It fills one with sadness to watch the video of the NCTC Eagle Cam as the strong winds caused the eagle’s nest to fall from its perch Saturday. The demise of the three eaglets is devastating to so many who have spent hours watching first for eggs, then for the hatching and later as the tiny birds began to grow.

The Eagle Cam has served as a connector in the local Eastern Panhandle community for many years and the birds seen there over the years have been a riveting topic of conversation, a uniting force among people and an educational tool for countless students. The anticipation of waiting for eaglets to hatch draws one in and causes one to wait patiently for the celebratory moment when the tiny birds are hatched and even more for when they begin to double in size.

NCTC has done an exceptional job maintaining the nesting location and providing all resources possible from human hands to bird’s needs. They have opened the doors through the Eagle Cam to hundreds who may otherwise have no knowledge of the magnificent birds that procreate here.

The staff at NCTC are to be commended for their handling of the tragedy that befell the birds Saturday evening, heading out to determine the fate of the eaglets after the nest fell. They also took care to offer what solace can be given to the parents of the young who tried in vain to protect their little ones.

In addition, those folks at NCTC have had the foresight to prepare for a potential disaster such as this one by developing and building another platform to offer as a nesting option for the eagles now that their current nest is gone.

It is that type of preparedness that shows a true commitment to what those folks do day in and day out at the Conservation Center and we should all be grateful.

We will all hope that the eagles will return and make use of the newer nesting location and when they do, we will all once again tune in to share in the wonder of nature and the procreation of those majestic creatures.