Window To Wildlife

Hey everyone, we’ve got some tough news to share… the Captiva Eagle & Osprey Cam property is being sold. Because of that, we’ll be taking the cameras down this weekend since we don’t know what the new owners will want. We’re not exactly sure what the future holds yet, but we’re hopeful. We’re planning to leave the infrastructure in place so that, if possible, we can come back once things settle and reinstall, hopefully with even better cameras. No guarantees, but we’re going to do everything we can. We have plans for other future cameras on Sanibel/Captiva Island. We are also exploring other potential nests around the country. We love Connie & Clive. They’ve been incredible parents and such a joy to watch over the years. Even if we’re not able to get cameras back up right away, we’ll still do our best to share updates from the ground when we can. This isn’t goodbye, just a see you later.💛

Captiva Eagle Cam Quinn Update: We do think that the third eaglet on the eagle nest, some 4000ft away, is very likely to be Quinn. (An SCCF Monitor has been watching the nest.) This third eaglet is older than the two resident eaglets. The two younger eaglets appear to not have fledged yet. It is being fed by the “foster” parents and is flying in and out of the nest. Although we cannot positively identify the fledgling, we are fairly confident it is our wayward Quinn.(Our cams are unable to see the nest) We do have photographs of the nest courtesy of SCCF, but they are not close enough to make a positive identification.

NEW MERCH❗️ To commemorate this eagle season in Captiva, we’ve got a new mug with pictures of our favorite Eagles on one side, and an awesome illustration that represents so many of us bird nerds! Art by the very talented @livzingart window-to-wildlife-shop.fourthwall.com/products/capti…

Flight conditions nominal, cleared for take-off 🛫 On Sunday, at 82 days old, Quinn decided it was time to leave the nest and fledge, to hit the open skies!

Quinn is 10 weeks old now! We’re hoping to get a fledge here in the next couple weeks. As you can see, they’re getting plenty of wing exercise in!

Angel Update!!! Angel is still in the area near our cams! We are working on internet upgrades. She had another nest last season as RTHs move nests fairly often. We did do annual maintance on the cams and nest. We hope to see her back in the nest soon! 😇 📷: Tabatha Buckner

As always, huge thank you to @CROWClinic and Joshua Tree Service! We get a special window into the nest at Captiva, and not all nests are as lucky to have CROW there to save them. We, as humans, need to get better about using less and disposing of our trash more responsibly. Our actions, even as minor as cutting away fishing line that gets stuck, can have major effects on wildlife.

Eagle cams will be temporarily turned off today at ~5PM EST while CROW and USFWS work to remove some nylon rope and chicken wire that got brought into the nest. These foreign objects haven’t caused any issues yet, but will be removed to avoid any potential future issues!

We try to avoid drawing analogs between humans and wild birds, but it is heartwarming to see Connie try and shelter Quinn from the rain! 🥰

This is a major reason why it’s vitally important to avoid human interaction with young birds as much as possible. Even in bird rehab settings, many facilities work hard to avoid a young patient imprinting on human carers as this can dramatically reduce their survival odds.

🚨FACT FRIDAY RETURNS 🚨 Despite strong instinct, young birds learn a lot from their parents and others of their species. This phenomenon is known as imprinting. This is how growing young learn to recognize others of their species, and to put it simply: how to "be a bird".

In case you missed it, CE14 now has a name: Quinn! The name is of Irish/celtic origin meaning "counsel" "wisdom" or "chief" signifying qualities of intelligence, leadership and confidence. On another note: look how quickly this eaglet is growing 😮

On Friday morning, CROW was able to remove some fishing line from the Captiva Eagle Nest with permission from USFWS! youtube.com/live/QY9q0YFJb… As always, a huge thank you to CROW! If you’d like to help support them, here’s a link to donate: crowclinic.org/support-crow

Time to name CE14! You can submit name ideas to the landowner, Lori, and she will choose a name. Names must be gender-neutral, submitted by Jan 11th, and the name will be announced on Jan 14th. To submit, email lcovert@covertmarketing.com or message loricovert on instagram!

In just two weeks, CE14 has likely increased in weight almost 10x from hatch and juvenile pin feathers are starting to show!

Pretty strange looking osprey on cam tonight 🤭

NEW BABY NEW BABY NEW BABY Welcome to the world CE14!!!

Ever seen a baby bald eagle fight like heck to get out of their egg? Well now you have! This adorable baby is eager to get out and experience the world! 🐣

We’re officially on hatch watch! The first pip has been spotted and we’re excitedly waiting on a hatch in the next few days. Tune in to watch with us!🐣