SAT JAN 2, 10:42 AM Incubation shift change

[NewMexiKen]

We checked the nest twice this morning, first arriving about 8:10 AM to find Jewel roosting in the pine to the east of the nest while Pride sat deep in the nest, incubating.



We departed at about 8:30 for the Library bird walk and returned at approximately 10:10 AM, finding Jewel in about the same spot and Pride usually invisible in the nest.



Jewel was preening, revealing that she still has some dark upper and under tail coverts and a bit of dark in one or two tail feathers. Her head sometimes seemed to have some tiny dark streaks on crown and front of her neck, but in some shots she looked to be in complete adult plumage. She removed quite a few body down feathers, which drifted like snowflakes.



Here, as she slices, the dark feather tips on some of her undertail coverts are evident:



Eventually Jewel started pecking as some twigs and finally pulled off one and then flew to the nest, where she and Pride called mutually.









Then Pride flew up to a branch above the nest calling to her for a while and finally moved to roost in the pine tree to the east.





We met up with more than a dozen of the Library walk participants at the nest and am very happy that the birds put on such a great show. The sun was bright and fairly high behind the roost tree, very poor for photography. I never got my setting quite right, so my shots are very soft.