Wednesday, March 25, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Golden eagle cam up and running
By Jim Anderson
Correspondent
Who would have known
that way back in 2002, when
a newly hatched golden eagle
nestling blew out of it’s nest,
that tragic event would be the
beginning of the only known
golden eagle family video
streaming around the world.
Yet, that’s how it all began.
Janet Zuelke, who was
watching it all happen, was
beside herself not knowing
what to do. She watched help-
lessly as mother eagle tried
in vain to coax her only child
back into the nest by offering
it tasty morsels of jackrabbit.
The poor little guy, however,
was too young — not enough
strength in its legs and feet —
to climb back to safety. He
perished because of the cold
spring winds. To Zuelke, it
was like losing one of her own
children, and she took it hard.
As she related the tragic
story to her partner, Forrest
Babcock — an optical engi-
neer who worked with tele-
scopes and binoculars — they
hatched the idea of setting up
a telescope with a TV camera
attached to the eyepiece to
send an image to their home
TV so they could watch the
nest full-time next season.
Forrest put up a tent on
the hillside below their home
and used it as a shelter for
his ingenious telescope and
camera. In the meantime,
Wolftree, a local conservation
group based in Sisters since
1994, got into the project and
took the video nationwide.
Wolftree once owned the
cliff the nest is on. That land is
now owned by the Deschutes
Land Trust. Due to financial
difficulties Wolftree is con-
centrating their conservation
efforts in the Willamette Val-
ley, leaving the eagle cam for
others to operate and maintain.
Zuelke and Babcock
moved to other parts of the
Northwest, but not before For-
rest built a gazebo and poured
loads of concrete making a
pier that comes up through the
floor of the structure as a solid
base for the telescope/camera.
The new owner of the
property, Leslie Lawrence,
asked Babcock to leave every-
thing in place, as she wanted
to get it up and running again.
Gary Miller and the Sis-
ters Area Photography Club
showed their dedication to
the Wolftree eagle cam in the
2014 season and got the cam
going. Lawrence footed the
bill out of her own pocket.
After the 2014 season,
when the young eagle fledged
(there were two nestlings,
but one perished after appar-
ently falling out of the nest),
Babcock needed his telescope
and took it with him to Idaho,
leaving just the TV camera.
Again the people of Sisters
jumped in. Jim Hammond of
the Sisters Astronomy Club
had a big telescope donated
to the club that he thought
would accept the TV camera.
After countless hours of jury-
rigging and finding things that
didn’t work, he finally hit the
jackpot and captured an image
that he could send.
Now you can watch
mom and dad golden eagles
exchange places as he takes
over incubating while mom
goes to the grocery store for a
fresh rabbit or two, and then
as they raise their nestling(s).
If all goes as planned, East
Cascades Audubon Society
(ECAS) will take over the
long-term operation of the
eagle cam. Ken Hashagen,
president of ECAS board,
is taking it to the board this
week for approval.
What Zuelke, Babcock,
and Wolftree started so many
years ago will be ongoing
for the enjoyment and educa-
tion of people worldwide who
may have wondered what the
life of a golden eagle is like
— thanks to the residents who
enjoy working together for the
common good of everyone.
View the cam online at
www.GoldenEagleCam.com.
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Relief fund set up
for fire victims
A relief fund has been
set up at U.S. Bank to assist
Jeff Kindle, whose home in
Sisters was destroyed by fire
last weekend.
Monetary donations may
be made to account number
153666911752 at any U.S.
Bank.
Jeff and Gina Kindle nar-
rowly escaped their burning
home Sunday afternoon when
a pan being used to cook
French fries ignited on the
stove. The residents told fire
department personnel that the
pan caught on fire and then
the cabinets caught on fire.
Jeff and Gina were able to
evacuate the home and run
to the house across the street
and call 911. The home was
located at 703 S. Ash St. in
Sisters.
Input sought for new
superintendent
The Sisters School Board
will take community input on
what qualities they’d like to
see in a new superintendent at
their meeting on Wednesday,
April 8, 6 p.m. at the Sisters
School District office.
A superintendent search
committee will be formed
at a later date and commu-
nity members will be invited
to apply. The community
input will provide guidance
to the board and the search
committee as they work
together to select the new
superintendent.
The board’s goal is to have
Jim Golden’s replacement
under contract by July 1.
For more information call
board secretary Mel Petterson
at the Sisters School District:
541-549-8521, Ext. 4013.
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