MacConection.com

     The "NEW" iPad "SPECIAL PRICE" CLICK BELOW

EXCLUSIVE OFFER

SPECIAL 10% OFF
        [*Save 10% on Duracell Powerpacks, Battery Chargers, Power Inverters and more at DuracellDirect.com!*]

Follow Me to Stay Current

Friday, April 8, 2011

Bald Eagle Family in Iowa - LIVE Video & Story

  Who cares about a government shutdown when one can do a bit of bird watching?
 
A Mom & Her Babies
UPDATE:9/30/11  I wrote that in April 2010...The birds are STILL there and we are still facing ANOTHER government shut down. WOW!
A bald eagle flying across the sky can grab the attention of some, but a bald eagle perched on a nest in northern Iowa can draw the attention of MILLIONS!
So far, more than 25 million pairs of eyes from Iowa and across the nation have eagerly honed in on a live video stream of a mother eagle,and her three hatched babies.
Pulpit rock
The Proud Parents
The first eaglet hatched on Saturday April 2 and the second hatched the next day. The third and final egg hatched on April 6. The Happy family seem to be thieving and adapting to there surroundings and all the attention. Rumors, though, that the family has hired an agent can NOT be confirmed!
This past week, the beauty of the American icon is the main attraction on TV screens and computer backgrounds at the office and at home.
The bald eagle's nest is 80 feet high in a cottonwood tree in northeast Iowa near Decorah on a private property. 
Online viewers continue to flock to the wildly popular Duke Farms Eagle Cam after the hatching of the first of three baby bald eagles was reported Thursday morning.

Here's a close-up LIVE U-Stream Video of the pair of bald eagles and their babies that has gone VIRAL over the Internet! 


The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.
The live video feed is streamed online 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers through the cam. Infrared light is not visible to eagles, they do not see it or know it is there.

2011 Timeline
January:  Eagle activity at the nest is intermittent. The eagles began visiting the nest in December and have been making some repairs to the nest to prepare it for another nesting season.
February 28: First egg is laid (estimated hatching date: April 4).
March 4: Second egg is laid (estimated hatching date: April 7).
March 6: Third egg is laid (estimated hatching date: April 10).
First hatch 4/2/11.
Second hatch 4/3/11.
Third hatch 4/6/11.

The bald eagle live cam via Ustream is very busy since the Decorah Eagles hatched their last egg above the Iowa fishery.

Some Quick facts:

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.
How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.
How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.
Are these eagles banded?
No.
Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.
What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.
When were the eggs laid in 2010, and when did they hatch?
First egg was February 25, second on February 28, third on March 5. First hatch was April 3, second on April 6, third on April 9. All three eaglets fledged and are now on the wing but are not being tracked.
What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa. The nest can be seen from the hatchery, but visitors to the hatchery should keep their distance from the nest tree, both to respect the private property where the tree is located and to avoid disturbing the eagles.
Where can I see pictures and videos of these eagles?
RRP provides an archive of daily views of the nest over the immediate 24-hour period, taken every 2 minutes. Click on Eagle Dailies.
RRP’s Youtube site has many videos.
Who operates and maintains this cam?
The Raptor Resource Project (RRP) maintains the cams, of which there are two, and the feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities (PTZ). At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view.
Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of RRP, switches to the PTZ cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest. He will be especially attentive when hatching begins.
What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. We establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing over twenty-three falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, we provide training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reach more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and our website, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them.
Our mission is to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, to expand participation in raptor preservation, and to help foster the next generation of preservationists. Our work deepens the connection between people and the natural world, bringing benefits to both.
Does the Raptor Resource Project accept donations?
Yes! RRP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and relies on the donations of friends. There is a donation button on the RRP home page.
What’s this about a PBS documentary on this nest?
The Decorah eagle nest was featured in a PBS Nature series program, “American Eagle,” that premiered in November 2008. Filmed by cinematographers Robert Anderson and Neil Rettig in high-definition, the video is available on DVD and online.
How can I read or participate in a forum about this and other RRP cams?
Go to the RRP Forum.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Tiger Woods - Scandal is his biggest competitor


UPDATE:August 4, 2011= Akron, OhioTiger Woods returned to his first tournament after nursing an injury for three months. Woods shot 2-under 68 in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational this after also firing his longtime Caddie, Steve Williams. Will he EVER regain his once masterful, dominance self?

