Prey drop this morning (Thursday, January 26)

[NewMexiKen]

Mary Lou and I observed the eagle nest this morning from about 10:30 until about 11:15. When we arrived the female was roosting on the right edge of the nest, looking about and appearing restless.



Mary Lou correctly guessed that she was awaiting a food drop, as within a few minutes the male flew in with a medium sized fish that looked like a Tilapia or possibly Peacock Bass [see comment in reply below, correcting the ID to Mayan Cichlid].







The pair called to each other and touched bills in a sort of recognition ritual, and the male flew off.





The female tore at prey and fed one or more eaglets. We still could not see the eaglets over the rim of the nest-- we assume the nest cup is a bit to the rear. In past seasons the young have appeared over the nest rim at between 12 and 23 days of age. If our behavioral observations are correct, hatching occurred on January 15, and the first eaglet would be 11 days old today.





Turkey Vultures must now be smelling the prey, as a couple of them circled several times close around the nest tree.

[Square Grouper]

Hello from a lurker.  I think the fish is a Mayan ciclid, you can Google it and compare images.  There are lots of them in the local lakes and canals.

The Sun-Sentinel is running an article about the eagles, and the broader topic of eagle nests in Florida.  It looks like it will be in tomorrow's paper.  I think you are mentioned.  Thanks for keeping us updated on the eagles.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-eagles-nest-20120126,0,5904039.story

[NewMexiKen]

Thanks for the ID. It certainly fits the photos of Mayan Cichlid. I think that the cold spell a couple of years back killed a bunch of them in the shallow ditches near our home.

I took some photos of them in the lake back of our home:



I could not identify these baby fish that resemble Cichlids, also in our lake:



I believe these were young Peacock Bass, but perhaps they too are Mayan Cichlids:



This is probably another Cichlid, a Jaguar Capote, caught by a Great Blue Heron in Shark Vally, ENP: