May 22: Female eaglet fledged on May 21

[NewMexiKen]

The female eaglet fledged yesterday (May 21), probably in late morning or  early afternoon. Two had been seen in the nest early in the morning but one was missing around 9:00-10:00 AM.

Phil had photographed the female "helicoptering" a few days earlier. He first observed this on May 13, when this eaglet was about 60 days old. Our records at this nest over the years have included seven accounts of the eaglets' ages when first seen "helicoptering" (hovering briefly over the nest) The median age was 71 days and the average was 73 days (range 60-80 days of age). On May 21 the female was 68 days old:



This morning (May 22)  Phil Martin found only the male eaglet in the nest:





I arrived at the nest at 7:55 AM just as Phil was departing and also found only  one eaglet. It is the male, based upon difference in gape and also the fact that the larger female has light feathers around her face and throat. No adults were seen.  





As I was walking away at about 8:30 the adult male flew to the nest and may have dropped a prey item, then continued on to roost nearby on the tall pine to the east of the nest:





After spending only 5-6 minutes at the roost, the eagle flew off to the east and then turned back out of sight towards the west: