White Rock Eagles Day 78&79 Fledge!, Dyfi Osprey Day 36,38&39, Loch of the Lowes Osprey Day 44,46&47, White-bellied Sea Eagle

Fledge at the White Rock Eagle nest today! When I brought up the cam this morning, one of the Eaglets was on a branch below the nest. This is not a fledge! Fledging means flying away from the nest tree. The Eaglet is still in the nest tree!

But it's not visible from the overhead cam.

In this shot, you can see that the Eaglet is a good bit below the nest. It can't hop/flap back to the nest. It's in a pickle. (I've circled the nest and both Eaglets.)

Later in the day, it was still on the branch and had missed food deliveries to the nest. It was motivated to fly and was restless on the branch. Finally, it took a couple of small test flaps...

...then with a strong flap it launched off of the branch.

Looking good!

A few hours later, both Eaglets were in the branches near the nest. (Have you noticed that the front branch is gone? One of the Eaglets was wingercizing and it snapped. That's not how the Eaglet ended up below the nest though. That was a different incident.)

The Eaglet that had been eating abandoned the fish to go under the parent and cry up at it. As long as a parent is around, they will cry to be fed... But that's ok. It gave the other Eaglet a chance to eat. I was glad to see them both eat, knowing that the one that went without all day finally got a meal. Fledge watch continues for the other Eaglet.

The parent was perched right next to the camera. I have no idea if this is Mom or Dad... I love the close-ups!

The nictitating membrane is closed here. That's a see-through eye lid.

Here's a video of the First Fledge and day's happenings at the White Rock nest (6:52).

The Osplets were enjoying a lazy day during the brief time I could watch at the Dyfi nest. Mom is lifting off of the nest in this s'cap.

There was lots of flapping at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes Osprey nest.

The Osplets are spending a lot of time looking out at the world. They are preparing to fledge.

At the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest, I think this is Dad.

And I think this is Mom...

I think this is Mom shoving Dad off of the nest. I don't think Dad would get away with shoving Mom out of the way... I've observed that Dad's head is more round on top and Mom's is more flat. This does look like round head in front and flat head behind doing the shoving...

Something is happening overhead. Not only is this a funny look, but the leaf looks like a hat...
 

 

Their heads rotate all the way around, and then some...

 

The Africam Black Eagle cam was not working this morning.