Site location

The golden eagle pair is located on a cliff overlooking Whychus creek about 7 miles outside of Sisters, Oregon. The eagle nest is about 200 feet up from the valley floor and about 30 feet down from the top of a flat shelf at the top of the canyon. The observation station from which we are down-streaming is located on the opposite side of the canyon where the eagles are located and at about the same elevation as the nest which allows it to be imaged straight across the canyon.

The observation station is an open shelter which protects the optical system from most weather, however within the shelter the optical system is housed in an enclosure to prevent weather from blowing in from the sides. Additionally the optical/camera system requires a bit of heat around the critical optics to keep the lenses and camera from frost which both can damage the electronics as well as when frosty, the lenses do not provide a clear image. The optical system is mounted on a concrete pier to minimize shaking from wind.

Optical system used for down-streaming

The optics consist of a 7 inch aperture telescope with a focal length of 2850 millimeters. The imaged formed by the telescope is directly projected onto the camera’s array. The camera is high definition and contains its own computer electronics to allow down-streaming and several optical performance adjustments.

Imaging challenges

The golden eagle nest is located approximately 1100 feet from the observation station. At that distance the telescope must magnify the nest from 100 to 200 power depending on if you want to see the entire nest or zoom in the see feeding of the chicks. Because of the high magnification the image is greatly affected by variences in the air between the 1100 feet from the camera to the nest.

In the early morning and most evenings the temperatures across that distance is fairly constant so the image is the best at these times. During the day and especially from about 10:00 am to 5:00 pm thermal variances are greatest across the canyon. In these conditions the image wavers, goes in and out of focus and generally is not very good. At times when it is overcast the images during the day are fairly good, but if the sun is out it creates thermals which greatly disturb the image quality. Interestingly these day time thermals that hurt the optics clarity are very important for the eagles for soaring and allowing them to easily fly the thermals up to the nest as the heat rises from the valley and up the sides of the cliff.

From morning to noon generally the temperature goes up which flexes the long focal length telescope causing the image to be refocused. The camera can remotely be focused but does not have an automatic focus feature. It is important to understand that during warm weather the air density changes at various places across the canyon. This causes the image to waver and go in and out of focus. During these times it is very difficult to keep the optics focused because it is continually changing from these thermal effects. Trying to keep the telescope focused at these times is futile. For this reason we have required a password for focus control.

The purpose of this article is to explain the requirements and challenges of imaging an eagle nest from a far distance.

Site location

The golden eagle pair is located on a cliff overlooking Whychus creek about 7 miles outside of Sisters, Oregon.  The eagle nest is about 200 feet up from the valley floor and about 30 feet down from the top of a flat shelf at the top of the canyon.  The observation station from which we are down-streaming is located on the opposite side of the canyon where the eagles are located and at about the same elevation as the nest which allows it to be imaged straight across the canyon.

The observation station is an open shelter which protects the optical system from most weather, however within the shelter the optical system is housed in an enclosure to prevent weather from blowing in from the sides.  Additionally the optical/camera system requires a bit of heat around the critical optics to keep the lenses and camera from frost which both can damage the electronics as well as when frosty, the lenses do not provide a clear image.  The optical system is mounted on a concrete pier to minimize shaking from wind.

Optical system used for down-streaming

The optics consist of a 7 inch aperture telescope with a focal length of 2850 millimeters.  The imaged formed by the telescope is directly projected onto the camera’s array.  The camera is high definition and contains its own computer electronics to allow down-streaming and several optical performance adjustments.

Imaging challenges

The golden eagle nest is located approximately 1100 feet from the observation station.  At that distance the telescope must magnify the nest from 100 to 200 power depending on if you want to see the entire nest or zoom in the see feeding of the chicks.  Because of the high magnification the image is greatly affected by variences in the air between the 1100 feet from the camera to the nest.

In the early morning and most evenings the temperatures across that distance is fairly constant so the image is the best at these times.  During the day and especially from about 10:00 am to 5:00 pm thermal variances are greatest across the canyon.  In these conditions the image wavers, goes in and out of focus and generally is not very good.  At times when it is overcast the images during the day are fairly good, but if the sun is out it creates thermals which greatly disturb the image quality.  Interestingly these day time thermals that hurt the optics clarity are very important for the eagles for soaring and allowing them to easily fly the thermals up to the nest as the heat rises from the valley and up the sides of the cliff.

From morning to noon generally the temperature goes up which flexes the long focal length telescope causing the image to be refocused.  The camera can remotely be focused but does not have an automatic focus feature.  It is important to understand that during warm weather the air density changes at various places across the canyon.  This causes the image to waver and go in and out of focus.  During these times it is very difficult to keep the optics focused because it is continually changing from these thermal effects.  Trying to keep the telescope focused at these times is futile.  For this reason we have required a password for focus control.

By Alicia Inns, KTVZ.COM POSTED: 5:13 pm PDT April 24, 2011 UPDATED: 7:23 pm PDT April 24, 2011

BEND, Ore. – Ever wondered what a golden eagle’s nesting habitat looked like up close and personal?  Well now you can check it out with just the click of a mouse. Two golden eagles in Central Oregon had two chicks that hatched on April 1st and 3rd. This nest is nearly 200 feet above the ground on a cliff overlooking Whychus Creek.

Golden eagles make their nests on the side of canyons so it’s extremely difficult and rare to film them this close. A few members of the community have a 7.5-inch Meade Telescope trained on the nest from across the canyon, about a quarter-mile away from the operator’s house. A local non profit organization called Wolftree, an outdoor science education program for local kids, owns the property that the nest is on.

By simply logging on, you can watch the mother and father raise their two youngsters.

“Its very difficult to film them like this, compared to a bald eagle, because with a bald eagle, you can get a camera up into an adjacent tree real easily, but to have the ability on a cliff to be able to see in the nest is very unique,” said Forrest Babcock, operator of the live camera.

“We are just really lucky to be in the right place,” Babcock said Sunday, “and I’ve learned a tremendous amount just seeing them, and I think other people feel the same way.

“Babcock also said the best time to watch the nest is early in the morning and later in the evening, when the picture quality is at its best.

If you’d like to watch the golden eagles live, visit www.goldeneaglecam.com / or www.beoutside.org. or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsZlRSC8Bu0

Dale Waddell, Executive Director
Wolftree