In Memory of Bald Eagle HE

Bald Eagle HE was the youngest of three that hatched in the nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in 2009, daughter of Bald Eagles Mom and Dad Norfolk. Her egg was laid shortly after midnight on 2/17/2009. She hatched on Wednesday 3/25/2009, after 36 days of incubation. On 4/22/2009, she received purple leg band HE. Here, the letters on her band are just visible:

The three chicks from the Norfolk Botanical Garden nest in 2009.

L-R Dr Bryan Watts with Sunday (HH -- Azalea), Reese Lukei with Saturday (HK), and Stephen Living with Wednesday (HE)

On 6/2/2009, she fell from the nest while hopping and wingercizing. A witness on the ground said she dropped like a rock and at the last minute put out her wings to glide to the ground without injury. She was captured by Reese Lukei and spent the night at his house. The next day, Nuckols Tree Care returned her to the nest. She fledged on 6/8/2009, 75 days after hatching. She was last seen at the Norfolk Botanical Garden on 7/27/2009.

But that's not the end of her story. On 4/26/2011, Mom Norfolk was struck and killed by a plane at the neighboring Norfolk airport, leaving Dad without a mate. On 2/3/2015, it was discovered that HE's father, Dad Norfolk, had taken a new mate -- and it appeared that they were incubating an egg. Photographers tried for months to get a good picture of the mate's leg band. Finally, the new mate was identified as being HE! On 3/12/2015, they were observed feeding a chick. Their one eaglet fledged on 5/29/2015. Dad Norfolk and HE had recently been doing nestorations in preparation for the new nesting season. But it was not to be. Bald Eagle HE was found dead on 1/6/2016.

HE, we will miss you. Fly free with your Mom. May your son have a long and prosperous life! And may Dad Norfolk find a new mate...

Africam Black Eagle Day 32, Dyfi Osprey Day 28,30&31 Synchronized Wing Stretches, Loch of the Lowes Day 36,38&39 Banding & Transmitters, White-bellied Sea Eagle Second Egg Laid! & Dad Has A Mishap, White Rock Eagles Day 70&71, Duane Noblicks Photography

The Africam Black Eagle was just a puddle of fluff this morning.

There was a funny moment at the Dyfi Osprey nest this morning. They were all laying in different areas of the nest.

And then I could see why when they did Synchronized Wing Stretches (0:48):

The Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes Osprey cam was off air for a little while today while they were ringed (banded) and two got transmitters. (I'll need some good zooming so I can see the new bling...) Before:

After:

Today was a big day for the White-bellied Sea Eagles. Right on time, Mom laid her second egg! (Keep in mind when you look at the camera date/time that they are 14 hours ahead of us.) She was resting with her eyes closed earlier in the night.

At one point, she even had her head tucked.

Then, she was wide awake!

 She labored for about 8 minutes.

Then she moved around and we can just see two eggs through the sticks of the nest.

 Here's a video of her Laying the Second Egg (5:07):

Here's a close-up of the two eggs taken later in the day:

Shortly after that, Dad has a mishap at the nest. He went to take-off from the nest, but it looks like a talon got caught on the nest. He recovered, but I'll be looking for a limp... Here's the Failure To Launch video (1:02):

The White Rock Eaglets were just hanging out on a windy day during the brief time I had to visit with them this morning.

Duane Noblick posted a couple of pictures of a fledgling on the Norfolk Eagles Forum. He takes such nice pictures! Feel free to poke around the forum while you are over there. You can also click the link at the bottom of his post and check out his photography website. I think you'll enjoy them both!

The Harrison Bay Eagle Cam was down tonight when I checked in...

Berry College Eaglet Day 82, Nest Cam Round-up: Two Harbors (Banding), Hays, White Rock, and Berry College Bluebird, Bald Eagle Camellia Checked In (Pictures!)

Today was day 82 for the Berry College Bald Eagle. I only have a couple s'caps from today of this eaglet. The nest was empty.

The eaglet was perched on a branch and the skies looked ominous.

 

 

I didn't spend much time at the Berry nest because all of the time I had to watch a cam during the day today was during the Two Harbors banding. I got some good s'caps... (You can check out this YouTube video if you want to watch the whole thing -- about a half hour.) Before the banding, the eaglet is in the nest with one of the adults.

