One of the most exciting exhibits at the CNWR visitor center is the Eagle Cam. The nesting activity of one pair of the refuge's bold eagles is being recorded in real time with images being relayed back to the center so that visitors can witness the remarkable and rarely seen life cycle of America's national symbol.

"When Bertie McNally, one of my primary staff for the visitor center, first approached me about putting a camera in the bold eagle's nest as part of our exhibitory, I thought she had been in the old Visitor Contact Station for too long," said Supervisory Outdoor Recreation Planner Angela V. Tracy. "But born out of her idea, came the Eagle Cam, and with that, visitors who gained and continue to gain a whole new interest in wild things and wild places through the eyes and ears of bald eagles."

According to Tracy, the bald eagles began adding to their existing nest in early fall of 2004, laying three eggs in late January. Since that time, two eggs have hatched and visitors have been flocking to the refuge to witness and to learn about the life cycle and nesting behavior of bald eagles. The exhibit is also equipped with sound to afford visitors the opportunity to watch both the adults communicate with each other and with the eaglets.

"I am proud that so many folks in our community are jazzed about the eagles," said Tracy. "After all, a big part of our job is to make intellectual and emotional connections between the wildlife and habitat we manage and the visitors who love this refuge," said Tracy.