Legacy arrived on her nest tree at 10:41:31 on the 1st of May. She had been missing in action from the streaming cam for three days since she flew off the tree on the 28th of May at 9:53:51. When she returned to her nest tree yesterday, it was unclear if the parents knew she was there. They had been checking for the past three days – Samson even staying for more than eight hours waiting for his beloved little one. On the 29th he brought a fish at 11:09:45 but no Legacy. On the 30th, there was a flyby by Legacy under the nest with Samson arriving 47 seconds later. They just missed one another!
Legacy waited all day on 1 May for her parents to arrive with food. She called them from the nest and the look out branch. At one point her voice appeared to be hoarse. We ached for Legacy as nightfall came and she was still on the lookout branch. To add insult to injury, as they say, an owl came and attached Legacy during the night. Legacy valiantly defended herself and her nest. The owls are becoming increasingly problematic to the eagles and the Ospreys. The damage that they can inflict can be enormous. Sorry, but I do not think owls are cute and cuddly. They have wrought much damage in my neighbourhood with birds not even near their nest.
It was so sad waking up and finding Legacy still there with no parent and no food on 2 May. By this time there were questions: where are the parents? did they leave on their summer migration? could this really be happening? will Legacy starve? Some believed that it was a parental lesson: food is not always readily available. We will never know the answer nor will we know if the parents were feeding Legacy off the nest tree. I wish Legacy could tell us the story of her adventures those three days.
At 11:16:39 Legacy picks up the volume control on her calling and sure enough, a parent comes flying into the nest tree. Gabby arrives at 11:18:02.
Legacy is sooooo excited. She mantles immediately – this is my nest!
Gabby lands on the Lookout Branch but she brings no food. Legacy goes up the branch mantling and food begging.
Then Legacy returns to the nest.
Gabby leaves. Where is Samson?
Gabby returns to the nest at 12:06:31. They are both waiting for Samson to come with a food delivery for Legacy.
It is reassuring to see Gabby has Legacy waiting in the nest tree and not leaving.
As I mentioned yesterday late, one of my eagle experts tells me that the fledglings have to imprint their environment – making mental markers in their brain so that they can return to the nest. It is one of the reasons that they take shorter flights in and out of the nest adding distance til they are fully capable of living on their own. It is entirely possible that Legacy ‘had lost’ her nest and only found it yesterday. Whatever happened there is great relief in bird world. Samson cannot just go to a fish shop and buy a fish for Legacy. It takes time and fishing is easier some days than others – or finding any prey for that matter. Bald Eagles do not just eat fish like Osprey. Legacy will be assured of a meal some time today. Just stay put Legacy!!!!!!! It is windy there and the water will be very choppy as grey skies float in but Samson will work hard for Legacy!
In other Bird World news, all eyes are on the three eggs in the nest of the Red Tail Hawks, Big Red and Arthur, at the Fernow nest on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York.
Arthur is on incubation duty and he is checking those eggs!
There will be lots of late night news. Thank you for joining me. I knew you would be waiting to hear about Legacy. It was a long day yesterday waiting with her but so happy Gabby has her at the nest tree. That is such a huge relief.
Thank you to the NEFLorida Bald Eagle Cam and the Cornell Bird Lab Red Tail Hawk cam for their streaming cameras. That is where I get my screen shots.