name
- March 10, 2022
Final Round of the Johnson City Naming Contest Begins Here:
The ETSU Dept. of Biology is looking to name the newest female resident in Johnson City, TN. Now is the time to cast your vote in selecting our female eagle's name. Use the form below to cast your vote:
Voting will close Sunday, March 20 at 11:59 pm EST.
Click here to view full screen.
- February 28, 2022
Naming contest begins for Johnson City Female.
The ETSU Dept. of Biology is looking to name the newest female resident in Johnson City, TN. We need your help in picking her name! Use the form below to suggest a name for our lady eagle:
The form will close Monday, March 7, 2022 at 8:00 am EST.
Click here to view full screen.
- January 24, 2022
There's a new girl in town!
There are verified reports from Michelle France, supported by other eagle watchers at our Johnson City, TN area nest site, that there is a new girl in town. It appears that Boone, our male Bald Eagle, who replaced the missing male, Noshi, in 2020 as the new mate for Shima, may have a new potential mate for the 2021-2022 nesting season. It is reported that Shima was last seen at the Johnson City area nest on Friday, January 21, after starting the current nesting season at her old nest that she has occupied and raised her young in for at least the past 12 nesting seasons. There is a new adult female currently at the nest site with Boone and the pair have been observed copulating and engaging in other bonding behaviors. It appears that Shima has been replaced by this new adult eagle. This change in mates is not unnormal behavior for Bald Eagles. We have all watched the challenges and comings- and -goings of other intruders at this nest over the 6+ years we have been live-streaming from this site. Even though Bald Eagles are among the bird species that pair for life, just as with married humans, sometimes the pair bond is broken. This can be because of the death of one of the mated, bonded pair, as we saw when Noshi was replaced by Boone, or because of failing health of one of the pair members, or by a successful replacement of a pair member by an outside intruder. The latter scenario seems to be what has happened recently with the Johnson City pair of birds. This should not be any cause for alarm from our EagleCam watchers. This is a natural selection, biological life event. There is no need to form “search parties” for Shima. She may simply retired from living with Boone and is now on her own free to carry out her life elsewhere. She gave us a great armchair insight into her life, her mates, her egg-laying and the raising and fledging of her chicks for the 6 years we got to watch her on our live-streaming cameras. Relax. Don’t “search” for her. Spend your time watching and reporting on the new pair of birds at our Johnson City nest site. Embrace the moments as we watch them strengthen their bonds as a new mated pair of Bald Eagles. A new nesting season is unfolding with a young pair of birds that will hopefully occupy this nest site for many years to come. We can expect egg-laying in early February and then the real excitement begins as we monitor the incubation of the eggs, wait for the moment of first hatching, and observe the growth of the 2021-2022 chicks in this nest.
If this is, indeed, a new female who has claimed Boone as her mate for the current nesting season we will in short order organize a naming contest for her, just as we did when Boone first appeared, so that the new female will have a proper name.
Thank you for all you do to support our EagleCam Program with your observations and your generous donations that keep this volunteer educational program going.
Dr. Fred J. Alsop III
Director, ETSU/Biological Sciences EagleCam Program
- April 28, 2021
A Wildlife Post from Fred Alsop, Director, BIOL/ETSU EagleCam
With our Bald Eagles’ (and many other birds’) breeding season at hand or well underway, please be safe with rodenticides in the environment. I submit for your information a recent post I edited from Wisconsin.
“WISCONSIN— Two eagles were taken into a rehab facility in Rhinelander, WI after they were possibly exposed to toxins from Rodenticide. The eagles were admitted to Wild Instincts, at 4621 Apperson Dr., within several hours of each other. One of the eagles died before staff could start an exam, but the lab staff determined the bird’s lead levels were low enough to not be the primary problem. The eagles likely suffered from exposure to a toxin or poison; like the ones people use to control the mice in their garage or the chipmunks in their garden.
Rodenticides are not selective. They kill more than just that mouse. And the poisons themselves have changed. Many of the second-generation rodenticides are extremely fast-acting and have a narrow margin of safety. Not only is that a concern for wildlife, but for pets as well. Cholecalciferol, for instance, is one that has no specific antidote. Many poisons don't just kill a specific animal or even one species. Instead, they kill entire families of many different species.”
~ Karen Pilarski, Patch Staff Posted Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 3:44 pm CT|Updated Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 3:59 pm CT
I know that our Bald Eagles are primarily fish eaters, but they occasionally feed on carrion and bring it to their chicks. I wanted to share this with you, our friends in Eagle Nation, to remind you to be considerate and careful when introducing chemicals into the environment. I also hope to promote respectful and friendly discussion, while trusting you to be considerate of your fellow viewers and not use this as a forum for argument or finger-pointing.
- March 16, 2021
Johnson City Male Eagle Receives a Name!
