Northeast Florida Eagles Day 7&9, Black Eagle Makhaza and Update on Habitat Development

I'm back after spending time with my family for Christmas. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

The Northeast Florida chicks are looking good! They are already 7 and 9 days old!

The Southwest Florida Eagles continue to incubate their eggs.

Black Eagle Makhaza is still recovering from her injuries that she sustained while hunting. Here's a link to some pictures of Makhaza when she was in the nest in 2007. Included are the pictures from when she was banded (which is how she was identified) and after she fledged.

The Black Eagle Project is also reporting that a judgement has been reached in the case of a developer who was going to disturb the Black Eagle's range. Here's an excerpt of the judge's statement:

We are happy to inform you that Judge Victor has made an order in the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans favour and has ordered that the Developer be interdicted from commencing or continuing with the construction on the remainder of portion 2. She has also interdicted them from transferring or alienating the properties pending the outcome of the review application.

Northeast Florida Eagles First Hatch NE5, Southwest Florida Two Eggs!

I was out of town without internet and NE5 hatched at the Northeast Florida nest. The official hatch was Tuesday 12/22 at 5:18PM. Look for a pip in the other egg tomorrow! Here's Mom incubating tonight:

Here's a look at the baby:

And the Southwest Florida Eagles now have 2 eggs! They were laid on 12/19 at 4:25PM and 12/22 at 5:40PM. If there is to be a third egg, it will be laid tomorrow around the same time...

Here's a look at the eggs.

White-bellied Sea Eagles SE15, Africam Black Eagles Makhaza

Here's a link to a more current picture of SE15, the White-bellied Sea Eaglet that fell to the ground and was unable to fledge. He has some feathers that did not grow in right. It will take a year for the new feathers to grow in. Hopefully, the new feathers will be ok and he will be released back into the wild.

There's some news from the Africam Black Eagle folks. First, our Eaglet from this year (Kendi) has left the nest area but is still in the parent's natal area. Also, there was an injured Black Eagle that was identified by a leg band as the 2007 offspring from the Africam Black Eagle nest. Her name is Makhaza. She is receiving treatment and will hopefully recover. Here's a link to the full details and pictures.

Loch of the Lowes More Details & Pictures of Sighting of FR3

More details are available on sighting of the Loch of the Lowes Osprey FR3. There are some great pictures too!

Bald Eagle HK, Loch of the Lowes FR3 Spotted!

Pam Monahan has a new post with pictures of Bald Eagle HK.

Loch of the Lowes Osprey FR3 has been spotted! Check out their blog post. There's a picture!

Harrison Bay Eagles, Southwest Florida Eagles, Northeast Florida Eagles Incubating Eggs

One of the Harrison Bay Eagles spent the night in the nest tree last night.

Here's a short Shake, Rattle, and Roll video.

The Southwest Florida Eagles seem to prefer to roost overnight in the tree. I wonder if that means an egg is close?

The Northeast Florida Eagles are still incubating their eggs.

We got some nice close-ups while I was watching.

I get a lot of green interference in the picture at this cam. I hit refresh a bunch of times to get a clear picture for the above s'caps. I wanted to get a shot of the eggs. But the green became so prevalent I gave up today...

Slow Times: Africam Black Eagles New Pictures, FR3 and FR4 Tracking Update, Bald Eagle HK

Things are slow these days. The White-bellied Sea Eagles and Africam Black Eagles are off of the cams now. (There are some new pictures of the Africam Black Eagles.) The Northeast Florida Eagles are incubating their two eggs. Usually, the Southwest Florida nest would have eggs by now. But all bets are off since we have a new pairing at that nest this year. The Carolina Raptor Center laid their first egg in early December last year, so maybe we'll have an egg there soon! The Loch of the Lowes folks have posted an update for tracking FR3 and FR4. There's a new post from Pam Monahan about Bald Eagle HK. Otherwise, things are pretty quite. Hang in there. Things will pick up soon!

New Pictures Of The Africam Black Eagles

Check out these new pictures of the Africam Black Eagles. I love the family picture!

Berry College Eagles and Southwest Florida Eagles: Sleeping In The Nest.

The nests are coming to life! Mom Berry College is spending the night in the nest.

And someone is home at the Southwest Florida nest tonight.