The 2011 Master tournament is getting underway again in Augusta, Ga. The annual right of spring marks the first golfing major of the season. All the prominent players will be there; Three time champion Phil Milkerson,  former champs, Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson and Mike Weir amongst others. But once again it's the four time champion Tiger Woods who once again will garners ALL the attention. He hasn't won the Masters since 2005 and hasn't won a golf tournament since August 2009 at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

On November 27, 2009 his life changed forever, on and off the golf course.

Jack Nicklaus
Before that day all the talk was about WHEN Tiger would break the Golden Bears, Jack Nicklaus, record of most wins at a major of  18. Tiger reached 14 at On June 16, 2008  winning U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf course in San Diego, California. Parring the 91st hole in a sudden death match against Roco Mediate. But days after that event Woods announces that he needs to have reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on his left knee. He takes the remainder of the season off after the procedure.
Tigers Damaged SUV

Eight months after undergoing knee surgery, Tiger returns to the tour in February, playing in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
In August, Tiger wins his last PGA Tour win, prevailing by four strokes over Padraig Harrington and Robert Allenby at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Elin Nordegren
What seemed an unstoppable force of golfs greatest player, all of a sudden turned into a secret life. As he left his Orlando-area home around 2:30 am on November 27, 2009 in his SUV, Cadillac Escalade, Woods hit a hedge, a fire hydrant, and, finally, a tree, just down the street from his house.Woods was treated for minor facial lacerations, and cited for careless driving. He paid a $164 traffic ticket. End of story, HARDLY. As time goes by stories of infidelity begin to surface as over a dozen women claimed in various media outlets that they had affairs with Woods. It now seams Tiger was living a secret life unbeknownst to his wife, Elin Nordegren, and to us, the general public. The image he so greatly crafted on the golf course, this fierce, focused solid professional man was all just an elision for a deeply disturbed individual truly in need of help.
Tigers home where accident happened
On December 11, 2009, Woods announced he would take an indefinite leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage after he finally admitted infidelity. His multiple infidelities were revealed by over a dozen women, through many worldwide media sources. Numerous reports had Tiger checking into sexual addition clinics as he tried to rebuild his life and rehabilitate his marriage.On April 29, 2010, the National Enquirer reported that Woods had confessed to his wife that he has had 120 affairs. He also admitted having a one-night-stand with his neighborhoods' 21-year-old daughter. This was too much for Tiger's marrage to survive, as they finally sign divorce papers in August 2010 with Elin set to receive $100 million from Tiger.
Woods returned to competition for the 2010 Masters on April 8, 2010, after a break lasting 20 weeks, he finished fourth. But the damage was done to him, both professionally and personally. AT&T, General Motors,  Tag Hauer, Gillette, Accenture, Gatorade all ran away from him cancelling or not renewing sponsorship deals with Tiger. His actions on the course, now more scrutinized, drew the scolding of Golf great Tom Watson who ordered Tiger Woods to ‘clean up his act’ and show more respect for the sport.
Pulpit rockWatson was equally forthright on the subject of Woods’ on-course behavior in the months leading up to his self-imposed exile from the game.‘There was language and club throwing on the golf course,’ said Watson. ‘I feel that he has not carried the same stature in the game as other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.
Yet still he has NO respect for the game as is evident in the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday Feb. 13, 2011 as Tiger spits on the 12th green and was later fined. He continually throws his clubs, uses foul language and acts like a spoiled brat.  

Now, as once again he tries to regain his "Game", we again focus on him but the story repeats itself. It's not about Tiger the golf player. It's about Tiger the MAN. Tiger who has changed coaches, trying new swings to bring him back to his once unbeatable prominence. His fall from grace is a story we've seen many times amongst the rich and famous. Why do we care? Will Tiger ever be the dominant golfer he once was? No question he has, or HAD, the talent. But does he have the HEART anymore?
I for one believe the "Year of the Tiger" is over".