Region 5 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered Species Bulletin, July, 2000 by Mark W. Clough

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Two bald eagle chicks grew rapidly in a wild nest located on an island in the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts. What made this nest unique was the placement of a video camera above the nest that transmitted images to a nearby mainland receiver. Residents in the immediate area had access to the video signal via their local cable TV network, while folks around the world checked on the eagles' progress via the internet. Single video frames were captured by computer at the Silvio Conte NWR office and transmitted to offices of Northeast Utilities. The company's webmasters posted the images on the company's web page and refreshed them every 5 minutes during daylight hours. The web site has been receiving thousands of visits daily. Check out this fascinating wildlife success story by logging on to www.MassWildlife.org and clicking on the "eagle cam 2000" box, or go directly to www.nu.com and click on "Eagles Raising Two Chicks."

Plymouth Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi) More than 120 endangered Plymouth redbelly turtles were released in early June as part of an intensive recovery project. The turtles were originally collected as quarter-sized hatchlings and distributed to museums, science centers, aquariums, and schools across the state where they were "headstarted" over the winter. Headstarting involves feeding and maintaining the turtles in warm waters to accelerate their growth at a time of year when they would normally be inactive. The young turtles benefit by avoiding predation when they emerge from their nest in the fall, and they are less vulnerable to predation in the spring because of their larger size. To date, more than 220 redbelly hatchlings have been headstarted and returned to their natural habitats in the ponds and rivers of Plymouth County. The headstarting effort is designed to bolster the redbelly turtle population, currently estimated at 300 adults, and to serve as an environmental education tool for the participating institutions, schools, and organizations.

Mark W. Clough of the Service's Cortland, New York, Field Office.