Loch of the Lowes Osprey Tracking Update, Bald Eagles HK and Sterling at Honey Bee Golf Course, Bald Eagle Azalea Jigsaw Puzzle

There is a tracking update for the Loch of the Lowes Osprey.

Pam Monahan has a new post. Bald Eagles HK and Sterling were spotted at Honey Bee Golf Course this past week. I hope they make a go of it this year!

Did anybody do the jigsaw puzzle of Buddy I posted the other day? Here's a jigsaw puzzle of Bald Eagle Azalea when she was 1 month old and got her leg bands.

Northeast Florida Bald Eagles Second Egg!, Bald Eagle Buddy Jigsaw Puzzle

Right on time, the Northeast Florida Bald Eagles laid their second egg today. They usually only lay 2 eggs. We'll know in three days if that's it.

I'm addicted to this online jigsaw puzzle site that I found. You can solve puzzles that other people have uploaded and you can upload pictures and turn them into puzzles for people to solve. (And did I mention that it's free!?) I did one of Bald Eagle Buddy when he was at Wild Birds Unlimited. Check it out!

Northeast Florida and Southwest Florida Bald Eagle Nests Are On Egg Watch!

Keep an eye on the Northeast Florida Bald Eagle nest tomorrow (11/19). They should lay the second egg tomorrow! And an adult will be on the nest now when you check in since they have an egg in the nest.

The Southwest Florida Bald Eagle nest is also on egg watch!

Northeast Florida Nest First Egg!, Loch of the Lowes Osprey Tracking Update, Africam Black Eagles

The Northeast Florida Eagles laid their first egg today, on the same date that they laid their first egg last year. How amazing is that!? Mom was sleeping tonight while standing over the egg.

She is still protecting the egg, but is delaying full time incubation to slow the development of the embryo. Then, after all the eggs have been laid, she will incubate full time. This will help the chicks to hatch closer together, so the first hatch won't have such a big size advantage over the later hatches. Here's a video A Look At The First Egg during an egg roll (1:03):

There was an Osprey Tracking Update almost a week ago that I missed posting. I'm looking forward to their next update since FR4 has gone exploring in this update, but by now has returned to familiar territory!

Check this out! Three years of Black Eaglets. These are three siblings from the same nest 2013, 2014, and 2015. And check out these pictures of bath time with the Africam Black Eagles. The parents are bathing and Kendi is just watching. What is it with kids not wanted to take a bath?

Odds And Ends

Dominion Virginia Power is taking steps to help protect large birds from being electrocuted on their power lines. Here's the story.

Here's some pointers for a visit to the Conowingo Dam.

Check out this web page of photos and descriptions about a Bald Eagle nest. The writer takes you all the way through the nesting season.

I love this picture of a Bald Eagle. The photographer better move fast if the Eagle does a poop shoot!

There's an electronics and household chemical waste collection in Hampton on November 21st:

Electronics recycling

Drop off unwanted electronics and household chemicals at the Public Works Operations Complex, 419 N. Armistead Ave., from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 21. The drop off is open to all Hampton, Poquoson, Williamsburg and James City County residents. Proof of residency may be required. Go online for more information.

Here are some nice Bald Eagle pictures.

Berry College Squirrel?

There was a Squirrel playing in the Berry College Eagle nest tonight. Play While You Can... (2:28):

White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15 Receiving Antibiotics, Waiting For Necropsy Results Of Bald Eagle Ozzie

The White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15 is not doing too well. His blood work has come back in. He has an infection and is being treated with antibiotics in the ICU of the zoo. They give him a 50/50 chance of survival. They are also studying his feathers to determine why they didn't come in right. One of the followers of this nest put together a nice montage.

We are still waiting on necropsy results for Bald Eagle Ozzie, of the Southwest Florida nest.

Berry College Eagles Mom Needs A Hard Hat, Loch of the Lowes Osprey Update, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 93, Belgian Malinois Diego

At the Berry College Eagle nest, Dad brought a piece of lumber to the nest. Mom ducked, but she still got clocked in the head. Mom Needs A Hard Hat (3:59):

There is a tracking update for the Loch of the Lowes Osprey. And there's a second post showing where the Osprey are wintering.

The White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15 is settled in at the zoo and is receiving care from their vets. He is eating well, gaining 1.3 pounds in his first two days of care. Here are a couple of updates on what's happening with SE16, who isn't spending time in the nest any more. So the ground reports keep us updated. Here's one update. And here's another update. Click on a picture to cycle through all of the available pictures.

