FAQs about Elsie & Einstein, the nest, the cameras
Feb 24, 2013 21:44:36 GMT -6
thumper59 likes this
Post by neko008 on Feb 24, 2013 21:44:36 GMT -6
We will try here to answer some of the frequently-asked questions about Elsie & Einstein, their history, and the area in which they nest. If your question is not answered, please ask it below.
What's Happening with the Eggs?
Elsie laid the first egg on Feb. 9 at 7:59pm and the 2nd egg February 12 at 6:55pm
The 1st hatchling pipped on 3/18 at 6:44 a.m. CDT and hatched on 3/19 at 7:47am. S/he had her first feeding at 4:30pm on March 19. You can see the first feeding of Ozark at
How to Tell Elsie & Einstein Apart
Go to www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494483373921829.100493.161046800598823&type=3 or tinyurl.com/ame3jnx for some photos and information about how to distinguish Elsie and Einstein. That is the best source for how to tell them apart.
Here are some of the observations we captured there.
Eyes:
Eyes: Stein has a pronounced dark/black outline around his pupil. Elsie not so much.
Beak:
Einstein’s beak is a dark orange-yellow, and it is smooth. Elsie's beak isn't as bright/dark.
In the right light, you will be able to see that Elsie has "dimples" under her nares on both sides. Stein's beak is completely smooth. Some people think that suggests Elsie may be older; i.e., her beak has had more "wear and tear."
See this photo of Stein’s beak and eye: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494483393921827&set=a.494483373921829.100493.161046800598823&type=3&theater or tinyurl.com/ae2ajqa
Mandible: Einstein’s mandible reaches just nearly the center of his iris. Elsie’s mandible reaches nearly to the back of her eye.
Posture on egg-bowl:
Elsie often lies in the position we call the "Cadillac tailfins" pose, with her wingtips jutting upward. Einstein is generally more "tucked in." Of course, that's no hard-&-fast rule, but a help.
Einstein seems to fit into the egg-bowl a bit more, whereas Elsie sits more on it.
Behavior: Einstein tends to “fiddle” with the nest materials more while he’s incubating the eggs. Elsie is more placid on the egg-bowl, seeming to go into a “Zen-state.” Of course, that’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Stein has periods of great peace, and Elsie does mess with the nest materials.
Size: In general, female bald eagles are about 35% larger than males. So when we see them together, the larger one is Elsie. By the way, this phenomenon -- of females larger than males -- is known as "sexual dimorphism."
FAQs About Elsie & Einstein:
Q: Where are these eagles located?
A: They are in the back yard of a couple in the area of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, along the Lake of the Ozarks. Here is a view of the eagles' nest looking toward the Lake: tinyurl.com/cp3nkqe or tinyurl.com/cqlb2lu
Q: How long have these eagles been here?
A: They first nested near here in the 2009-2010 season, between Thumper’s house and his shop. In the 2010-2011 season, they built a nest in the tree in his backyard. By the end of the 2011-2012 season, the nest tree was dead, and Thumper installed a nest-box in the tree where he had installed the camera. Thumper created a great history of the eagles at this location. It’s available on our forum at thumper59.proboards.com/thread/519/elsie-einsteins-history or tinyurl.com/at3lwfd. Be sure to check all the links; there are great photos of all the action.
Q: How many eaglets have this pair raised?
A: There were 2 eggs in 2010, and 1 fledged. Two eggs in 2011, and 1 fledged. Three eggs in 2012, and all three fledged.
Q: How long can the eggs survive without one of the parents sitting over them?
A: Quite a while. The adult eagles’ body temperature is about 106F. Most websites say the eggs need to stay around 100F to develop properly. The eagles can leave the eggs, and the eagles seem to know how long they can stay away. We have seen them leave for up to 40 minutes on a mild-temperature day.
Q: What predators might harm the eggs if Elsie and Einstein are away from the nest?
