MARCH 5: Male eagle on nest

Posted by NewMexiKen on
URL: http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.17.s1.nabble.com/MARCH-5-Male-eagle-on-nest-tp7574417.html

Al saw both eagles on the nest yesterday (MAR 4) and said one of them settled down rather deep in the nest. Others have noted their presence at the nest several times since the apparent loss of the eaglet and any eggs a few days after the storm on January 17 caused a branch to fall on the nest. This morning Mary Lou and I visited briefly from about 7:55 and watched for about 25 minutes before heading to lead the South Florida Audubon wetlands walk at the library.







When we arrived there was an adult towards the left rear and  rather deep in the nest, quite certainly the male (Pride, judging by the low forehead and gape which extended only about 1/2 way under his eye). He was tearing at prey and seemed to be eating, but there was no evidence that he was feeding any eaglets. He was not sitting as deep as would be expected during incubation.

A second brood is said to be highly unlikely and one parent is not capable of incubating alone. The optimum time for raising young has passed-- by now the eaglets in south Florida are ready for flight.

During the unsuccessful breeding season last year, Pride also continued to spend a lot of time on the nest, leading us to think that maybe Jewel had dumped some eggs late in the season. Of course both eaglets would normally be very active finding food for their hungry brood this time of year, and perhaps he is simply following the instinct to continue to guard the nest and bring in food.

This interesting behavior bears careful watching and reporting, if anyone gets a chance during the next several days. How persistent is an adult's presence on the nest? How long will both adults continue to visit?