The EagleCam at the National Conservation Training Center is currently defunct. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — People interested in nature and conserving precious endangered wildlife species know about the EagleCam at the National Conservation Training Center, just outside of Shepherdstown.

EagleCam has been positioned in the topmost branches of a large sycamore tree on the center’s property for several years. Over that time, it has silently told the stories of several seasons’ fledglings, prancing in the nest provided by the adult eagles. At first appearance, the huge nest of tree limbs, mud and wild grasses in the sycamore appears at times to swallow the eggs.

This year, however, the massive nest was empty of eggs and no eaglets made it their home. The EagleCam in the uppermost part of the tree had been struck by lightning and was out of commission, so none of the usual activity that annually took place around raising any youngsters there was available.

No eaglets. No EagleCam. No public caring or viewing of the baby eagles.

Yet the National Conservation Training Center continues in the “business” of educating the public about wildlife, by providing a lecture series, group-led tours of the center’s grounds and other special events conducted throughout any calendar year.

With its low-slung buildings, the center is nestled in an inconspicuous wooded area just off of Grade Road. The meandering flow of the Potomac River is close by. Nature itself is both the king and the queen of the area.

A self-service library is provided there by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A Conservation Musuem and Archives are also available to government workers who come to the center for seminars, group meetings and to further their knowledge.

When the public makes its visits to the center, there are eight nature trails of various distances available for them to use to spot birds, four-legged wildlife and trees of all sizes and descriptions.

The eagles were immediately recognized as the faces of the national facility, in the past. And thousands of people followed the progress made in any given year, from the time the eggs were laid in the nest, until the snow blanketed a sitting parent and the spring months held the feeding and growth of the youngsters. Ungainly fledglings quickly became feathered “teenagers” and then seemingly anxiously awaited feedings of fish, rodents and other meaty morsels from their parents.

When leaves took control of the tree limbs and the air temperatures climbed, the young birds were more restless and moved about the nest, as if ready for a test flight or to be leaving the EagleCam and their on-camera hijinks behind.

None of that happened this year.

The only current view of the spacious nest is from ground level and is mostly concealed by leaves, limbs and shadows.

Will the paired adult eagles return in 2023? Will there be a viable EagleCam to see them?

Nationwide, people will await those answers . . . and will hope to see the gawky, down-covered eaglets move from precocious youngsters to soaring adults sailing along over the Potomac River again next year.