Early last year, a mated pair of bald eagles began building a nest in a tall pine beside the Ottauquechee River, perhaps the safest place in Vermont for a nesting pair of raptors. Windsor and Dewey, as the eagles later became known, chose a tree on the property of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) in Quechee, where naturalists study eagles and their cousins, rehabilitate injured birds, and provide daily educational programs on raptors to visitors and at schools and libraries up and down the Upper Valley.

Federal law prohibits any close approach to an active bald eagle nest, and no one at VINS wanted to risk scaring the birds off. Instead, the staff provided visitors with binoculars and a spotting scope and began to document the eagles’ daily life. They first noticed a hatchling—appropriately named Vinnie—in early May 2026 and avidly followed Vinnie’s growth until they fledged in late July.

By the time Vinnie left for new hunting grounds, VINS staff members were already thinking about next year’s nesting season. One thing was clear: The excitement and activity generated by the presence of an eagle family, even 400 yards away, had been impressive. It was also directly in line with the very purpose of VINS: to study the habits and habitat of local raptors and other wildlife, to educate the public in ways that would improve and protect the environment, and to expand the effects of VINS’s programs beyond its local region.

There were two big questions: Would Windsor and Dewey return? And would it be possible to set up an eagle cam?

The Debut of a Webcam Star

Studies show that eagle pairs tend to return to the same nest for 8 to 10 years. There was some risk, but the odds were good. The answer to the second question was less certain. No one at VINS knew what setting up an eagle cam would entail, and there was little time to do the research—nesting season would likely begin in February. With the pressure on, Executive Director Alden Smith convened a team to see if the project was feasible. The collaborators included Alden, Senior Director of Operations and Exhibits Chris Collier, Lead Facilities Manager Dave Meredith, Director of Wildlife Ambassador Programs Anna Morris, and Director of Marketing Emily Boren.

The biggest barrier, it turned out, was not technology, cost, nor awful winter weather; it was the staff time needed to put together all the pieces. Nonprofits like VINS are always working close to the edge, Alden explains. Mounting a new program like this stretched their personnel even further. But with help from webcam specialist HDOnTap and local businesses ArborScape and NextGen Digital, the team was able to design, build, and put the necessary system of cameras, batteries, supports, and WiFi in place soon after New Year’s Day.

On February 14, 2026, Windsor and Dewey reunited in the nest. Since then, the action has never slowed. On March 17, Windsor laid an egg, which hatched on April 24, ushering V-2 into the world, a ready-made webcam star. As part of its daily life, V-2 has been clobbered by a thrashing largemouth bass, nearly blown off the nest by high winds, ogled by a hot air balloonist, and nearly hit by lightning. On the technical side, the secondary camera failed, then the sound, and neither can be fixed until the nesting season is complete.

Watching, Caring, and Connecting

The viewers don’t seem to mind. Since the eagle cam went live, VINS website traffic jumped from around 700 visits per day to 5,000 per day, with visitors logging in from across the country and abroad. The independent fan-run Facebook group Friends of VINS Live Eagle Cam has more than 5,300 members. First-time donors jumped from 19 in the first quarter last year to 300 this year. The eagles have helped drive traffic to VINS’ regular programming, bringing more awareness to VINS’ Animal Ambassadors and Wildlife Educators. They have even been featured in the New York Times and the Boston Globe.

In late July, V-2 was in the final stages of eagle childhood, expected to fledge no later than early August. It has been “wingercising” for a few weeks, spreading and flapping its wings and taking short hops to adjoining branches. Windsor and Dewey are still feeding V-2 regularly, which will taper off as V-2 learns to kill its own meals. On July 26, V-2 left the nest for the first time, and the staff expects the fledgling to depart the area within the next couple of months. Meanwhile, the staff members at VINS are already making plans for the next nesting season.

Looking back, Emily Boren is amazed by the community involvement stirred up by the eagle cam. “We’ve had lots of concerned viewers emailing many times a day with questions and screenshots. In June, when V-2 went unusually long without a food delivery, fans flooded VINS with worried messages.” (Windsor delivered two fish the next day.) There were student and teacher emails from local schools. Fans also held joyful celebrations, like the “eaglet shower” at Dartmouth Health’s surgery department, featuring Swedish fish snacks and pretzel-stick “nesting material.”

A Happy Place to Visit

Most surprising was how many people commented on how important watching the eagle cam has been to their mental health. Couples watch the eagles together over breakfast. Spread-out families share the link cross country and discuss V-2’s adventures. Stressed students watch the cam during study hall to chill out. Colleagues at work watch it every morning to start the day “with something beautiful and peaceful and truly amazing.”

Alden attributes the impact and appeal of the eagles to the story they represent. It’s a story of recovery, of bringing back an endangered species by cleaning up a polluted river and its watershed. “We’re able to showcase a story of success. If we can bring back eagles, we should be able to bring back other raptors and songbirds.

“We’re lucky that the remaining camera shows this place,” he adds, “these eagles, this nest, this particular bend in the Ottauquechee River along Dewey’s Pond.” As one Friend of VINS commented, “It’s the happy place to visit, when other things are not so good.” 

Vermont Institute of Natural Science
149 Natures Way
Quechee, VT
(802) 359-5000
vinsweb.org
Wild Bird Rehab Program:
(802) 359-5000 ext. 212
Eagle Cam:
vinsweb.org/exhibits-activities/wild-eagles/ <http://vinsweb.org/exhibits-activities/wild-eagles/>