Berry College Ealges Day 77&79 Fledge Watch Continues, Harrison Bay Eagles Day 33&35, White Rock Eagles Day 11&12, Dyfi Osprey, Poop Packet, Inbreeding in Osprey and Bald Eagles

I had fun keeping an eye on the Berry College nest today. Mom brought this big fish to the nest today. She did a touch and go off of the front branch on her way into the nest. She must have had a good grip on it -- dragging it over the branch didn't even faze her. This fish is at least 2 feet long! They pigged out and then the eaglets fell into a food coma while Mom stayed in the nest watching over them.

Here's a video of the delivery. (I figured out how to put videos  that I've uploaded to YouTube into my blog!) You can watch the Big Fish For Lunch video (1:29) by clicking the link or by hitting the play button below.

At one point during the feast, Dad showed up. It was nice seeing the family together, but talk about a crowded nest!

I have one more Berry College video from today. Later in the day, Mom was still in the nest with the eaglets when Dad brings a fish tail to the nest. One of the eaglets grabs the fish. Both eaglets then watched as Dad flies away. (They are really studying the parents when they fly away, taking notes I'm sure! Maybe we will see a fledge soon... Last year's eaglet fledged on day 89, so maybe not so soon...) Then the eaglet with the fish lets Mom know that her help is not needed... Here's the Fish Grab video (1:41).

The Harrison Bay eaglets have a lot of feathers coming in now.

They are like two peas in a pod.

I got a video from this nest today too (which I think is hilarious!) Both chicks pooped and the microphone is so sensitive that you can hear the raspberries! Turn up your speakers for the full effect! Here's the Audible Poop Shoots video (1:13):

Here's a look at the White Rock Eagle family from today.

In this s'cap, Mom is calling as another Bald Eagle does a fly-by. You can see the other bird flying away over the water.

This is Dad, so who was that flying past the nest?

I got a good look at the three Dyfi Osprey eggs. Mom didn't cooperate by letting me include her face in the s'cap. These are the best two I could get... The three eggs are clearly visible. Will there be a fourth? Only Mom knows...

Gotta mention poop again in this post. Something caught my eye this afternoon when I looked out my kitchen window. Something was on my deck railing. I have mentioned poop packets in previous blog posts. What I found on my deck railing was a poop packet. That tells me that I have babies in a nearby nest. I've never seen a poop packet in person, so this was neat! It was just as nice and self-contained as could be. I was surprised it was so large. I had a mint in my pocket and included that in the picture for reference. Here's a s'cap from the Berry College Bluebirds last year. One of the parents is removing a poop packet from the nest. This keeps the nest nice and clean.

And here's the picture I took today on my back deck. It's neat that I've seen a poop-packet. But I'm ok if they don't leave me any more!

 

Here is a link to a fantastic article at the Dyfi Osprey nest about inbreeding among Ospreys. I was glad I came across this article in light of Bald Eagle Dad Norfolk and his Daughter HE being a pair now. I've asked Reese Lukei for his thoughts about Bald Eagle inbreeding. I'll let you know what he says...

Berry College Eagles Day 47&49 Big Wing Span, Harrison Bay Eagles Day 3&5 Nest Sounds, Africam Black Eagle Nest Season Has Started

The Berry College Eagles are in their growth spurt! Look at this wing span -- I'm thinking it's as wide as the nest, about 5 feet!

I caught a family moment at the Harrison Bay nest. Dad dropped by for a meal. And Mom joined him in the dining area. And the babies didn't get any! Not to worry, they are getting plenty to eat. I captured a video, and it's all about sound (11:20): Dad landing near the nest, then in the nest, Dad eating, Mom eating, and there's even an audible poop shoot. There's also some beaking between the two siblings, with smaller HB8 sometimes being the aggressor. Here's some stills from the video:

Their heads look almost the same size in the above s'cap. But look at the difference in the size of their bodies. That's what a 2 day head start gets a hatchling:

All eyes are on Mom!

I had a calendar reminder pop up to check the Africam Black Eagle nest. And look at what I found the first time I brought it up this nesting season:

I lurked in the chat room for a few minutes and learned that this is Mom and that they put in a new camera this year. The picture does look nice and clear. They have always had sound. There is a nearby waterfall that can be heard. We should have two eggs by mid-April to early May. Typically for these eagles, if both eggs hatch, the older chick will commit siblicide. It can be hard to watch, so be aware of that if you choose to watch this nest. Laying two eggs is how this species ensures that they have at least one chick to raise. And siblicide is how this species ensures that they only have one chick to which they can dedicate all of their resources. It's in their nature. Very rarely do Black Eagles fledge two chicks from a nest... It's easier on viewers if only one egg hatches. So, that's what you hope for if you watch this nest. You can watch them here. I'm not sure if they are only streaming during certain times like they did in past years or if they will go 24/7 with the new cam. I just went to the site to see if I could figure out what the time difference is and when they stream. I didn't figure it out, but it is sunrise there now (and midnight on the east coast)... Here's the male perched on the cliff. I assume they panned over to him. Looking at the white-wash, I'd guess the nest or a perch is up to the right.

White-bellied Sea Eagle Video

Just a quick post to share the link to the video of the White-bellied Sea Eagle chick from the other day. This cracks me up every time I watch it! And, it's something that I've never seen (or should I say 'heard') before! And I've spent a lot of hours watching cams! Here's the link.