JAN 5: Male incubating, female roosting nearby

[NewMexiKen]

Checked on the welfare of the eagles this morning for about a half hour beginning at 9:10 AM. The male (Pride) was incubating deep in the nest and the female (Jewel) was roosting in the tallest pine at the SW corner of Pines & 108th Ave to the east of the nest. Pride's head was barely visible the entire time.There appear to be a few more loose branches hanging down from the left side of the nest, but I am not sure this is significant. We did have very heavy wind gusts the past two days. Wind was from the northwest:



There had been a heavy storm and a cold front has temps into the low to mid 40's. The female was puffed up against the cold.









We expect the first egg to hatch within the coming week. Jewel's photo shows some distinguishing features: large bill with deep gape which extends well past the middle of her eye, bulky "rectangular" shaped body as opposed to the tapered look of the male, and long hind claws (halluxes) which wrap around the branch almost as far as the front middle toe. Other features which are not related to gender are a rather persistent mark on the end of her bill on the bend, and a big shock of white feathers on the back of her neck which may relate to her larger size with the longer neck retracted. She also has evidence of a brood spot on her breast, although males develop a smaller one.