Rell and Eddie Great Blue Heron Cam
Our great blue heron cam on Maryland’s Eastern Shore was launched in 2016 with funds generated through a crowdfunding campaign and additional help from Waterfowl Chesapeake. In 2017, explore.org joined the partnership and installed a new sophisticated camera in 2018. The homeowner chose to name the main couple featured in the cam, “Rell & Eddie” after the surfers Rell Sunn and Eddie Aikau. The herons typically return to the rookery (and the webcam spotlight) to rebuild their nests the third week of February.
There are 10-12 nests in this rookery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and up to 50 heron. The cam features three nests prominently. Others can be seen in the distance. Viewers will be amazed at how crowded these nests get with two adults and up to four chicks! Their nests are 100 feet up in beautiful loblolly pine trees that sway in the wind. Viewers will see these beautiful birds mate, incubate and care for their young. Great blue herons select new mates every year, laying between two and seven eggs. These eggs are then incubated approximately 28 days until hatching. The young are then fed for around 60 days in the nest by both parents.
According to the Chesapeake Bay Program website, great blue herons live in colonies called rookeries. These tall, bluish-gray wading birds have long, pointed bills and graceful, S-shaped necks. They live year-round in marshes and wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay region and are also found on freshwater lakes, ponds and impoundments.
The great blue heron grows to four feet tall with a six to seven foot wingspan. Despite its large size, its hollow bones allow it to weigh only five to six pounds. The great blue heron eats mostly fish, but will also feed on insects, amphibians, crustaceans and other small animals. It silently stalks its prey in shallow waters, and then plunges its bill into the water to capture it. It will spend about 90 percent of its waking hours hunting for food.
Recap of this Great Blue Heron Webcam
Interested in learning more about Rell & Eddie'’s family over the years? See how they've thrived since millions of viewers worldwide began watching this cam in 2016.
2024 Recap
The camera went live in mid-February following the return of several great blue herons to the colony. The property owner discovered egg shells on the property in mid-April with an egg confirmed in the main nest as well. Three chicks were observed in the main nest but were preyed upon by a great horned owl in mid-June.
2023 Recap
The camera went live in early February following the confirmed return of several herons. On April 9, the property owner discovered egg shells on the ground. Two chicks were confirmed for the main nest. Unfortunately, the two heron chicks passed following an attack from a great horned owl on May 22.
2022 Recap
The heron cam went live in early-March with eggs laid in late-March and egg shells discovered in late April. Though a spotty season since the herons were elusive, the property owner informed us that chicks started to fledge from rookery in early June.
2021 Recap
Unfortunately, the heron nests were built out of view of the camera. In late April, the property owner discovered egg shells under the trees of the rookery. The property owner and several eagle-eyed viewers confirmed four chicks in the featured nest, later named Charlize Heron, Cobalt, Lapis and Blue.
2020 Recap
Rell & Eddie laid four eggs between March 18thand 24th. Two eggs hatched April 15th while the remaining chicks hatched April 18th and 19th. The two older chicks killed and removed the younger chicks on the weekend of May 2nd.
2019 Recap
Rell and Eddie laid five eggs between March 31stand April 9th. Three eggs were deemed nonviable while the remaining two eggs hatched April 29th and May 3rd. The two chicks were named Lucy and Ricky. Another nest on the property successfully raised four chicks.
2018 Recap
Rell & Eddie laid four eggs between March 28thand April 3rd. Four chicks hatched between April 26th and27th. Unfortunately, two chicks expired between May 16thand 17th. The remaining chicks were named Woodstock and Azure and fledged on June 30th and July 7th, respectively.
2017 Recap
Rell and Eddie had four chicks, though one later expired. The nest grew to be quite crowded with three very large chicks and their parents.
2016 Recap
This was the first year the heron cam went live, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign and a sponsorship by Waterfowl Chesapeake. The featured herons, Rell and Eddie, hatched three eggs on April 23rd. The chicks were later named Felix, Lafayette and Moe.
Peregrine Falcon
Enjoy a bird's eye view of Baltimore’s very own peregrine falcons, Boh and Barb! This family has inhabited downtown Baltimore for nearly 40 years, a significant achievement for the peregrine restoration efforts over the past few decades.
Osprey
Watch our favorite resident ospreys, Tom and Audrey, as they return from their journey, build their nest, raise their chicks, and go about their daily lives. The health of osprey is a significant indicator for how well we are doing at protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
Great Blue Heron
Get up close with a great blue heron rookery. This colony of up of 10-12 nests and up to 50 heron in a season, features the couple Rell & Eddie, named after the surfers Rell Sunn and Eddie Aikau.