Check out this dog that is helping to keep rhinos safe. He is a Belgian Malinois named Diego, and he's a bad-ass! The dog in my avatar is my dog Daisy, a Belgian Malinois mix. She is the smartest dog I've ever had, smarter than my Shelties!

Berry College Eagles Nestorations, Northeast Florida Approach Cam, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 91 SE15 Transfers To A Zoo, Bald Eagle HK, Bald Eagle's Big Catch

The Berry College Eagles have brought a lot of pine needles to their nest. It looks like it is ready for eggs already! In past nesting seasons, Mom has had a terrible limp. I've noticed that her left leg looks like it has been broken and has now healed out of alighment. She doesn't limp on it any more. It may still hurt, but she seems to be able to use it just fine. Look at the weird bend in her left leg.

They make such a pretty pair! And look at all the soft pine needles! They are still bringing more sticks and pine needles to the nest. Today, I saw them each bring a big wad of pine needles and Dad brought a huge stick.

I was hoping to see the Northeast Florida Eagles, but nobody was there while I was watching. But look at the beautiful scene on the approach cam! And that nest looks huge!

The White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15 was taken to a nearby zoo, where he will continue to recieve care from their veterinarians. Here's a video. He has been eating well and getting fluids. He has gotten antibiotics and an antifungal as a precaution. He will be quarantined until his blood work comes back, then he will go into some appropriate housing. He is in good hands.

Pam Monahan has a new blog post of Bald Eagle HK. He is a beauty!

Check out this Bald Eagle's big catch and swim to shore. (Warning, there's an f-bomb at 2:37, after the Eagle makes it to shore. So you can stop before it gets to that point and not miss anything.)

Southwest Florida Eagles, Harrison Bay Eagles, Northeast Florida Eagles, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 89

I caught up with the Southwest Florida Eagles today. Here's some s'caps from this afternoon. This is M15, the new male resident. The name comes from M for male and 2015 is the year he became attached to this nest.

And these are M15's feet.

What a beautiful picture on this cam! I hope it stays nice and doesn't get smeared or buggy. Mom is perched on a higher branch.

Mom looks beautiful in the infrared light.

And here's some video of M15 Close-ups, Duets & Failed Mating Attempt (14:23). Basically, it's all of the above s'caps, plus more, in video format:

One of the Harrison Bay Eagles is crouched, ready to take off.

There is endless amounts of work to be done on the nest.

The Northeast Florida eagle nest tree looks pretty backlit by the sun.

There are some updates for the White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15, who was taken to an animal hospital after falling/fluttering to the ground. So far they have found that he was a little underweight (but he's eating well) and some of his primary feathers didn't come in right. They are going to have to keep him in captivity for the lengthy process of having those feathers grow back in. Here's a video of his rescue and feeding (5:46):

They are currently working on transferring him to a zoo where he can be cared for until he can be released into the wild. Check out these pictures. So far, they haven't found anything wrong with him, but they are still waiting on the results of his blood work.

The Currawongs were pretty relentless today, dive-bombing SE16. Here's some video of Currawongs Attack SE16 (4:00):

Berry College Eagles Pair Bonding, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 88 SE15 Falls To The Ground, Africam Black Eagle New Pictures, Dyfi Osprey Calendars

Mom and Dad Berry College Eagles did some pair bonding today, when Dad Brings Food For Mom (11:27):

Yesterday, I speculated that the White-bellied Sea Eaglet SE15 would do one of two things after falling to a branch below the nest: make his way back into the nest by hopping from branch to branch or by fledging. That would be in a world where things go well. Of course, there is a bad third option, which is for SE15 to fall to the ground. Here's the video SE15 Falls To The Ground (5:31):

The people that are studying this nest found him and he is getting care at an animal hospital. So far, he doesn't have any broken bones. They are still doing tests.

There are many more pictures available of the Africam Black Eaglet Kendi. I had been trying to include links each time photos are posted, but it seems that some pictures are added at links so there is becoming a mix of old and new. Please just check out the main page for the Black Eagles.

The Dyfi Osprey folks are selling 2016 calendars.

Berry College Eagles Un-Stick The Landing, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 87 SE15's Bad Day, Dyfi Osprey Project Nest Clean-up, Africam Black Eagles New Pictures

Nestorations continue at the Berry College nest.

