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JOHNSON CITY — The new lady American Bald Eagle residing in the Johnson City nest viewed by thousands via one of the East Tennessee State University Department of Biological Sciences’ Eagle Cams now has a name.
The new female eagle who is currently incubating her first clutch of eggs at the Johnson City next site has been named Jolene, courtesy of Eagle Cam viewers.
After several weeks of sorting through names submitted by nearly 500 eagle watchers, a committee submitted the top 10 choices to viewers on the ETSU Eagle Cams Facebook page, and “Jolene” was the winner.
The background for the viewers’ choice is related to the history of this nest and the birds who have made it their home and raised their chicks for the past 13 years, according to Dr. Fred Alsop, director of the Eagle Cams project.
True to the nature of Bald Eagles, the original pair, Noshi and Shima, male and female, respectively, remained a faithful pair, adding materials to this nest and raising one to three baby eagles annually until Nishi disappeared in late May 2020. Shima completed the nesting season fledgling her chicks while a new male eagle began to frequent the nest site.
In the 2020-21 nesting season, the new male, named Boone by viewers, was clearly Shima’s new mate and they produced three eggs together.
Early in the 2021-22 nesting season, when Shima and Boone began preparations around the nest tree and nest, a third adult eagle became a more and more frequent visitor to the Johnson City nest site. The day came late last fall when Shima was no longer with Boone and it became clear that he had selected the new lady as his mate. Together, Boone and his new companion have produced two eggs, which should hatch in a couple of weeks.
Based on the lyrics of the famous Dolly Parton song, “Jolene,” in which a wife begs a beautiful competitor not to take her man, voting Eagle Cam viewers felt they had seen this plea from a mother take wing as they watched this little wildlife drama play out on their mobile devices, television screens and computer monitors.
Meanwhile, at the Bluff City nest, Frances and Eugene have become the proud parents of two eaglets that hatched last week.
To watch the Eagle Cams and learn more about the eagles and their lifestyles, visit etsu.edu/cas/biology/eagle-cam/. Free livestreaming is available on almost any mobile device or computer. Information is also available on the Eagle Cams’ major sponsors, and a link for giving toward this ongoing project is provided.