DEC 27: Is incubation undeway?

[NewMexiKen]

Received a call from Al Griffin about 1:15 PM to report that both eagles were on the nest with one adult deep in the nest with top of head and tail visible. He said they were calling to each other.

Al called back a while later and said that one adult had flown to roost next to the nest and the other remained deep but had just stood up. Within a few seconds he saw it seem to be arranging the nest but then turned 180 degrees and once again settled so deep that he or she could not even be seen. Mary Lou and I visited the nest at about 1:40 and observed for a half hour. All that time the female was roosting to the right of the nest and we never saw a second one. Either the male was incubating deep or had flown off before we got there.

The left rim of the nest is high and the nest goes back on that side of the tree trunk. This happened with Jewel's second brood last year. She rarely was visible and we were never sure she was incubating until the first eaglet appeared. Try to watch for at least 30 minutes if the nest appears empty, as an incubating adult will periodically stand up, even briefly, to arrange the eggs and change position in the nest.