Heading into week
14.
The weather has returned to more seasonal temperatures and the Whitehead family have been in and around the nest a bit more.
Over the last couple of days both Vic and Sid have been arriving around 5 a.m. and picking at the bones looking for a nibble while they wait for an adult to arrive.
Even knowing it’s light enough for them to fly my infra red/camera settings makes it look darker than what it actually is. Still kinda cool to see the black and white imagery. I have mentioned before that the eagles can’t see the infra red light.
During the last two mornings both Ellie and Eddy have brought small amounts of food into the nest. They don’t stay long due to the mayhem caused.
A refresher …
“Adult parents will continue to provide food for some time after fledging, while the newly flighted birds hone not only their hunting skills, but their flying skills. On average, it takes about 4-12 weeks for young eagles to start hunting successfully. Specialized hunting skills probably take years to develop.
The young eagles usually remain near the nest area through much of summer, however, 7 to 8 weeks after fledging, they may start to move further distances.
Once the young eagles are able to find food on their own (usually in early fall), the parents go their separate ways and remain solitary until the following breeding season.”