The eaglet was 67 days old on March 22, the last day it was sighted, and no adults have been reported at the nest since March 20th, when the chick was again noted to be submissive when fed, rather unusual as compared to the eaglets we observed during three previous seasons. No observations were recorded for March 21, and the eaglet was never observed to be branching or helicoptering, something that usually happens during the week or so before fledging -- see the Milestone Chart here:
http://www.rosyfinch.com/EagleMilestonesSheet.pdfI discussed the situation with Michelle Van Deventer, Florida FWC Bald Eagle Coordinator. She agrees with my feeling that the eaglet has died, based on the fact that their initial flights are usually of short duration and they tend to stay in the area of the nest and return to the nest to be fed. The absence of any calling and the failure of parents to bring food to the nest (to lure the chick back) also support this assumption.
Mary Lou and I checked the nest this afternoon and found no eaglet or adults. We also scanned the big lake in Sunset Lakes, including the lighthouse where the adults have been seen in the past, but there was no sign of any eagles.
We should research whether nesting failure is ever responsible for abandonment of an established nest in the following season.
All eagle watchers should be on the alert for sightings of adults or (hopefully) a very dark juvenile anywhere, especially in the area of SW Broward County
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