Wetland Center Eagle Cams Return as Nesting Season Approaches
A bald eagle family that has called the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center home since 2008 is expected back this fall, and the livestream cameras are ready to follow every moment.
By Staff Reports • Shop in Seagoville • August 27, 2026
As summer winds down in Combine, staff at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center are preparing for one of the area’s most watched natural events.
A mating pair of American bald eagles typically returns to the wetland each September and stays through June, raising a new generation of eaglets in full view of the public through a set of livestreaming nest cameras.
The eagles have become something of a local celebrity story since they first showed up at the wetland in 2008, and their journey has included a dramatic rescue effort, years of steady nesting success, and now round the clock camera coverage that lets viewers anywhere in the world watch the family up close.
Quick Facts
- Eagles first observed at the wetland in 2008; nesting began in the fall of 2011
- Close monitoring since 2012 has recorded 25 eaglets hatched and 21 confirmed fledged
- The eagles are typically in residence from September through June each year
- Camera equipment was funded by donor Kathy D. with support from Good Faith Energy, MICA Steelworks, Oncor Primoris, and North Texas Renewable Energy Engineering
A Family With Deep Roots
Adult eagles were first spotted at the wetland in 2008. Juveniles began appearing alongside adults in 2010, though no nesting activity was confirmed that year.
The pair finally settled in for good in the fall of 2011, building their nest on an arm of a high voltage transmission tower.
That location came with a serious problem. With electricity running through the tower, the nest put both the eagles and the reliability of the local power grid at risk.
The Nest Relocation of 2014
A coalition of partners, including Oncor, MICA Steelworks, Chapman Group, The Rosewood Corporation, and thr North Texas Municipal Water District.
Other partners included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Wetland Center itself, came together to find a safer solution.
Over two days in July 2014, after the eagles had left for the summer, a team of 50 people carried out a delicate operation.
They removed the tower arm with the nest fully intact, a structure weighing about 200 pounds, and moved it to a replica tower roughly a quarter mile away, this one carrying no electrical lines at all.
Ornithologists reportedly gave the plan even odds of working. When the eagles returned that fall, they first tried to rebuild on the old, energized tower, and crews had to remove the new nesting sticks every few days.
By October 2014, the eagles found their relocated nest and moved back in. They have used that replica tower most years since.
A Conservation Success Story
Since close monitoring began in 2012, the wetland has recorded 25 eaglets hatched from the nest, with 21 confirmed to have successfully fledged.
Center officials point to abundant food, protected habitat, and steady water access as key reasons the pair keeps coming back, calling it part of a broader recovery story for a species that was once in serious danger of extinction.
The eagle cams are expected to come back to life as the pair returns this September
How to Watch the Eagle Cams
Viewers do not need to travel to Combine to follow the story. The Wetland Center streams the nest live on its YouTube channel, with recent seasons archived in dedicated playlists such as JBS 24 and JBS 25 for the 2026 season and JBS 22 and JBS 23 from 2025, each one tracking a set of eaglets from hatch to fledge.
Ready to check in on the wetland eagles?
Watch the Eagle Cams LivePlan Your Visit
For those who want to see the habitat in person, the Wetland Center offers a trail with a mile and a half round trip to the nesting area, bringing visitors as close as federal regulations allow.
Signs along the way ask guests not to approach any further, and the habitat is monitored 24 hours a day. Any interference with the eagles or their nest is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Visitor Information
Address: 655 Martin Lane, Combine, TX 75159
Phone: 972.474.9100
Public Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday, closed.
School Programs: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment.
In the News
The eagle family has drawn regional media attention for years. FOX4 KDFW aired segments on the nest in January 2026, including an interview with the Wetland Center’s executive director, and covered a successful hatching there in January 2025.
NBCDFW documented the original 2014 relocation project and later reported that November on the eagles reclaiming their new home, in coverage that tied the birds directly to the Seagoville area.
With the eagles’ return window opening this September, local wildlife watchers will not have to wait long to find out whether the pair comes back for another season on the replica tower they have called home for more than a decade.
