FEB 19: Both adults on the nest at 10:45-11:00 AM

[NewMexiKen]

Stopped by the eagle nest at about 10:45 AM today and found both the male and the new female on the nest. Within a minute the male flew up and to the west, circling back to where I thought he might be roosting. While I looked there Mary Lou noted some fluttering at the nest but did not see anything different with her binoculars. I returned to the nest and took a few more photos of the female sitting alone on the nest, or so I thought. At home i saw that the male had returned and was barely visible to the left, where the rim of the nest is built up quite high. He is either sitting deep on that side, or roosting very close to the nest. Incubation seems doubtful as both eagles have been seen together roosting away from the nest. Other observers reported seeing the head and yellow bill of an eagle to the left during the past week. One might hypothesize that the young female dumped eggs but does not have a strong enough instinct to care for them and the male is attempting to incubate.

The male is on the left:



He suddenly appeared restless and was looking up:



He exited the nest and flew to the right (west):

 



I did not see that the male had returned until I looked at the photos on the computer screen:

[Liza]

You got there right after I left . When I arrived at 10:00 am I only saw the female on the rim eating . Then all of a sudden Pride popped up from inside the nest. They both began moving twigs as you see on my post . I left and came back at 11:30 am to only find Pride on the rim of the nest no signs of the female . Shortly after he took off to the East/South side.

[NewMexiKen]

Hi, Liza,
Phil Martin visited after you left and sent his observations and excellent photo (FEB 19):

Ken, both Pride and the new girl were at the nest at 12:30. She left the nest and put on a great airshow before departing to the north west.