Just days away from his first hatching experience, the Johnson City Male Eagle receives his name. The name was selected by fans from across the Eagle Nation as suggestions were accepted from 2/12 to 2/26 and voting began on 3/5, ending on 3/12. Let's give Boone a warm welcome to the Eagle Nation!
- March 6, 2021
Bluff City sees Second Eaglet!
BC20 hatched in the Bluff City, TN nest on a Saturday morning around 11:30 am. - March 5, 2020
Voting Opens for the Male Eagle in Johnson City, TN!
Click hereto open the survey. - March 5, 2021
First Eaglet Hatches Overnight in Bluff City, TN
BC19 hatched overnight in the Bluff City, TN nest with first sightings of the eaglet happening around 6:34 am. - February 16, 2021
Shima's Third Egg in Johnson City, TN
Egg No. 3 is laid by Shima in the Johnson City, TN nest around 5:51 pm. - February 13, 2021
Second Egg Laid in the Johnson City Nest
Egg No. 2 is laid by Shima in the Johnson City, TN nest around 12:27 pm.
- February 10, 2021
Johnson City Nest sees First Egg
The first egg is laid by Shima in the Johnson City, TN nest around 11:36 am. - January 29, 2021
Bluff City's Second Egg Laid
Egg No. 2 is laid by Frances at 4:17 pm in the Bluff City, TN nest.
- January 26, 2021
First Egg of the Season spotted in Bluff City, TN!
The first egg, laid by Frances, was spotted around sunrise at the Bluff City, TN nest. - October 16, 2020
Two new visitors are seen making their way into the Johnson City, TN nest.
This could lead to a very interesting nesting season for the Johnson City camera. (Pictured below are the two new visitors in the Johnson City nest.) - October 9, 2020
Eagles return to the nest in Bluff City, TN
Making preparations for the 2020-21 nesting season. (Pictured below are eagles Eugene (left) & Frances (right) seen bringing sticks into the Bluff City Nest. - September 11, 2020
Work continues on the Johnson City overhead camera.
Volunteers met at the Johnson City location to replace the faulty part, and restore the cameras back into operation for the 2020-21 nesting season. - August 28, 2020
Repairs at the Johnson City Camera Location
Expert tree climber Brandon Bragg, and volunteers of the project joined at the Johnson City camera location to make repairs to the cameras and their equipment in preparation for the 6th season. It was determined a part for the overhead camera would need to be replaced, and the part has been ordered. The cameras are expected to be in full operation before the start of the nesting season. - October 1, 2018
The Johnson City pair began rebuilding the nest on 9/22/2018
Normally the eagles do not return to the nest until late November, but this amazing pair has arrived early and have been working every day to fix their nest. The baffle to deter the raccoons from having access to the nest will be added when the eagles are away from the tree. Dr. Alsop and his team will travel this week to Bluff City to scout out the location for the new nest and move the cameras soon afterward. Be sure to check the Facebook link to see pictures of the restoration and watch the live cameras to see these amazing eagles. - May 23, 2018
In Memoriam: Frances Morrell
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of Frances Morrel on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Frances was the landowner for the pair of nesting Bald Eagles that we live-streamed from her Bluff City property the last two nesting seasons. When we approached her with the request to live-stream her eagles she immediately and enthusiastically agreed to be part of our team. Frances was not only the landlord for the Bluff City eagles, but also a treasured supporter who annually contributed to our eagle nest fund. When viewers were asked to name our parent eagles, they overwhelmingly agreed that they should have no other names than Frances and Eugene (Eugene was Frances’ late husband.)
Kevin Brooks and I had the opportunity to visit her within the last two weeks and found her still excited about the eagles and happy to have been able to help share them with the world. Her birds moved to a new nest site in November 2017. Once the cameras are installed at the new site, we will be able to watch Frances and Eugene once again. We are grateful for the opportunity to have known such a beautiful spirit. Frances was a fine person who loved her eagles. She will be missed. - Dr. Fred Alsop
- February 7, 2018
eggs with the Johnson City nest!
For the first time ever - there are now 3 eggs with the Johnson City nest! Dr. Alsop spoke with WJHL News Channel 11 about the eagles: - February 4, 2018
Superbowl Sunday and the second egg!
The Johnson City pair now has two eggs - looking forward to the eggs hatching in early March. - February 1, 2018
Earliest egg to date!
The Johnson City nest has the first egg of the season. We are expecting another one in the next few days. Incubation is 35 - 38 days and hatching is expected the second week of March. - January 9, 2018
Cameras are livestreaming year round now!
This year will be the first the cameras are continuous throughout the year. - November 21, 2017
luff City Camera
Raccoons were in the Bluff City nest and by the time the department was able to put up baffle to deter the raccoons it was too late. The eagles started another nest and abandoned the original site. The new homeowners have been contacted and cameras will be added in the summer 2018. The department is hopeful a red-tailed hawk or great horned owl will take over the nest.