DEC 12 Video of male at nest

[NewMexiKen]

Arrived at nest about 11:10 AM and watched it for 10 minutes and decided it was empty. Suddenly the adult male appeared. Apparently flew in from the back of the nest. He arranged sticks for about 10 minutes and then settled down deep in the nest. He appeared to be looking around a bit as if expecting the female to visit. He was still sitting when we departed at about 11:45.











LOTS OF ROAD NOISE SO TURN DOWN VOLUME, SORRY!     VIDEO SHOULD SHOW HERE IF NOT VISIBLE, VISIT THIS YOU TUBE LINK

[johnnye]

Makes you kind of sad that he is so often alone lately. I saw both eagles in the melaleuca trees yesterday, 12/11 about 6:40am on the way to work. On the way home, Pride was alone there, about 4:30 pm. Today as I passed by and stopped for a minute, he was alone at the same place, at 3:50pm. KEN, did you read my message from the 11th with a little more info on the south dade eagles? I wrote that some are seen at a dump, but I found out that it is a water conservation facility, I think. Greg has some great photos of eagles from the south that he is going to post tonight.

[NewMexiKen]

Great! Will look forward to seeing Greg's photos!

I hope everyone who sees both eagles at the nest will either try to get good photos or assure whether the female is either the new one with some brown on her head and tail, or Joy.

Our working hypothesis is that Joy is still alive. She may be injured and is unfit for breeding, or she may have been driven away by the new female.

Photos will be the best way to document which female is present.

There have been many reports of both male and female Bald Eagles driving away and attempting to displace a member of another pair. I believe that there may not be enough time for Pride to bond with the new female and they may not nest. Yet, look at his behavior in my video clip-- he almost look as if he is sitting on eggs!

I found this older news article from West Virginia:

Charleston Daily Mail
Friday, March 23, 2012

http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/201203220219

The eagle population in the Eastern Panhandle is not huge but seems to be growing, said Jim Siegel, course leader and biologist.

"Over the last couple of years we've seen more eagles competing for nests," he said. "Last year as the first egg hatched, the male was driven away by a different male and disrupted the pair. The young eagle did not get fed and died at two or three days old. The original female and the new male paired and started a courtship, but it was too late in the season to re-nest. They did not fledge any young last year.

"This year the original female and the new male re-nested and there are two strapping baby eaglets," he said.

- See more at: http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/201203220219#sthash.sSQRugMB.dpuf

[johnnye]

Ken,
This is all so very new to me but I am loving it. But, if eagles mate for life, why isn't the mate defending which ever one is being driven away? Is that something they do? I was talking to someone taking pics yesterday afternoon at the nest and she was wondering about mating for life also.
The female I saw yesterday morning on the maleluca tree with pride I think was the "new" one. She was stocky and has a "dirty" head.

[johnnye]

Also forgot...yesterday after noon Pride kept looking east as if he were looking for the new mate. I saw him again this afternoon but not really looking any particular way.

[Lisa G]

If Joy is hurt she can't defend her nest // This happens a lot in the wild very common . I post a story about a nest up north on another  post but no responded to it .. if her Talon was hurt she can't defend her nest she would be killed by the Younger Female . I have said from Day one I know Joy is still around I wish we could help her but she is a Wild Eagle and she know what is Best for her ..

[Lisa G]

They do mate for Life but if one is hurt or can't produce Eggs they will move on ..

[NewMexiKen]

johnnye wrote: if eagles mate for life, why isn't the mate defending which ever one is being driven away?

Lisa answered this very well. It is true that Pride (and Joy) has often fought away intruding eagles, mostly immature and sub-adult. Either incapacity, death, disease or injury may necessarily end the partnership.

Your description of the "new" female is right on. I think she is bigger than Joy but could be wrong, and it is easy to tell her by the brown streaks in her head and tail.

[KellyHeffernan Proj Perch]

Ken and John -

I think it is very possible that Pride is still hanging out with Joy in
other parts of their territory while a new girlfriend hangs around the
nest.  An injury could be preventing Joy from mating if one leg is too
weak or she could be less fit and know she's in so shape to mate and
manage eaglets and so she is staying away.

See this article attached:

http://mag.audubon.org/articles/blog/do-eagles-remain-faithful-one-mate-their-entire-lives

Mating for life sounds so romantic, but nature allows birds a lot of the
other possibilities that we humans have.  They can move on after the death
of a mate, divorce and even sustain multiple relationships.

Cheers - Kelly

Kelly Heffernan
SFAS's Project Perch
[phone]

> Ken,
> This is all so very new to me but I am loving it. But, if eagles mate
for
> life, why isn't the mate defending which ever one is being driven away?
Is
> that something they do? I was talking to someone taking pics yesterday
afternoon at the nest and she was wondering about mating for life also.
The female I saw yesterday morning on the maleluca tree with pride I
think
> was the "new" one. She was stocky and has a "dirty" head.
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