Stick delivery:

Mom and Dad spend a lot of time in the nest together. Bald Eagles bond while working on the nest together.

I like it when they come and go by the back door.

Dad is so tiny compared to Mom.

They take a break during the afternoon. Then they were both in the nest at dusk.

One of the parents had a bad landing in the nest while bringing a stick. I think it was Dad. Not only did he not stick the landing, but he also lost the stick. Check out Un-Stick The Landing (0:26):

There is some on-going drama at the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest. SE15 was hopping to the nest from the perch branch and missed the nest. He fell below the nest and spent the night there. During the day today, he has moved around some of the branches, but he hasn't fledged yet and still hasn't made it back into the nest. At one point, SE16 was trying to get away from a Currawong and flew right into SE15. But SE15 kept ahold of his perch and SE16 was able to untangle herself and fly off. Once SE15 is hungry enough, he will either work his way back into the nest by hopping among the branches or he will fledge and get back that way. Here's some video of SE15's Bad Day (11:37):

The folks at the Dyfi Osprey Project have cleaned up the nest. Check out their post about their work.

There are new pictures of the Africam Black Eagle Kendi and her parents.

I was out of town the last few days. I am getting ready to build a house in Maryland and I had to make the trip to sign the construction loan. I have created a new blog for the housebuilding.

Berry College Eagles, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 82, Africam Black Eagles

The Berry College Eagles are steadily working on their nest. 

Here's a video of the Highlights from today (6:44). (I'm having a problem embedding this video. Please just click the link.)

The White-bellied Sea Eagles were being harassed again today by the Currawong. They must have a nest with young nearby.

SE15 is so pretty!

Here's a video of today's Highlights at the nest (18:01).

Here's the video I promised you from yesterday, showing SE15 Branching & Other Highlights (23:19).

Here's three links to new pictures of Kendi, the Africam Black Eagle Fledgling. The second and third (I think) were taken at the same time by two different photographers. So, a lot of the pictures look almost the same.) There's also a Peregrine Falcon in the mix.
First Link
Second Link
Third Link

I just realized that this post came up as Tuesday, October 27. I was so late in the wee hours of the morning working on this post that it ticked over to the new day. This was actually my post for Monday, October 26.

Berry College Eagles Nestorations, Harrison Bay Eagles Nestorations, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 81 SE15 Branches!

The Berry College Eagles are back and they were doing some nestorations today!

Here's video of them doing some Nestorations (24:14):

The Harrison Bay Eagles were in the big pine:

Then they did a little work in the nest. I love this s'cap of them:

At least one of them is spending the night in the nest tree, but perched on a higher branch and we can only see the bottom half...

I am putting together some video from the White-bellied Sea Eagles, but I'm not going to be able to get it finished until tomorrow... The good news, SE15 branched today! Here's a s'cap and I'll have the video up tomorrow. You can see his tail where he has jumped up onto the perch branch:

Harrison Bay Eagles Nestoration Continue, White-bellied Sea Eagles Day 79 SE16 Misses The Landing!, Africam Black Eagle Day 148 Tough Love

The Harrison Bay Eagles were doing more nestorations today. Having spent the night in the nest tree, they were moving about the nest bright and early. (Dark and early?)

I like seeing them side-by-side. Pretty!

They were working together again to place the sticks.

And they were still going beak-to-beak to settle differences. Dad is still standing tall and reared back to get away from Mom's beak in the s'cap below. She is starting to turn away here.

Look at the size of this stick! If Dad is 3 feet from head to tail, that stick is at least 4 feet long!

The White-bellied Sea Eagle chicks are still miles apart in their development. SE16 is still flying back and forth between the camera tree and the nest.

Here, SE16 just landed to the left of SE15.

Check out this video of something new. SE16 does an exit, stage right! Then SE16 Misses The Landing! You can hear her crashing through the branches below the nest. It's scary when this happens -- this is how wings and legs get broken... Does she make it back ok? Watch the video to find out! (3:25)

There are new pictures of the Africam Black Eaglet Kendi. She is a stunner and these pictures are amazing! The parents (mostly Dad) are showing her aggression -- both for training and to make her feel unwelcome so she will leave the territory and strike out on her own. That's the way it is with the Black Eagles. They are not a warm/fuzzy species, with their siblicide and tough love... But check out these pictures, they clearly depict the interaction between Kendi and Dad. Amazing!!