Over the past ten to fifteen years, with computers connected online to the public network of other computers and data bases, one has had access to cameras situated in various locations. One could have live views of sites around the world. I wrote long ago about my favorite webcam at the time, which was set up within Crater Lake National Park. Since then, I've made brief visits to a few other webcams - a famous street in England, my college alma mater. I've visited several web cams focused on birds nesting and feeding young.

The National Park webcam was a favorite because I could watch the changes in light during the day, and the changing seasons. I saw when the snows arrived, and how early or late in the year they melted. The other webcams made me a bit uncomfortable, shy about seeing people crossing the street and cars going by without them knowing I was 'there' watching. These were public areas, though, and so it didn't seem that big of an issue.

The birds nesting is a little different. One camera was focused up close on a great blue heron nesting high up in a light fixture. The bird's face and head filled much of the screen. Access to this particular webcam had been publicized, and there was notation on the website about how many viewers were watching the heron at this moment. There was a running string of dialogue, commentary from various watchers online.

Professors used to caution us about attributing emotions to non-human species, but this heron did not look happy. She looked a little agitated, on alert, her eyes twitching from side to side, her head turning back and forth. I wondered if having the attention of several hundred distant viewers focused on one creature could affect its peace of mind - in this instance, a heron who, from what could be seen, looked alone, safe in her nest incubating eggs.