the eagle is hatching!

[MommyBird]

I was just watching mom feeding the chicks. She's such a good mom! She kept feeding them until they stopped eating. it looks like she's "teaching" them to tear up the fish meat. Most of the time she'd offer small bits but then she's offer a larger piece and hold it while they tore off some. Occasionally the older chick would reach over and grab a piece that was meant for the younger one . After the chicks ate, mom had her fill. Dad is being such a good provider. Seems like the chicks are growing by the hour now. Love watching the eagle family.

I agree, it is such a great de-stresser to watch this beautiful family go about life and hear all the sounds of the other wild birds and wind in the background.

 

[Hjarta5]

Here are some cute photos posted by the mods in their Flickr stream: AEF Mods

This one was taken of the siblings yesterday: https://flic.kr/p/2izovif

 

[Zara]

Tooooooo cute!!!!!!!!

 

[Mybluebird]

The eaglets are growing! The oldest has been attempting to stand up and walk around. Both are getting big and it looks like they are spending less time under mom. Mom has been digging around in the nest - is she doing "house cleaning"? Still having fun watching them.

 

[Hjarta5]

The oldest has been attempting to stand up and walk around.

Yesterday, it looked like the parents were moving sticks around to bolster the "guard rails" and I wondered if it was because the older chick was so active -- and very good at climbing! Its hard not to anthropomorphize this family

 

[MommyBird]

yeah, I saw in the narrative that Sampson was bringing sticks to the nest in addition to fish.
gotta get those guard rails higher now that they are exploring. Their feet are like giant clown feet!
(IMHO it's not anthropomorphizing if it's true!)

 

[Mybluebird]

The little eaglets were so cute this morning! Mom and dad were both out of the nest and the two little ones were snuggled up together resting. One big ball of fluff!

 

[Hankmacaw]

Does it look like they are getting less fluff and teeny-tiny pin feathers? Makes me nervous when neither mom nor dad is there. Maybe they don't have a lot of predators in that area. They are still little babies.

 

[Mybluebird]

In the sidebar I've read that either mom or dad is perched nearby when neither is in the nest. Yes, it does look like the older one is getting small feathers on his back. Their feet are yellow - looking like chicken feet!

 

[Hawk12237]

Does it look like they are getting less fluff and teeny-tiny pin feathers? Makes me nervous when neither mom nor dad is there. Maybe they don't have a lot of predators in that area. They are still little babies.

One or the other will always be close by while one of them goes for food. They will not hunt together when there is chicks in the he nest. The one that hunts can actually travel miles to get food. The babies are known to spend nearly a year with parents. Sometimes more.

 

[Hjarta5]

In the commentary, it refers to the term "bonking," e.g. "NE22 bonked NE23 so he is laying out this feeding so far." What does this mean?



And I agree, those baby "chicken feet" are so cute!

 

[Zara]

In the commentary, it refers to the term "bonking," e.g. "NE22 bonked NE23 so he is laying out this feeding so far." What does this mean?

When I hear the term ¨bonk¨ I always think of Tika @JLcribber
I´m not sure what that means, maybe one chick put the other in it´s place to be sure it eats?

 

[Hjarta5]

I´m not sure what that means, maybe one chick put the other in it´s place to be sure it eats?

It does seem like that. I watched a feeding for awhile and the little eaglets look like bobbleheads when it comes to jostling one another for a bite

 

[Zara]

I can´t handle how cute these chicks are!ª!!! I´m loving all the screenshots!!

 

[Toy]

I was watching & saw N22 (larger chick) whack (hard peck) N23 (smaller chick) in the head. He didn't want to share food. Sadly eagle chicks can kill each other. It's survival of the fittest. Sampson was on the nest feeding at the time. Then Gabrielle came in & Sampson moved over & stepped right on N23. The poor thing just laid there for a few minutes before moving. N23 did get fed later & is OK.

 

[Mybluebird]

Bonking does mean one chick forceably pushed the other away to get at the food using his head. I was watching the feeding and saw it. I also saw mom giving food to one chick and the other nudged in and got the food. Both parents seem to make sure they both get enough. I've also seen mom turning around in the nest and step on one of the chicks. She must not have put much weight on it and it just moved away when she lifted her foot.

 

[Hawk12237]

I was watching & saw N22 (larger chick) whack (hard peck) N23 (smaller chick) in the head. He didn't want to share food. Sadly eagle chicks can kill each other. It's survival of the fittest. Sampson was on the nest feeding at the time. Then Gabrielle came in & Sampson moved over & stepped right on N23. The poor thing just laid there for a few minutes before moving. N23 did get fed later & is OK.

Your are correct in that....There is two young eagles here, sadly only one will probably survive. The mortality rate in the first 6 months is 72% during fledging. Sometimes when they are learning to fly, they can fall...down through the branches and injure them selves.
Parents sadly have been known to attack and eat their young. Rare, but does happen. The greatest survival challenge for eaglets in the nest comes from each other. The parents will not protect the eaglets from each other.

 

[Hawk12237]

Bonking does mean one chick forceably pushed the other away to get at the food using his head. I was watching the feeding and saw it. I also saw mom giving food to one chick and the other nudged in and got the food. Both parents seem to make sure they both get enough. I've also seen mom turning around in the nest and step on one of the chicks. She must not have put much weight on it and it just moved away when she lifted her foot.

The first born chick will have advantage and head start over other chick. As you watch over the course of the next few weeks it will turn into a battle of the nest between the two. Sad, but statistics ( mortality rate 50-72 %) shows only one usually survives the nest.

 

[MommyBird]

NoNoNoNo @Hawk12237 . It is unlikely in this nest that one chick will kill the other, or one will starve to death.
We are already past the window when that would happen if it were going to PLUS the parents are such good providers that there is absolutely no shortage of food.
It is a good spot and even when Romeo and Juliet were the parents this did not happen in this nest.
The moderators on the chat have covered this numerous times.

 

[Hawk12237]

NoNoNoNo @Hawk12237 . It is unlikely in this nest that one chick will kill the other, or one will starve to death.
We are already past the window when that would happen if it were going to PLUS the parents are such good providers that there is absolutely no shortage of food.
It is a good spot and even when Romeo and Juliet were the parents this did not happen in this nest.
The moderators on the chat have covered this numerous times.

You haven't done your research,
My friend, I've raised many birds of prey, and belong to the osprey nesting program. I study them quite a bit... we have an eagle nest about 400 yards out behind our house... The window your talking about is yet to begin.
It's sad I know, but it's reality.
The good news is this nest here that we all are watching is monitored, so in the event one of the chicks gets bumped out of nest by sibling rivalry, the person or people monitoring the nest will recover the chick. And all is well.
But in reality, that doesn't happen with other poor chicks.
Sorry to say your wrong, I don't like it either, but it's nature and a fact of eagle nature.