A bald eagle. Photograph: Victor Fraile/Reuters
A webcam showing two bald eagles patiently incubating their two eggs has captivated people around the world and is getting 10 million hits a day. It is, arguably, an ornithological event of even more importance than the recently hatched crows outside the Guardian office.
The eagle chicks are due to hatch at any time and online viewers are hoping to witness the moment the eggs begin to crack live.
Doug Carrick, a 73-year-old retired accountant, set the webcam up after noticing the eagles had nested high in a tree on his land in Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
"When you sit and have your afternoon tea or morning coffee and there's the eagle looking at you, it's very hard to ignore it," his wife Sheila told CBC .
Mr Carrick gained permission two years ago for a camera overlooking the nest to be set up while the eagles were absent on their annual migration.
A small plexiglass housing was put in place to protect the mini-camera, the device was connected to his computer and Mr Carrick started broadcasting images last month.
He sent the webcam links to his sister-in-law and interest began snowballing when she sent it on to friends.
"It's just mushrooming," Mr Carrick told CBC. He has posted a message on the site asking people to log off if they are not actually watching to give as many people as possible a chance of seeing it.
The quality of the images is impressive. When News blog logged on, we could see one of the eagles sitting on the nest and having a good look around. The wind ruffled its feathers and, we have to say, it was very relaxing to watch. Apparently, they sometimes peck the camera.
A forum has been set up for fans of the eagles to chat and post their favourite images from the webcam. There is plenty of excitement as hatching approaches, but also fears that one of the eggs might have been lost.
Mr Carrick's big hope is that the webcam will expose people to the beauty of the eagles and convince them of the importance of protecting their habitats.
