BRANCHING!!!!!
March 25
Baby has been contemplating this branch for about a week... the parents spent last week demonstrating how a little eaglet might fly/hop onto it
Eaglet would start racing to the edge of the nest, fast as could be, and come to a screeching halt right at the edge..then start over again.
But this time, we have it... SUCCESSFUL BRANCHING!!!!!
What a big, big day...first a baby branches, then it is time to fly!!
Eaglet had the cutest little shimmy back to the nest
Hey Mom! Did you see that??
DINE AND DASH
APRIL 5
Here is an event I was unprepared for...this happened several times. The parent just appears in the nest with a sudden flurry of activity. Lunch is being delivered! Baby squeals and screeches in delight for a few minutes before diving in.
I'm guessing Snapper? Or maybe Grouper?
A nice full belly means it's time to practice flying..
We have lift-off!!
Uh oh, now how to get home?
MORE PRACTICE
AND SOMETIMES BABY NEEDS A SCRATCH AND SOMETIMES BABY NEEDS A NAP
April10-15
Eaglet is spending a lot of time in the nest tree this week, and has been moving out to some surrounding trees too.
Weekends bring a change of pace, with a quiet construction site, but lots of boaters and playing, screaming children and dogs on the sandbar just below.
Baby makes it known when its tummy is empty, or the ospreys are pestering
Our little Giblet has had a big week with flights in the nesting area, and even over the big scary bridge and across the bay!
BUT all this activity makes an eaglet very sleepy
Sometimes you can hardly keep your eyes open,
Well then, it's time for a scratch.
The Osprey and Eagle parents had a talon to talon -over the water fight, and shortly thereafter an osprey attacked the eaglet in flight. Eaglet skedaddled back to the trees....there's a possibility that baby's right talon was injured.
Other than the osprey attacks, this is a week for baby to stand lookout in the nest area,
groom,
look for mom and dad and osprey (and those infernal crows)
and balance
and hope mom or dad is coming back with some food, especially since they have left baby largely on its own these last days
swinging by with a piece of fish from time to time. But they only stay a few minutes
Word is late this week that eaglet has had enough of the osprey bullying and gave the osprey a bop on the head and chased it away!
Next: Vicious Osprey Attack!
so -- questions -- do they sleep standing up? and is there usually just one egg? how on earth would the parents provide for more than one?
ReplyDeleteThis baby seems to doze in the trees. But always deep in the trees....I saw it fall asleep in the nest too when it was younger, and not yet flying. Cutest thing evvverrrrrrrr.....
ReplyDeleteI think there was another baby the first week I was there, but I could never capture it on camera. After that it was gone. It looked much smaller, and could not keep its head up. From what I've read, many things can happen to the weaker baby, including the stronger sibling getting rid of it.