Then the adult started looking and calling, getting more and more agitated. I knew people were visible to the parent.

The parent finally left the nest. Adult Bald Eagles will defend an offspring unless it feels that it too would be threatened by staying. Humans are so big, that and adult's self-preservation kicks in. (At some nests though, the parents will take to the air and then will harass the people, dive-bombing them and trying to cause damage with their talons.)

The camera swung around to show some of the people approaching the nest.

Then a hat appeared...

Here the eaglet is trying to appear larger.

Getting to know you...

The grab.

It's important to control the feet. Even an eaglet can inflict serious damage. Talons are the eagle's main weapon.

Spraying a little mist onto the eaglet and into its mouth to help keep it cool. (Ummm. Can somebody wipe off the camera?)

 

Measuring the beak here. They have tables where they can cross the measurements to determine the gender of the eaglet. Heard after the measurement was taken, "33.58 -- You're a girl."

They also measure the hallux, which is the back talon -- much like our opposable thumbs.

Before I could even get a s'cap of the camera cleaning in progress, the camera lens is wiped off and we get a great image.

You can see the orange patagial wing tags in the man's hand on the left. These tags are nice -- the number can be seen from below when the bird is in flight and from the outside of the wing when the bird is perched.

Fitting the tag on the eaglet's right wing.

Attaching the tag on the left wing.

They then set the eaglet down on the blue cloth to attach the leg bands. The view was blocked while they did so. I had to leave at this point. When I came back a few minutes later, the eaglet was in the nest.

They zoomed in for a better view of the wing bling.

 

This eaglet is now K43.

It looks like a miserable night at the Hays nest.

The chicks at the White Rock nest seem to have really grown seemingly overnight! The positioning during this feeding wasn't the best, but it's all I've got... Still a pretty scene!

The adult tore off a piece of food and then looked around before feeding it to the chick. You can see something white hanging from its beak.

The chick behind the adult is stretching. They all do this... It must feel good and I think it looks so cute!

The adults are always aware of what's going on around the nest. Chicks at this age are susceptible to predators. In the next three s'caps the parent is checking all around the nest.

The Berry College Bluebird's tail feathers are growing in.

This s'cap was taken tonight. The baby doesn't need to be brooded overnight any more. It's got its head tucked in here.

Bald Eagle Camellia checked in. Jim Yanello took two pictures of Camellia in flight on 5/13. Reese posted them on his blog. Cammy is looking great!

Berry College Eaglet Day 79, Nest Cam Round-up: Hays, White Rock, Berry College Bluebird, and Bald Eagle Camellia Checked In

Today is day 79 for the Berry College Bald Eagle. I spent most of the day with the approach cam... Eaglet on the left...

...then hopping around in the nest wingercizing -- catching some air here...

...then over on the right...

... a little further on the right...

...back in the nest flapping...

...back over on the left.

The eaglet is more comfortable in the branches now than in the nest. Nests are only used by adults for raising babies. As I explained in a previous post, a Bald Eagle's anatomy allows them to grip a branch while they are at rest. I think the eaglet has got the hang of it, even spending the last several nights in the branches.

It was already dark when I checked in at the Hays nest. I found this scene of a happy family.

I think that the White Rock nest is so pretty. So I'm including most of the s'caps that I took today... You can see one of the parents perched above the nest.

And we have come full circle...

Pretty view from the wide angle cam.

And the PTZ cam was moving around showing the surrounding area.

 

 I'm a little disturbed by the happenings at the Berry College Bluebird nest today. First, let me say that I am fine with banding birds and putting transmitters on larger birds. I think it's important for biologists to learn from bands and transmitters. But the adults at the Bluebird nest do not like the band on the baby. They kept trying to take the band and were pulling the baby's leg, over and over again, and flipping the bird onto its back. I don't know if this is common behavior in songbirds and if they will stop trying to remove it. I don't see any concerns about this on their web site... I guess I'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
Here's the baby with the shiny band on its leg. It's fairly obvious and the parents know it is there:

The baby is flipped onto its side/back here, with the baby's band/leg in Dad's beak. Dad was especially determined to remove the band.

 Here's my other s'caps of this nest from today:

What a grumpy face! (And this was before all of the leg pulling...)

This baby is up for food every time an adult comes to the nest!

Bald Eagle Camellia has checked in.