Two pairs of bald eagles at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) began a new generation last month. Generally, eagles lay from one to three eggs in the middle of March, and incubate for 35-42 days. The Cayuga Pool nest, on the west side of the refuge, has been in existence for three years. One egg hatched early Monday, April 28, a second the following Wednesday, and a third is due. Laying and hatching three eggs is rare and has happened only once in 1994. A remote camera transmits live images to a receiver at the refuge headquarters offering a real-time experience of life in an eagle's nest. Installation of the camera system, "Eagle Cam" began two months ago.

The Mohawk Pool nest is in a 1,300 acre marsh north of the refuge headquarters. The refuge biologist believes that these eagles began incubating in mid-March. The exact date of the hatched eggs is not known since the nest is not visible from any public vantage point. A third nest is located on neighboring state land, the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area.

Visitors may view the "Eagle Cam" at the refuge headquarters Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend hours are in effect until the end of May.

This will be the seventeenth year that bald eagles have nested on Iroquois NWR. The original pair of eagles was among the forty-two birds released on Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area in 1981 and 1982. They built their first nest in 1986. Twenty-two eaglets have fledged from the Mohawk nest. The Cayuga Pool nest has produced only one eaglet in the last two years. Last spring both nests were destroyed by high winds just after the eagles in the Mohawk Pool nest had laid their first egg. Both pairs rebuilt, but no more eggs were laid.

The "Eagle Cam" project is made possible through a partnership between Iroquois NWR and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, funding through donations and support from the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Inc., and the Oak-A-Wanda Foundation. It allows the public the opportunity to watch the eagles without disturbing them.

Bald eagles, like most birds, are very sensitive to disturbance and have been known to abandon their nests and their own young if people come within 1/2 mile. To protect them and all other wildlife species, visitors are restricted from much of the refuge. The two nature trails, four overlooks, and the Feeder Road are open for walking and wildlife observation from sunrise to sunset. Driving is permitted on public roads only.

Spring is a critical time of year for all wildlife. Migratory birds travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to reach this point. They need food and quiet to renew their strength. Each time a bird or other animal is disturbed, it uses energy that it needs just to stay alive. The effect is cumulative and can cause nest failure or even, in severe cases, starvation. Visitors are required to stay on designated trails to give wildlife the space they need.

Iroquois NWR is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service primarily as a stopover point for thousands of migrating birds including ducks, geese, swans and songbirds. For information, contact the Refuge Manager, at 1101 Casey Road, Bason, NY 14013 or call (585) 948-5445.