JAN 17: Female still sitting deep on nest

[NewMexiKen]

A brief but intense rain and wind storm passed over between 7 and 8 AM this morning. This was the view from our back patio just before sunrise, at about 7:00 AM.



We got out to the Bald Eagle nest around 9:15 and found the nest intact but with a recently dead branch obscuring its right half. It had not been there yesterday and either it was brought in or, more likely, fell from the nest tree. The female (based upon other photos which showed persistent dark tips to several upper tail coverts) was deep in the nest and only popped her head up a few times over the left rim of the nest. .



At about 10:00 AM she stood up, ruffled her feathers, spread her wings and preened for about 5 minutes.





She looked down into the nest...



...and then changed her position to face to the right and settled down deep in the nest. No feeding activity or male eagle were observed.

[Linda954]

So two eagles have not been seen together since Jan. 13?   Hope all is okay.

[Lisa G]

Went to the nest for about 3 1/2 hours today . Pride was in the nest and waiting for Jewel to return . She did right a 6:05 it was already dark at that time they both stayed a the nest for a very short time then Pride flow to his favorite branch to take his Break from laying on the Egg or Eggs . I was not leaving until  I seen Jewel come back for the night . They are Both Fine and Doing a great Job :) I will post pictures later it is late . But I wanted everyone to know Pride & Jewel are both fine . I would not worry if you don't see them both at the same time at this point they half to do the exchange and if you are not there to see the exchange you miss them both being together . Once the Egg or Eggs hatch we will see more of both Pride & Jewel :)   Also let me note that Pride was sitting deep in the nest and there was no feeding at the nest and no signs of the Eggs hatching today .

[Liza]

I observe everyday , 2 times sometimes 3 times a day . They have been fine, she's been doing a great job honkered down on the nest. She'll sometimes be very deep and many think she's not there until she pops her head and or turns.

[Liza]

Here's a short clip - hope it works - if it doesn't just copy and paste to go to page
https://vimeo.com/152228571

[Liza]

Another short clip - https://vimeo.com/152230380

[Liza]

Sorry , I didn't realize I didn't resize the images and they're huge !

[NewMexiKen]

The female is unusually active, probing about. Although she is certainly very low in the nest, i wonder if hatching may be in progress. Very clear videos. Liz. It is good to hear the traffic noise to which the eagles have become accustomed!

[NewMexiKen]

This is a crop from the photo upon which I based my opinion that it was the female incubating on the nest just after the storm on Sunday, January 17. I never obtained a photo of the eagle's head. Without seeing them together or at least seeing them roosting out in the open it is very hard to tell them apart by plumage. Last I got a good photo of Jewel she had a pure white upper tail and only two narrow longitudinal streaks on the underside of the tail feathers (probably two individual feather shafts). She also showed dark streaks on her upper and lower tail coverts. Her head was entirely white. My photo from January 17 led me to conclude it was the female based upon this crop of the upper tail coverts. I may be wrong. Do we have any clear photographic evidence that Jewel was seen after JAN 16th?: