The eaglet was keeping cool on a branch for most of the day today.
This is what it looks like from the approach cam.
It doesn't look like she's got both feet on the branch, so I took this s'cap and then switched back over to the nest cam.
The eaglet is resting its right foot, with most of its weight on its left foot.
The eaglet moved up the branch a little bit. I like her shadow on the nest in this s'cap.
This eaglet has a huge wingspan! Let's say the nest is small, maybe 5 feet across. Then image one fifth of the nest to figure out how big one foot is... And compare that to the distance her wings hang over each side of the nest. Holey moley! 7 and a half foot wingspan? More?
This is as long as her flight feathers will ever be. The first flight feathers come in longer than subsequent molts to help fledglings get more lift when they are learning to fly. And this is as large (weight) as she will ever be (another reason for longer flight feathers). She's got baby fat, which she will burn off after fledging. After her first molt, the bottom edge of her wings won't have that nice, even zig-zag pattern seen here. Instead, the new feathers will be shorter. This uneven edge can be seen when an eagle is in flight. This is one of the ways to identify a Bald Eagle as a second year juvenile -- about half long and half regular length flight feathers on the wings. A third year Bald Eagle will have completed changing out these feathers and will have a smooth edge again (or maybe have a longer feather that hasn't molted yet.)
She was starting to fold her wings in when I took this s'cap. But the focus is better than the above two s'caps, giving better detail of her feathers.
Here are the other s'caps I took of her in the sunshine today. We won't have many more moments like this. I expect her to fledge this week! She will still return to the nest when her parents bring food. And then after a few months of occasional cam sightings, she will be gone...
I checked in this evening and found the eaglet and one of the adults (probably Mom) hanging out on branches. After this view on the nest cam...
...I switched to the approach cam to see this happy domestic scene...
There wasn't much happening at the Hays nest when I checked in today.
A while later I found one of the eaglets self-feeding while the other two watched.
They all still want to crowd under Mom...
They are all snuggled together tonight.
I took a quick peek at the Two Harbors nest today. There wasn't much going on.
And later, there was even less going on...
Sad news from the Jordan Lake nest, located in North Carolina. We had strong storms Thursday night that caused part of the nest to collapse. The eaglets slid off of the nest and fell 60 feet to the ground. They couldn't attempt a rescue due to the remote location until the next morning. They found that one died in the fall. The other chick went to American Wildlife Refuge for immediate treatment and has since been moved to the Carolina Raptor Center for continuing care. This chick has a broken leg and is still being evaluated. These 5 week old chicks were just learning to stand. My hearts go out to the people that follow this nest and I pray that the surviving chick recovers. Follow this link to read the survivor's medical reports.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes Osprey nest is on hatch watch this week. The remaining two eggs may not hatch due to periods without incubation and the crow's rough handling of the eggs (any crack or hole allows bacteria to enter the shell.) The fertility of the 29 year old female is also questionable. Talons crossed!
I did get to see one egg this evening.
The Berry College Bluebird looks today much like it did yesterday. They have determined that she is a female. She should fledge some time this week. I don't see those white spots changing. Maybe that's just the markings of a baby bluebird...
I checked in later and WHAT!?!?!?
Wait a minute. I see something at the top.
I see a little more... I guess she is exploring past the nest bowl.
She is standing in the corner, giving a good view of her wing and tail feathers.
What a little sour-puss she is!
Earlier this month, The Wildlife Center of Virginia admitted Bald Eagle #14-0450 that had likely been hit by a car. I bring this to your attention so you can look at the surprise on the radiograph. You can click on the picture for a larger view.
I've had days of frustration (since Tuesday evening) trying to keep up with the nests and doing my blog posts because my DSL has been on the fritz. The tech from Verizon was here today and I seem to be up and running except I can't get the White Rock nest. Checked the forum and it's them, not me...
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