Mounted to the trunk of a tree high above the ground, a weatherproof webcam is capturing a unique, insider's view into the nest of a family of bald eagles.

The device was set up a little over two years ago by Doug Carrick, a 73-year-old retired accountant and bird watcher who lives on Hornby Island, B.C.

Carrick showed some of the footage to B.C. biologist and fellow birder David Hancock, who became excited about the technology and decided to try and share it with a broader audience.

His efforts have resulted in a live-streaming website that has received more than 10 million hits from all over the world since it went into operation on March 27.

Hancock appeared on CTV's Canada AM Thursday morning.

"I happened to see a video he made, and looking at that video, it was the best look I had ever had of bald eagle behaviour," Hancock said. "I've been studying them for more than 50 years, and what I saw in that 37 minute video changed my whole attitude on the behaviour of eagles."

The close-up perspective on the behaviour of eagles in their natural environment was an exciting discovery for Hancock. He has spent much of his life studying the birds, but has never had such an intimate glimpse into their behaviour.

The webcam is encased in wood and plexiglass, and is mounted just a few inches from the nest.

"I could see things at this distance that of course I'd never been able to see with telescopes and so on ever before. Then I undertook this opportunity to say let's get this to the public, and that's what we've done," he said.

The webcam has sparked interest around the globe, with millions logging on to view the feed and witness key moments in the life of the eagle family. They have also received calls from Venezuela and the U.S. from people wondering how to implement similar technology to watch other species.

The birds are oblivious to the presence of the camera, which beams their normal domestic life into millions of homes.

Hancock said he has been intrigued by two incidents in particular.

"One of the things that really blew my mind was watching the eagle in labour," Hancock said. "The eagle's head is about nine inches from the camera, and going through the stressing and straining -- and you can hear the bird because there's sound on the camera. You wonder, is it sick? What's wrong here? And then the eagle stands up, looks under, and there's the egg. The bird has been in labour and we got to witness that labour."

Another milestone in the bird's life was the hatching of an eagle chick. Hancock said it was an incredible experience to watch the chick slowly peck its way out of the shell, gather strength until it could raise its head, and eventually receive some food from its mother.

The images captured by the webcam are one of a kind, Hancock said.

"There's absolutely no doubt this tiny little camera locked up against the edge of the tree trunk just a few inches from the eagle gives a perspective nobody has ever really seen before, and that's of course an advantage of this kind of technology," he said.