Nest Cameras

    Time has been flying by! It is crazy to think that this field season will be coming to an end in less than a month. I am very, very happy with how things have been going and I am feeling very grateful for all the people who have contributed to our success. I am especially grateful to those who have helped make this week run smoothly.
    On Tuesday PPL (Electric Services Company) assisted us with the installation of our first nest camera. It was finally time to put the cameras up for real, no more trial tests, this was it. Laurie and I gathered all of our materials, jumped in the car and headed out to New Ringgold to meet the PPL crew. We arrive to the site and begin unloading the equipment. I will tell you that I am pretty sure I triple checked everything to make sure it was there and working properly! Two bucket trucks pull up, one with a 55 foot bucket and the other a 70 foot bucket (we had a feeling we were going to need the larger one since the nest was over 60 feet high in a White Pine). We discuss the game plan with Andy Rhody and the crew from Orwigsburg Service Center. Then I showed the guys going up in the bucket, Tim and Dennis, how to install the camera once up at the nest.
    Finally we are ready, it is go time. Tim and Dennis snaked the bucket deftly between two trees into the opening near the large white pine holding the nest. Laurie and I nervously pace back and forth worrying about the little ones and the parents too.  At one point we saw a parent fly over. After reaching the right height near the nest tree, they positioned the camera on a thick tree branch above the nest. The camera was mounted and they slowly dropped the camera video cable to the ground. Andy and I grabbed the cable and ran it along ground to our hidding place for the DVR.  I then worked to set up the DVR, turn on the monitor and timer and voilà! The camera was working! Three, fluffy, white adorable Broadwings sitting in the middle of the nest and the middle of our video screen! A feeling of relief and happiness came over me when I saw them on the monitor screen. We did it! 

    The next morning we find it is "go" time for the camera installation at the Shartlesville nest. We greet the gentlemen from Met-Ed (a FirstEnergy Company), Jeff, who just like the PPL crew, graciously donated their time and bucket trucks. He and his four crew members also were very enthusiastic about the project and had many questions for Laurie and I about Broadwings! The second camera was mounted successfully on the branch of the neighboring tree of the 55 foot Red Oak nest tree. They also helped us string the cable to secure location in a Game Commission building.
    
    Many thanks goes out to both PPL and Met-Ed for assisting us with this task and allowing us to collect valuable data on the nesting ecology of Broad-winged Hawks. We hope we can pass on video clips in the near future for everyone to enjoy!

The 70 foot bucket truck up at the nest

A look at the nest from inside the bucket

I think they might have been posing for the camera ;)

It looks like a tight fit in there

Myself, Laurie and the great staff from PPL- Andy, Dennis and Tim

Met-Ed bucket truck

The camera mounted on the neighboring tree

Thank you again to the Met-Ed team!!

A distant look at the nest from inside the bucket truck

One of the chicks popping up to say Hi!