Whitehorse eagle cam goes live for season 2

The eagle webcam near a Whitehorse campground was so popular last year that the Yukon Electrical Company is doing it again, starting today.

Bald eagles have been nesting at the roadside pullout near the Robert Service campground for years.

It's always been a great spot to observe the majestic birds, but last year Yukoners and viewers around the globe had the chance to get a close-up view of the avian family.                          

Yukon Electrical, with the advice of EDI Environmental Dynamics, set up a webcam to watch over the nest.

By the end of the season, the site had logged over a million visitors, from all over Canada and across the world.

“It far exceeded any expectations we had,” says Laura Carlson, a senior communications adviser for Yukon Electrical.

Season 2 of the eagle cam goes live at noon local time today.

It’s earlier than last year, but many viewers of the webcam said they wanted to watch as the eagles got ready for the season.

So far, “there does appear to be some activity in terms of rebuilding the next and preparing it for the season,” says Anne MacLeod, a biologist with EDI Environmental Dynamics.

At least one eagle was seen at the site as early as January.

“We suspect it might be the dad from last year, but we can’t say for sure,” MacLeod says.

Last year, eggs were laid in about the second week of April. They hatched in mid-May, and viewers were able to watch the young in the nest up until they made their first flight. The young eagles continued to visit the nest until the end of September.

Yukon Electrical originally got involved with the nest a few years ago by erecting a utility pole at the site when the eagles’ nest was blown out of a tree.

“Our crews and our staff have just sort of adopted it,” making repairs when needed, says Carlson. “It’s been a real part of the way we give back to the community.”