My feathered visual addiction

By Jeff Orvis

I don't know if this is the best place for this, but I have a confession to make. I have a new visual addiction. And before you jump to any conclusions, I am not talking about the basketball tournaments, preseason baseball or even golf tournaments telecast from sunny, warm sites.

My latest addiction can be found by Googling “Alcoa eagle cam.” Taking a break from the round-ballers for a few minutes this afternoon, I checked out this site and was reminded of what some of God's other creatures are up to on this sunny, cool early spring day.

Thanks to the efforts of the good folks at the Alcoa plant in Riverdale, IA, we have the opportunity to spy on “Liberty” and “Justice.” A camera is trained on the nest of this pair of mature bald eagles. A few weeks ago, their two eggs hatched and it has been fascinating watching the two youngsters begin to take shape and pester their parents for food on a nearly constant basis.

Much of the time you can't see the youngsters as their parents take turns shielding them from the wind and cold. But just a few minutes ago, the adult got up off the middle of the nest and we could see, and hear, the little ones. Within only a couple of minutes, the other parent swooped down and landed on the edge of the nest and began feeding the youngsters. The adults are apparently good providers, as there are two or three fish and what looks like parts of a rabbit and squirrel in the nest. One local radio personality termed it “surf and turf.”

After about 20 minutes of feeding, one of the adults left the nest and the other resumed his position on top of the kids. There is good audio with the camera and you can hear the wind whistling through the trees, as well as flights of geese, other creatures and even an occasional train passing by.

It's interesting that a company that prides itself on producing aluminum for the wings of commercial and military aircraft also recognizes that before Wilbur and Orville were born, there were plenty of other objects flying around. This camera is a fitting tribute to nature.

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I've become more appreciative of wildlife, thanks to things like the eagle cam and thanks to the bird feeder outside my living room window. I marvel at the special sense birds of all sizes seem to have to know when to seek more food because of incoming bad weather and when to put out the word when I fill the feeder.

Birds definitely have a tough life. But on the other hand, they have no interest in reality TV, who will win the basketball championship or if this might be the year for the Cubs. Next time those of you who must make flight connections for business or pleasure, as you are waiting in line for the security check or hoping that your flight is not delayed, you might have a new appreciation for the sparrows and cardinals and robins and eagles who don't have to file a flight plan.