Project Eagle’s Nest

Project Eagle’s Nest

April 4, 2009

During the month of April 2009, I am doing 34 shows at Rock City, high atop Lookout Mountain, just outside of my home town–Chattanooga, TN. Along with S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors) I will celebrating Earth Day all month. The folks from S.O.A.R. will be doing live bird of prey shows and in between their shows, I will be telling a true story about a bald eagle I had the pleasure of coming to know a few years ago. along with the story, I (along with my audience members) will be attempting to build a nest just like bald eagles do.

Eagles mate for life and continue to add on to and maintain their nests every year, resulting in nests that can reach staggering sizes. Nests in excess of twelve feet across and weighing over 4000 pounds have been found! Each day I perform at Rock City this month, I will be inviting my audience to help me with this experiment and will be posting photos and comments about the process here on my blog.

Visit the calendar at www.jimpfitzer.com or at www.seerockcity.com to see the days and times of my performances. Come up and join us, then visit this blog to track our progress! Your comments are welcome.

At the end of the month, I will be disassembling the nest, taking the platform home, and beginning a new nest–this one to be constructed entirely out of trash found in the Tennessee River Gorge. I will continue the blog to chronicle that project.

April 4, 2009

April 4, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day One

A beautiful, sunny day set the stage for  beginning our experiment in avian architecture.

A pile of sticks--building material.

We had a big pile of sticks to work with.

Getting Started.

Nest-builders searched for that perfect stick.

Like a pair of eagles, we worked together to fit the pieces together.

Eventually, it started to look a little like a nest.

We’ll see what tomorrow and a new crew brings to the project…

April 5, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Two 

Thinking Like an Eagle!

 

 

Participants discussed placement–considering how an eagle might interlock sticks to build a structurally sound nest.

Careful, now!

Children were careful not to whack each other as they brought in new sticks.

Nest? Or... just a pile of sticks?

At the end of Day Two, our project was well under way and beginning to look like… something.

April 6, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Three

Day three began with cold, rain, and even a little spring snow. Nary a soul showed up for my stories. The nest waits.

April 7, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Four

Day four began much like the one before. The snow was steadier and the wind calmer, but hardly the weather hoped for.

April 8, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Five

Finally, the cold, rain, and snow passed on and a new, spring-like day revealed itself on the mountain. A nice crowd gathered to hear my story and then went to work on the nest project. The pile of sticks on the platform really does look like a pile of sticks, but a very thoughtful crew got right to work on strategizing, contemplating the eagle mind and methodically building.

Working together...

Pondering the perfect addition.

For a moment, we had it surrounded...

We "seen" a nest at Rock City.

 April 9, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Six

On day six, the pile, quite remarkably and perhaps miraculously, transformed from a pile of sticks into a nest. And the more it looked like a nest, the more seriously the builders seemed to take their task–every stick was placed with great care and more of a weaving technique took the place of the previous stacking and piling. By the end of the day, everyone agreed that on the platform before us was… a nest. Even Dale of Save Our American Raptor remarked on how “real” it looked and inquired where we learned to build a nest “like an eagle.” So, as of day six, we have an unqualified success.

Everybody is pitching in!

All hands on deck!

Wow, it really looks like a nest!

 

Bubbles!

 

 April 10, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Seven

As storm clouds built in the west and winds swirled, portending doom, just like eagles, we kept building our nest today. One family, visiting from South Carolina who had been traveling for ten days and done about every touristy thing there was to do said that the eagle story was “the highlight of the trip!”

Working together.

It's a family thing.

 

If I were an eagle, I'd lay eggs there!

   April 11, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Eight
Easter weekend rolled around and with the holiday, crowds came up to Rock City to listen to stories and help out with the nest

It might only take 2 eagles, but it takes a village of people to build a nest!

Watch sister do it.

 

It has to be just right.

I can reach it... Really, I can!

   April 12, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Nine

It’s Easter morning, and a great day for building a nest…

We tried all different techniques.

 

We approached it from all angles.

 

Even Rocky got into the act!

 

   April 16, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Ten

A careful inspection before building.

Dad supervises.

"I think it's ready for a family to move in."

   April 17, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Eleven

As the nest gets taller and taller, construction becomes a greater and greater challenge for the shorter folks, as evidenced by some of these photos.

Tomorrow's basketball star shows off her jumpshot as she adds bedding to the nest.

Getting a little help from dad.

 

 

Rocky is tall enough!

Adding two sticks at once... clever.

    April 18, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day Twelve

We had a beautiful, calm day before the storm that would keep nest-builders away on day thirteen. We made great progress. One weekend to go!

I think she knows what she's doing...

"Okay, you hold it while I push."

"Hmm... what would an eagle do here?"

     April 24, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day 15

After rain and then some unforeseen FBI presence in the woods at the foot of the mountain that kept the park above closed, we finally made it back to the nest. A group of eighth grade boys and expert nest-builders came up to help out, followed by some adults, including my mom.

If it can be done, eighth graders can do it!

Now let's see how the teacher does.

And one last touch.

 

The women seem to get the finer details of homebuilding. (Mom is in red.)

April 25, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day 16

Entering the homestretch! On the first day of the last weekend, we had a mostly adult group of participants and one very meticulous little boy in overalls.

 

We can do it together!

 

 April 26, 2009 – Project Eagle’s Nest, Day 17