NOV 28 Both adults on nest and interacting

[NewMexiKen]

I arrived at the nest at about 10:20 AM this morning. Phil had been watching and was just leaving. He said that the female (Jewel) had been sitting on the nest and male had just come in and seemed to take over. He said they did not sit deep in the nest as if incubating.  I found the female roosting just above and to the right of the nest. The male (Pride) was sitting on the nest, rather high.



The female flew down join her mate



They were eating something in the near side of the nest. Pride's beak got stained:



The pair began interacting. They did not vocalize, but touched beaks several times:





Pride fluffed up and pushed near Jewel:



Pride flew off and Jewel settled down on the nest. Let's hope that she is becoming broody.



I saw no nest restoration or construction. The fact that prey was in the nest brings to mind the times in  the past that Pride has brought food during courtship. We should look for more interactions and report even brief observations here on the FORUM.

[Rockitglider]

Hello,

Very nice pictures, if you don't mind me asking what lens are you using, and how far are you from the nest when shooting. They are very sharp pictures.

Thanks, Kit

[NewMexiKen]

Hi, Kit--

My camera specs:

Canon EOS 80D 24.2 MP Digital SLR Camera, hand-held
Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens
Canon EF 1.4X II Extender (420 mm f/5.6 fixed lens system)

The vantage point is on the median of Pines Boulevard, about 195 feet (~60 meters) from the nest. The area nearer the nest is posted by the City during breeding season (and usually did not provide as good a view anyway). The entire area from about 80 feet in front of the nest includes a public sidewalk and is considered an "existing disturbance." Although pedestrians may use the sidewalk, nest viewers are discouraged from gathering on the sidewalk in front of the nest as the eagles may show signs of discomfort.

Your photos of the Quiet Waters pair are beautiful!

[Mike Fossler]

Nice photos Ken! Hope to get out there soon - living a little further away these days.
Mike

[Rockitglider]

Hello Ken,

I am a bit more than 200 feet away from the Deerfield nest with my pictures, maybe twice that, and I don't have as good of equipment as you. You have great shots of those eagles! I am using a Nikon D7200 with a Tamron SP 150-600 f5-f6.3 USD, and hand held or "bicycle seat tripod"  I'm just starting out with photography, but I love it and hope to get better at it. Hope you will have a look at the eagles I took at Deerfield, any suggestions are more than welcome, I need all the help I can get. I'm going to try to get there every Saturday to take some pictures and I'll post them on the Deerfield forum. Thanks Ken

Kit

[Mike Fossler]

Rocketglider - using a sturdy tripod is a must when shooting at 600mm. You will see improved sharpness using a tripod and a cable/wireless release.