Nest cam and bald eagle nest back on track at wildlife refuge

Two bald eagles are busy rebuilding a nest in the Cayuga marsh. These images are from a nest cam.

Courtesy of Dick Moss and Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

BASOM – After a brief but concerning setback, the Cayuga marsh bald eagle pair and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge nest camera project are back on track.

Two weeks after the nest camera, funded by Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (FINWR), began streaming on Oct. 19, disaster struck when high winds knocked down the cottonwood tree that the eagle nest had been perched in.

Since that time, the eagle pair has been busy building a new nest – fortunately within range of the new eagle nest camera. Click here to see the view from the nest cam.

The new nest cam project has been more than a year in the making.

In November of 2023, FINWR started planning to install a live camera at an active bald eagle nest on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Basom.

“We determined almost from the start that history and location were very important factors,” said outgoing FINWR President Garner Light of Gasport, who was instrumental in developing and implementing the project. “Based on those factors, the Cayuga marsh nest was our first choice. That location has been used for most of the last 25 years by bald eagles. It was also more accessible than the next best nest site. No other site on the refuge met both requirements.”

FINWR consulted with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from the start to ensure that its plan was abiding by environmental regulations.

FINWR also found Bill Powers of the Pittsburgh area, who runs the Pixcams website, which hosts numerous wildlife cameras around the country. Powers offered advice and technical expertise that proved invaluable, and Pixcams offered a ready home for the nest cam streaming.

The FINWR board approved the nest camera plans during the summer months, and the proper equipment was ordered.

The group’s target for installation was early to mid October, and it eventually settled on Oct. 18, which turned out to be an ideal fall day. Plan A was to climb the nest tree, uninstall a camera that had been inactive for over 20 years and install the new camera in its place. The plan had to be altered when it was determined that the tree with the nest was not safe to climb. This prompted plan B, which was to install the camera in a tree near the nest.

Treeman Tom LLC and his crew donated their time and expertise to safely install the camera and secure the cables. The new camera went live on Oct. 19. The bald eagle action was amazing right from the beginning, and the camera gave a front row seat.

“For two weeks we watched, learned and engaged in wonderful conversation on the live camera chat,” Light said.

But on Nov. 1, after several days of high winds, the old nest tree blew over.

“We were heartbroken,” Light said. “The bald eagles largely disappeared for the next two days.”

But within four days, the eagles were attempting to place branches in the tree right next to the old nest tree. Since then they have worked diligently to build a new nest. It is almost the same size now as the old nest was.

The original camera that hasn’t worked in 20-plus years was so popular that visitors to the refuge had been still asking to watch it.

“This is a dream come true for FINWR. We are looking forward to increasing awareness of this beautiful place that we call Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge,” said new FINWR President Richard Moss of Medina. “We are currently working on designing a nest cam display with a large screen TV for the visitor center.”

He added that the FINWR website also is undergoing a redesign that will prominently feature the nest cam.

“Special thanks to refuge manager Tom Roster, Bill Powers, Treeman Tom and his crew, DEC’s Region 8 wildlife biologist, FINWR’s Emma DeLeon and the rest of the FINWR board,” said Light.

Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Inc., has about 150 members and is a nonprofit corporation organized by volunteers dedicated to supporting the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (INWR) via fundraising, education, enhancement and preservation of the refuge and its wildlife.