A: There are some potential predators. However, be aware that when one eagle is in the nest, the other is usually nearby, because they guard the nest fiercely. If the nest were undefended, predators would include hawks, raccoons, and owls.
Q: When were the eggs laid in 2013?
A: The 1st egg was laid Feb 9th, about 7:59pm.; there’s a video at youtu.be/IIT44ngfcQM. The 2nd egg came Feb 12th about 6:55 pm; video at youtu.be/BIMRSD2wgz4.
Q: How long is it before the eggs hatch?
A: Incubation of eggs takes about 35 days, plus or minus. So we're looking toward around March 15 for 1st hatch.
Q: Are the eagles banded?
A: No. Neither the parents nor any of the eaglets are banded. This nest is on private property, and the cams and website are provided by the homeowners “Thumper” and “Sue.” They do all this on their own nickel, just to share with us.
Q: Who runs this site?
A: “Thumper” and “Sue” operate the site. They maintain the cameras and technology, and pay all the bills so that we can watch Elsie and Einstein. They get no support from any organization or foundation. If you want to chip-in to contribute to some of the cost, click on the PayPal button on the site.
FAQs about the website and cameras (http://www.lotoeagles.com/)
Q: I log into www.lotoeagles.com/, but there’s no live action. What do I have to do?
A: The feeds come through WildEarth, and they set the protocol. First, click the large orange arrow in the middle of the feed-window. Then you will see two small parallel orange vertical bars at the lower-left of the feed-window. Click them (maybe twice) until you see a small triangular arrow. Click it to “play.” The timer beside the arrows will begin to count if you have connected.
Q: Is this a live feed?
A: Yes, this is a live feed. It operates 24/7 … unless we have a problem with our Internet provider.
Q: Why are you shining bright lights on the eagles at night? Don’t the lights disturb the eagles?!?
A: Rest assured. We are not shining bright lights on the nest. This set-up uses infrared light to illuminate the nest at night. The infrared light is invisible to the eagles and to us; none of us can see it. If you were on-site, you probably wouldn’t be able to see anything but a tiny red dot in the center of the infrared light. There are infrared lights on the nest, and both the PTZ-camera and the fixed-camera on the nest pick up the infrared lighting at night, making the nest visible to us. There is also a small motion-activated infrared light on the “deer-camera” that works at night, so we will see any critters that wander into the area.
Take a look at this post on our forum: thumper59.proboards.com/thread/523/picture-deer-setup-infared-light. The first photo shows the infrared light, which is on, illuminated by a flashlight. To our eyes and the eagles', it doesn't seem to give off any light at all. The other two photos at that post show how the infrared-sensitive cameras "see" that infrared light. I know there is a scientific explanation, but in my mind it seems like magic; "invisible" light lets us see the eagles at night.
Q: What are the three windows at www.lotoeagles.com/?
A: We have three windows.
PTZ: The one at upper left is run from a pan-tilt-zoom camera, so we call it the PTZ cam. When we have camera operators here, they can give us many different views.
Fixed-cam: The one at upper right is a fixed camera from the south side of the nest. That view never changes. We call it the fixed-cam.
Deer-Cam: The one at the lower left is mounted under Thumper’s deck. We call it the “Backyard Cam” or “Deer Cam.” It is generally focused on Thumper's backyard or up to the old nest tree. Sometimes, Thumper feeds corn to the nearby deer and we get to watch them eating.
Q: I don’t get a smooth feed from the cameras. What can I do?
A: This depends on the speed of your connection. A slow Internet connection may make the feed “jerky.” If that happens, click the square orange box at the lower left below the feed. That will stop the feed and will probably improve the speed of the other feeds. … The feed from our three cameras may also seem slow if you are watching other live-feeds at the same time, such as YouTube, other live cameras, etc.
Q: What makes the deer/backyard camera operate at night?
A: The deer-cam is motion-activated at night, and it uses infrared light. You will notice the camera is on a timer, so it shuts-off after a while, but then reactivates when there is activity in the backyard.
Q: Who operates the cameras?
A: Thumper and Sue may operate the cameras from their home. They also have a neighbor named John who runs the cameras. He never talks on chat, but he seems to read our questions. Some of us call him “SilentJohn.”
Q: The www.lotoeagles.com/ site isn’t working for me. Are there alternatives?
A: Yes. You can use thumper59.camstreams.com/ on any device that has Windows Media Player installed. If you have a Droid device, you can use www.lotoeagles.com/Mobile.html to access the site. Neither of those offers the full functionality of our www.lotoeagles.com/ site, but they will let you watch the eagles.
Q: The camera seems to have ice on it. I can’t see the eagles. What can I do?
A: It is possible that one or more of the cameras might be iced-over during winter storms, or might be obscured during rainfall. We cannot go up to the cameras while the eagles are nesting. But we have installed cameras that will give the best possible view.
The Surrounding Area
Q: Where can I watch the eagles?
A: Watch them at lotoeagles.com.
Q: What’s the weather there?
A: You can get current weather conditions at www.accuweather.com/en/us/sunrise-beach-mo/65079/weather-forecast/2107781?partner=netweather&unit=f or tinyurl.com/abhothf.
Q: Who is Stallone?
A: Stallone is the resident squirrel. Thumper has a squirrel-feeder on the deck, in which he puts corn for Stallone to eat.
Q: Sometimes I think I’m hearing a television program in the background. Could that be?
A: Yes. Thumper has a TV down on the deck outside his house, because he believes Stein enjoys it. He says Stein like TVLand and Elsie likes Lifetime Movie Channel. If you read Thumper’s history of his time with Einstein and Elsie (http://thumper59.proboards.com/thread/519/elsie-einsteins-history), you’ll learn they seem to have been drawn by the music from his shop. And Thumper swears they enjoy the TV.
Q: Sometimes the camera pans out to an island in the middle of the Lake of the Ozarks. Does it have a name?
A: Yes, it’s called Monkey Island. We don’t know how it got that name.
Q: Is the nest in a live tree?
A: Yes, the nest box was placed in a live tree. You can see the tree sending out new leaves and branches in the April 2013 photos
What's Happening with the Eggs?
Elsie laid the first egg on Feb. 9 at 7:59pm and the 2nd egg February 12 at 6:55pm
The 1st hatchling pipped on 3/18 at 6:44 a.m. CDT and hatched on 3/19 at 7:47am. S/he had her first feeding at 4:30pm on March 19. You can see the first feeding of Ozark at
How to Tell Elsie & Einstein Apart
Go to www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494483373921829.100493.161046800598823&type=3 or tinyurl.com/ame3jnx for some photos and information about how to distinguish Elsie and Einstein. That is the best source for how to tell them apart.
Here are some of the observations we captured there.
Eyes:
Eyes: Stein has a pronounced dark/black outline around his pupil. Elsie not so much.
Beak:
Einstein’s beak is a dark orange-yellow, and it is smooth. Elsie's beak isn't as bright/dark.
In the right light, you will be able to see that Elsie has "dimples" under her nares on both sides. Stein's beak is completely smooth. Some people think that suggests Elsie may be older; i.e., her beak has had more "wear and tear."
See this photo of Stein’s beak and eye: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494483393921827&set=a.494483373921829.100493.161046800598823&type=3&theater or tinyurl.com/ae2ajqa
Mandible: Einstein’s mandible reaches just nearly the center of his iris. Elsie’s mandible reaches nearly to the back of her eye.
Posture on egg-bowl:
Elsie often lies in the position we call the "Cadillac tailfins" pose, with her wingtips jutting upward. Einstein is generally more "tucked in." Of course, that's no hard-&-fast rule, but a help.
Einstein seems to fit into the egg-bowl a bit more, whereas Elsie sits more on it.
Behavior: Einstein tends to “fiddle” with the nest materials more while he’s incubating the eggs. Elsie is more placid on the egg-bowl, seeming to go into a “Zen-state.” Of course, that’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Stein has periods of great peace, and Elsie does mess with the nest materials.
