Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain Eagles (side view)

The Fort St. Vrain eagles occupy one of the more impressive nests you are likely to see on a live camera, and this side view shows it in profile. The nest, known as FSV-N0, is about 9 by 8 feet wide and 8 feet high, with a perimeter of roughly 26 feet and a total area of about 56 square feet. It stands 57 feet off the ground in a cottonwood and probably weighs between 2,200 and 2,700 pounds.

The seasonal timetable is fairly consistent. The pair usually lays eggs in late February to early March, the eggs hatch in early April to mid-April, and the young fledge in June. Knowing that rhythm makes the stream easier to follow, but it does not make any single day predictable. The side angle is especially good for understanding the sheer bulk of the nest, the way an adult settles into it, and the moment a chick stands up against that great wall of sticks.

It is a live architecture lesson as well as a family story, a reminder of how much work a pair of bald eagles can pile into a single tree.

The stream is provided by Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain Eagles (side view). Check the profile often, especially as winter turns toward spring.