Berry College Day 13&15

Eaglets are able to thermoregulate at 2 weeks old, so the cold shouldn't be such a threat to the babies now. However, Mom will continue to brood her babies when it's cold -- for as long as she can fit them underneath her. (They are already starting to get a bit unmanageable...) They made it through the storm ok. But I didn't see Dad Berry at all today, so I either missed him or it's a bit concerning... Hopefully, I'll see him tomorrow. Here's my s'caps from today.

Mom kept tight on the babies today except for the occasional feeding. She kept this posture for a long time. It doesn't look comfortable, but I imagine it helped to keep warmth in the nest bowl. The adults don't poop from the nest very often. When the snow was flying yesterday, Mom didn't want to leave her babies to take a break, so she did a poop shoot from the nest toward the camera. Notice all the 'whitewash' on the front right branch...

I finally got a look at the babies when they played peek-a-boo. I was glad to see the movement.

Then later there was a feeding. The younger chick laid down and let the older one eat first. I was worried when Mom fed bite after bite to the older chick and the younger one got none. I thought that Mom was going to finish and settle back into brooding the chicks before the younger one could get any food. But as the older chick's hunger was satisfied, the younger chick perked up and began taking bites, getting several in a row. This s'cap was when the feeding first started and the younger chick was laying down.