Size: In general, female bald eagles are about 35% larger than males. So when we see them together, the larger one is Elsie. By the way, this phenomenon -- of females larger than males -- is known as "sexual dimorphism."
FAQs About Elsie & Einstein:
Q: Where are these eagles located?
A: They are in the back yard of a couple in the area of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, along the Lake of the Ozarks. Here is a view of the eagles' nest looking toward the Lake: tinyurl.com/cp3nkqe or tinyurl.com/cqlb2lu
Q: How long have these eagles been here?
A: They first nested near here in the 2009-2010 season, between Thumper’s house and his shop. In the 2010-2011 season, they built a nest in the tree in his backyard. By the end of the 2011-2012 season, the nest tree was dead, and Thumper installed a nest-box in the tree where he had installed the camera. Thumper created a great history of the eagles at this location. It’s available on our forum at thumper59.proboards.com/thread/519/elsie-einsteins-history or tinyurl.com/at3lwfd. Be sure to check all the links; there are great photos of all the action.
Q: How many eaglets have this pair raised?
A: There were 2 eggs in 2010, and 1 fledged. Two eggs in 2011, and 1 fledged. Three eggs in 2012, and all three fledged.
Q: How long can the eggs survive without one of the parents sitting over them?
A: Quite a while. The adult eagles’ body temperature is about 106F. Most websites say the eggs need to stay around 100F to develop properly. The eagles can leave the eggs, and the eagles seem to know how long they can stay away. We have seen them leave for up to 40 minutes on a mild-temperature day.
Q: What predators might harm the eggs if Elsie and Einstein are away from the nest?
A: There are some potential predators. However, be aware that when one eagle is in the nest, the other is usually nearby, because they guard the nest fiercely. If the nest were undefended, predators would include hawks, raccoons, and owls.
Q: When were the eggs laid in 2013?
A: The 1st egg was laid Feb 9th, about 7:59pm.; there’s a video at youtu.be/IIT44ngfcQM. The 2nd egg came Feb 12th about 6:55 pm; video at youtu.be/BIMRSD2wgz4.
Q: How long is it before the eggs hatch?
A: Incubation of eggs takes about 35 days, plus or minus. So we're looking toward around March 15 for 1st hatch.
Q: Are the eagles banded?
A: No. Neither the parents nor any of the eaglets are banded. This nest is on private property, and the cams and website are provided by the homeowners “Thumper” and “Sue.” They do all this on their own nickel, just to share with us.
Q: Who runs this site?
A: “Thumper” and “Sue” operate the site. They maintain the cameras and technology, and pay all the bills so that we can watch Elsie and Einstein. They get no support from any organization or foundation. If you want to chip-in to contribute to some of the cost, click on the PayPal button on the site.
FAQs about the website and cameras (http://www.lotoeagles.com/)
Q: I log into www.lotoeagles.com/, but there’s no live action. What do I have to do?
A: The feeds come through WildEarth, and they set the protocol. First, click the large orange arrow in the middle of the feed-window. Then you will see two small parallel orange vertical bars at the lower-left of the feed-window. Click them (maybe twice) until you see a small triangular arrow. Click it to “play.” The timer beside the arrows will begin to count if you have connected.
Q: Is this a live feed?
A: Yes, this is a live feed. It operates 24/7 … unless we have a problem with our Internet provider.
Q: Why are you shining bright lights on the eagles at night? Don’t the lights disturb the eagles?!?
A: Rest assured. We are not shining bright lights on the nest. This set-up uses infrared light to illuminate the nest at night. The infrared light is invisible to the eagles and to us; none of us can see it. If you were on-site, you probably wouldn’t be able to see anything but a tiny red dot in the center of the infrared light. There are infrared lights on the nest, and both the PTZ-camera and the fixed-camera on the nest pick up the infrared lighting at night, making the nest visible to us. There is also a small motion-activated infrared light on the “deer-camera” that works at night, so we will see any critters that wander into the area.
