2019

Watch On-line Golden Eagles Building Their Nest

For the third year in a row, JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) offers an opportunity for everyone interested to follow the exciting events that take place in a golden eagles’ nest, as well as to watch the bog landscape change in different seasons of the year. Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, tells that there is much going on in the eagles' nest - the golden eagle named Virsis has finally found a girlfriend.

"At the end of last week, the weather in the bog was windy and sunny, it was frosty. After a few minutes of mating cries, a female bird joined Virsis in his nest. Let's hope for success!" says the LVM expert.

Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, regularly provides information on the latest events in the golden eagles’ nest and bog; together with Arnis Rūķis, LVM Development Unit Information Systems Specialist, he takes cares of good quality live broadcast. "For a long time, only the golden eagle male stayed in the nest and we could keep track of how he was trying to survive the harsh winter, feeding on a dead animal, or catching a marten, a hare or a black grouse. However, the nesting time is approaching and the eagles are already repairing their nest. On 30 January, a new female arrived and the construction of the nest could start immediately. The young golden eagle did not like that their private life was being watched, so he tore off the surveillance camera and covered it with twigs in the nest," the expert describes the everyday life of the eagles to be seen in the cameras.

On the evening of 3 February, Uģis Bergmanis and his assistants replaced the video camera without disturbing the eagles in the nest. "When it got dark, we went to the bog on skis to set up a new camera without disturbing the birds. Despite the heavy winds and rain, we managed to change the cameras. For power saving purposes, the camera is turned on in the morning at 7 and turned off at 19 in the evening, because the days are still short and the solar panels do not fully supply batteries and other equipment with the necessary current. In March, the cameras will run without interruption.

Unfortunately, the previous female was too young and does not visit the nest any more. All the hopes are now on the new girlfriend of Virsis, who was seen in the nest already last spring and autumn. This female eagle is ringed with a coloured metal ring, but the ring has not yet been recognised.