Stillwater Eaglets Deliver Surprises As They Prepare For First Flight

As two chicks in a bald eagle nest near Stillwater prepare to make their first flights, they have a few surprises for the scientists who've been studying them.<br />

Wednesday, May 29th 2013, 9:38 am

By: Richard Clark

Stillwater Eaglets Deliver Surprises As They Prepare For First Flight

As two chicks in a bald eagle nest near Stillwater prepare to make their first flights, they have a few surprises for the scientists who've been studying them since they hatched in mid-March.

Anyone with an internet connection can watch the eaglets, thanks to cameras installed by the Sutton Avian Research Center on the nest, which is located at Sooner Lake.

Watch the live bald eagle nest cameras.

This spring the cameras recorded the harsh reality of watching nature. The female adult laid four eggs which all hatched. However, the two youngest chicks didn't survive.

Installing cameras on eagle nests has provided a tremendous amount of information. But the Sutton scientists also began fitting solar-powered transmitters to young eagles in 2010 so they can track them and learn what they do after they leave the nest.

The Stillwater eaglets received their transmitters in early May, 2013. When the Sutton Avian Research Center decides to attach transmitters to eaglets, it has two requirements. The nest has to be accessible to a climber, and the chicks must be just the right age.

If the chicks are too young, the backpack harness carrying the transmitter won't fit properly when the bird grows. If the chicks are too old, the presence of the climber may cause them to leave the nest.

If everything goes as planned, the eaglets are hooded and brought to the ground where their custom-fit harnesses are attached. Once fitted, they're put back in the nest and the hoods removed.

In the meantime, the scientists take time to study the nest. They found some surprises when they checked the Stillwater nest three weeks ago.

For one, there's a scissortail flycatcher nest built on the side of the eagle nest. They also found part of an armadillo shell in the nest. They say it's unlikely an eagle could catch a live armadillo, but eagles will scavenge food and as all Oklahomans know there are plenty of dead armadillos on the side of the road.

The big surprise, though, is one the scientists can't explain. There's a "cow pie" on the side of the nest.

They have no idea how it got there.