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A clip of the bald eagle named K-26 laying an egg on February 25th. A live webcam can be watched here.
Once ousted from Southern California's existence, thanks to the harmful chemical DDT, bald eagles have been making a comeback in Channel Islands National Park since 2002. On the largest island, Santa Cruz, which is about one hours boat ride from Ventura harbor, about seven pairs of eagles have been spotted this year. The most famous pair, pedantically named K10 and K26, laid eggs last week, beginning the 35-day incubation period. Both parents will take turns incubating the couple’s eggs using their brood patches--featherless spots on their chests with above-average concentrations of blood vessels that keep the eggs warm.
Thanks to the National Park Service, Institute for Wildlife Studies and the Nature Conservancy, a webcam (complete with sound!) has been set up for scientists and the public to monitor the action, if you will, in real time.
The live feed for K10 and K26 can be seen here and more cameras may be set up as the season continues. There are an estimated 30 to 35 bald eagles living on the Northern Channel Islands.
Additionally, the Nature Conservancy, which owns the majority of Santa Cruz Island, maintains an in depth bald eagle recovery webpage.
Last Year: Live Bald Eagle Cams on Catalina Island
