Camera Down!

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you all know that this last storm before the Fourth of July has crashed our camera. We hope to be back up and running soon. I'll post when we are live.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

No nesting this year.

Hi all,
Many thanks for your posts. I thought I had set this blog to automatic update. Unfortunately, the birds are not nesting this year. It is nice to see eagles and other species dropping in for a visit. Perhaps next year birds will nest here again. It is a lovely nest site.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Become a BRI Webcam Member

Greetings all!

BRI is very excited to announce the launch of a membership program.

Please click here to become a member

Through this program and your support we hope over the nesting season to raise $65,000 to ensure that we are able to keep these systems running free for everyone.

There are seven different giving levels with the membership and they each have unique and exciting thank you gifts. All members will be automatically signed up for our electronic updates and will receive a BRI sticker--the e-updates will be free for all viewers. The membership levels are.

1. Fledgling, $25: this is for kids and students. Members at this level will receive an eagle mobile and a BRI sticker.

2. Finch, $35: with this membership level you will receive a BRI sticker.

3. Kestrel, $60: you will receive a BRI pin.

4. Osprey, $100: you will receive a 1G memory stick for your computer loaded with high resolution video footage from our webcams and a beautiful eagle screen saver for your computer. Once you have loaded the videos and screen saver onto your computer you can use the memory stick to transfer files and back-up files on your computer.

5. Loon, $250: you will receive a signed copy of Dr. David Evers (BRI's Executive Director) and and Ms Taylor's (former board member) book on loons.

6. Peregrine, $500: you will become one of BRI's top supporters with a Peregrine membership. You will receive a signed copy of Dr. Evers and Ms. Taylor's book "Call of the Loon", our webcam e-update, and BRI sticker.

and

7. Eagle, $1,000: Your exceptionally generous support allows BRI to conduct its cutting edge wildlife education and research. You will receive a quarterly letter from BRI's Executive Director, a signed copy of the book "Call of the Loon", webcam e-updates, and BRI sticker.

Please consider become a webcam member. Last year we were fortunate to receive several one-year foundation grants to expand our program.

We are working on setting up two more loon cams, and potentially a catbird cam. Today we were talking about potential plans to set up ten more cams in Maine as well as some in some tropical site.

Your support will ensure than we are able to continue our current work and greatly expand.

Thank you.

Wing

Fingers Crossed!

Hi All,
As you may know eagles are nesting on our eaglecam2. So far things are looking a little slow at this nest. The birds are using it more as a feeding perch than a nest. We do still have time. The latest egg laying by Eagles is May 6th--so let's keep our fingers crossed.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Lots of Activity

Hi All.

I just wanted to post here quickly.  What a lot of activity we have had at the nest!  A potential second female and a visiting immature and several disputes.  All of this has not left us an egg in the nest but we all remain hopeful.  

If you are away from the cams check back in by logging into our on-line cam community to review what you may have missed.  The site is located by clicking the button below our image view at www.briloon.ning.com.  Have a great day!

All the best,

Patrick Keenan

BioDiversity Research Institute

February Storm!

Hi all, We are storming in Maine! I am sorry to say that some of your posts were lost from the blog while I was reviewing them. I am very sorry for this slip of the cursor. The good news is that the eagles have been active at the nest and have shown many signs of pair bonding and nesting. Today the cam is snowed in but as someone pointed out temps are expected to increase and will hopefully clear up our view.

As for a question about light pollution. We use an infrared light and infrared setting on our camera to illuminate our nest at night. IR light is not detectable by birds and does not contribute to the light pollution that you were inquiring about. I hope that clarifies your concern.

Also, I would like to point you to our on-line community site at www.briloon.ning.com, sign in and catch up on all the happenings at the nest.

Have a great day and thanks for enjoying the cam!

Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Breeding efforts on the way!

Thanks for visiting and for all your comments and questions. We are currently continuing to adjust the image of this camera and nest. We anticipate that there will be some required shut downs in the next few days. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and look forward to getting this system functioning optimally in the early part of next week. Thanks for your patience and cross your fingers that this pair breeds this year.

Press Release

Two New Webcams Capture Maine’s Birdlife
Additional online videos, blogs, and social networking help viewers interact and learn

GORHAM, Maine, February 4, 2009—BioDiversity Research Institute today announced the expansion of its innovative wildlife education program with the release of two new webcams that will capture live video of nesting Peregrine Falcons and Bald Eagles. Simultaneously, the institute has also launched online video blogs, feature videos, and a social networking site dedicated to discussing the webcams and wildlife science.

See this interactive online world at www.briloon.org/watching-wildlife.

The new webcams will be added to BioDiversity’s already popular eagle, loon, osprey, and finch cams. Through cutting-edge technology, the new cams—both with two perspectives—will bring to people’s computers live, 24-hour-a-day video and audio of one of Maine’s 23 nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons and a Bald Eagle’s nest with a long history of use.

“Over the past few weeks we have seen signs that the birds will nest at both the old and new eagle cam sites,” says Education and Outreach Coordinator Patrick Keenan. “And the Peregrine Falcons are already checking their nest site. We’re excited to bring the intimate moments of these birds into homes and classrooms around the world. It’s a great way to learn about wildlife.”

BioDiversity Research Institute has had great success in previous years with its existing cams, drawing national media coverage, hundreds of dedicated bloggers from around the world, and students watching from classrooms across the country. Today BioDiversity connects all these dedicated viewers by launching its online community site (www.briloon.ning.com) to allow webcam watchers to discuss their observations, ask questions, and learn from wildlife experts. Biologists from the Institute will provide community members with video blogs on wildlife topics ranging from nest building to contaminants as well as feature videos taking people into the world of field biology.

The webcams are provided free of charge for viewers around the world with collaborative support from Next Era Energy Resources, Kids in the Nest, Bank of America, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The mission of BioDiversity Research Institute is to conduct collaborative ecological research, assess ecosystem health, promote environmental awareness, and advance science-based conservation policies.


All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
Biodiversity Research Institute