DEC 20: Male incubating and female roosting nearby

[NewMexiKen]

I arrived at the nest at 9:45 AM and observed for about an hour. The male eagle (Pride) was incubating deep in the nest and I could only see the top of his head. Some prey remains partially block the view of his head:



The female (Jewel) was roosting high in a pine to the east of the nest.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4737/24332836837_9aac5c4d26_b.jpg

The female has exhibited a persistent dark spot near the tip of her bill, more visible on her left side. Without direct comparison with the male, this feature helps confirm her identity, along with bulky profile, deep gape which extends well under the eye and noticeably longer rear talons (halluxes). She also has disruption of the feathers on her breast over her brood patch, which is more extensive than that of the male:





Since the eagles lost their main roosting trees (the pine just to the east of the nest tree and the larger Melaleuca snags to the west of the nest) they have favored a new roost tree, s very tall pine which is on the SW corner of Pines Boulevard and 108th Avenue.

No other action except for the male getting up briefly to change position in the nest. We estimate that the first egg should hatch during the second week of January-- perhaps the 11th, on the assumption that incubation commenced on December 7th.