‘Raining Eagle Eggs’…Wednesday in Bird World

28 February 2024

Hello Everyone,

Well, be careful what you wish for. I was longing for winter and snow and got both. Tuesday morning the winds were howling, the gusts shaped the snow in all kinds of configurations around the garden, covered part of the car, and made the sidewalk impassable. It was -18 C. With the wind chill, I suspect it was nearer to -30 C. Time to get out the heavy coat, toque, mitts, scarves, and anything else to help keep warm. Of course, hot chocolate helps, too!

The cats are unphased by it all. The Boyfriend came to eat at his feeder after it had been cleared and refilled several times. I wish he would stay in his little house here instead of wandering everywhere, but isn’t that silly when I advocated for Flaco to be able to fly all over the place?

Hugo Yugo will get her onsie on Thursday. It will give us a fortnight for her to get used to it before her surgery. Bless her heart. She is so so tiny.

Calico has really taken to wanting to be brushed again. She isn’t too keen on the Dental wipes and, as a result, she has to be wrapped up like a burrito. It works. Only her head sticks out and I can get the wipe way back to the distant teeth that might, otherwise, not get cleaned. I sure hope these wipes work!

Calico is becoming more active. Not sure if it is the warmer days we had before the storm or if the weight that she has lost is making her feel better.

Missey is always beautiful. She has had her teeth cleaned with wipes and her nails trimmed and didn’t make a single fuss. Oh, that lovely Maine Coon disposition.

Jackie and Shadow were still a little wet when they woke up Tuesday morning. As the morning progressed their feathers dried off. We are now at the 28th day of February. The eggs are still in tact. We are one day away from pip watch for the first egg. Can you believe it? Many of you will remember that Shadow has incubated eggs for 60 days that were not viable. Oh, please let one of these hatch!

Shadow comes in with a fish and Jackie sys her thank yous. There is a good long look at the eggs. Still intact. We are now ONE day away from pip/hatch watch for egg number one.

I love Shadow looking at their eggs. Staring at them. Can they hear the little eaglet?

More incubation exchanges and at 14:19 on Tuesday there were 11,252 people watching this couple incubate their three eggs. Gosh, they did. More than 10,000 people. We are all holding our breath.

Shadow was in the branches above the nest. Jackie was chortling to him when she flew off. He arrives and carefully takes his place over the eggs.

Making the news!

Diamonds for Jackie. ONE day away from pip/hatch watch. Might there be triplets in Big Bear?

Richmond is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Rosie!

The new Bald Eagle couple that has been coming, going, and inspecting the Dulles-Greenway nest of Rosa and Martin and then Rosa and Lewis must not believe their luck.

Did Rosa ‘divorce’ Lewis? Is she OK? Is he? I always wonder when there is a failed nest and the eagle or eagles just leave.

Egg three for Mum and new Dad at Centreport. ‘H’ says reported time of arrival was 18:08 nest time Tuesday.

It isn’t just Royal Albatross chicks that build play nests. E23 had some fun making his/her own, too.

Sutton Centre shows us the three eggs that are at the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest.

Jolene and Booth have their second hatch at ETSU, JC24. You can see the hole shortly after 10. That little one is working hard. It will be out of this shell in three hours from the top image.

It is about three weeks until pip/hatch watch at Moorings Park. Circle your calendar for March 20-21. Spring babies!

Things seem to be alright at Eagle Country. Less prey evident on the nest and fewer feedings.

Lots of fish on the nest of Pepe and Muhlady for the eaglets.

I sure might have missed it, but I am not seeing the male come and give Mum a break at Duke Farms on Tuesday. She got up off the eggs after 1600.

R6 still likes Mum or Dad to feed him even though he is fully capable of finishing off any fish brought to the WRDC nest.

There was concern over another pigeon band, which R6 expelled. It was thought that he might try eating the pigeon leg that had the band again, but Ron arrived and, to the relief of all, ate the leg and band. Whew.

Really windy at the JB Sands Wetlands eagle nest. That metal tower just shakes…you have to turn the volume down. Both adults at the nest. Everything looks alright.

Bella and Scout have their first egg ever together at the National Conservation Training Centre bald eagle nest. Scout was in attendance during the labour.

It is the third egg for the couple at the FOLFAN Eagle nest. Lots of third eggs this year.

Denton Homes has its third egg, too, on the 27th!

I always see hawks hunting rodents, but I have to admit I have never seen a Peregrine Falcon with a rodent. We think of the falcons as aerial hunters. I do hope this one was not poisoned – it makes me very uneasy.

It is enlightening that California has passed legislation to ban rodenticides. I hope everyone joins with them.

At Great Spirit Bluff, it appears that Newman has selected Lisa as his new mate!

There are all kinds of lotteries on which osprey will be at the nest first in the UK, in Wales, or at specific nests. ‘L’ sent me the link to the history of the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Elen (formerly of Aran and Mrs G). This will be Elen’s first return – will she arrive before Aran? Mrs G used to arrive early, and sometimes, she got into mischief with Aeron Z2 over at the Pont Cresor platform.

I just want them all to get home safely.

I had a question today. Do songbirds practice siblicide? The answer, as far as I know, is ‘no’. And while we might, on rare occasions, see siblicide in hawks or falcons, there are some species for which killing the younger siblicide is ‘normal’. As we move deeper into Bald Eagle season and Osprey season approaching, it is a good time to educate ourselves about this behaviour. Here are two articles to get you started.

How closely will they investigate? A groundsman of 20 years shot dead while out walking who is connected with the notorious Edradynate Estate. What did he know? Was he going to testify? Or was he simply unlucky?

Thank you so much for being with me today. So many nests and not time to watch or cover all of them. Just hold your breath. ONE day away from staring at the Big Bear nest of Jackie and Shadow for any hint that an eaglet might be thinking of making its way into the world. Oh, Shadow is going to be so delighted. Take care!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, screen captures, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L, R’, FOBBV, Golden Gate Audubon, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Johnson City ETSU-E1, Moorings Park, Eagle country, Superbeaks, Duke Farms, WRDC, JB Sands Wetlands, Wings of Whimsy, Cal Falcons, Ashley Wilson, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Research Gate and Explore Blog.