Kisatchie National Forest wildlife biologists are preparing to install a webcam above a bald eagle’s nest on Kincaid Lake in Boyce, La. It’s a bit complicated, according to Steve Shively, a wildlife biologist on the Calcasieu Ranger district. It will involve climbing a tree and installing the camera 100 feet above the ground. But he said it’s totally worth it and webcams trained on raptor nests are common around the country.
“It will allow us to keep tabs on the eagles, see how many young they’re producing, and if the young are surviving," Shively said. "We think it would just be a great thing for the public.”
Canadian biologist and author David Hancock is recognized for his work using streaming video to watch wildlife. The Kisatchie National Forest will host Hancock this weekend for a bald eagle presentation. Shively said the day will include a trail hike to view the eagles and their nest.
"It’s really quite a treat to see them fly and sometimes catch fish," Shively said. "We’ve found just from looking under the nest that they eat a lot of fish and also quite a few turtles, which I thought was pretty strange.”
The bald eagle presentation is March 3 at 2 p.m. at Tunk’s Cypress Inn in Boyce. The hike starts at Kincaid Recreation Area at 3 p.m. Shively said the webcam will go live in June, after the young have left the nest.