Take a look at this post on our forum: thumper59.proboards.com/thread/523/picture-deer-setup-infared-light. The first photo shows the infrared light, which is on, illuminated by a flashlight. To our eyes and the eagles', it doesn't seem to give off any light at all. The other two photos at that post show how the infrared-sensitive cameras "see" that infrared light. I know there is a scientific explanation, but in my mind it seems like magic; "invisible" light lets us see the eagles at night.
Q: What are the three windows at www.lotoeagles.com/?
A: We have three windows.
PTZ: The one at upper left is run from a pan-tilt-zoom camera, so we call it the PTZ cam. When we have camera operators here, they can give us many different views.
Fixed-cam: The one at upper right is a fixed camera from the south side of the nest. That view never changes. We call it the fixed-cam.
Deer-Cam: The one at the lower left is mounted under Thumper’s deck. We call it the “Backyard Cam” or “Deer Cam.” It is generally focused on Thumper's backyard or up to the old nest tree. Sometimes, Thumper feeds corn to the nearby deer and we get to watch them eating.
Q: I don’t get a smooth feed from the cameras. What can I do?
A: This depends on the speed of your connection. A slow Internet connection may make the feed “jerky.” If that happens, click the square orange box at the lower left below the feed. That will stop the feed and will probably improve the speed of the other feeds. … The feed from our three cameras may also seem slow if you are watching other live-feeds at the same time, such as YouTube, other live cameras, etc.
Q: What makes the deer/backyard camera operate at night?
A: The deer-cam is motion-activated at night, and it uses infrared light. You will notice the camera is on a timer, so it shuts-off after a while, but then reactivates when there is activity in the backyard.
Q: Who operates the cameras?
A: Thumper and Sue may operate the cameras from their home. They also have a neighbor named John who runs the cameras. He never talks on chat, but he seems to read our questions. Some of us call him “SilentJohn.”
Q: The www.lotoeagles.com/ site isn’t working for me. Are there alternatives?
A: Yes. You can use thumper59.camstreams.com/ on any device that has Windows Media Player installed. If you have a Droid device, you can use www.lotoeagles.com/Mobile.html to access the site. Neither of those offers the full functionality of our www.lotoeagles.com/ site, but they will let you watch the eagles.
Q: The camera seems to have ice on it. I can’t see the eagles. What can I do?
A: It is possible that one or more of the cameras might be iced-over during winter storms, or might be obscured during rainfall. We cannot go up to the cameras while the eagles are nesting. But we have installed cameras that will give the best possible view.
The Surrounding Area
Q: Where can I watch the eagles?
A: Watch them at lotoeagles.com.
Q: What’s the weather there?
A: You can get current weather conditions at www.accuweather.com/en/us/sunrise-beach-mo/65079/weather-forecast/2107781?partner=netweather&unit=f or tinyurl.com/abhothf.
Q: Who is Stallone?
A: Stallone is the resident squirrel. Thumper has a squirrel-feeder on the deck, in which he puts corn for Stallone to eat.
Q: Sometimes I think I’m hearing a television program in the background. Could that be?
A: Yes. Thumper has a TV down on the deck outside his house, because he believes Stein enjoys it. He says Stein like TVLand and Elsie likes Lifetime Movie Channel. If you read Thumper’s history of his time with Einstein and Elsie (http://thumper59.proboards.com/thread/519/elsie-einsteins-history), you’ll learn they seem to have been drawn by the music from his shop. And Thumper swears they enjoy the TV.
Q: Sometimes the camera pans out to an island in the middle of the Lake of the Ozarks. Does it have a name?
A: Yes, it’s called Monkey Island. We don’t know how it got that name.
Q: Is the nest in a live tree?
A: Yes, the nest box was placed in a live tree. You can see the tree sending out new leaves and branches in the April 2013 photos