CHECKING IN WITH THE EAGLES

     

E-10 and E-11, this year's  two (no longer) baby eagles,  are practicing for the soon-to-come day when they'll leave their North Fort Myers nest for good.  

 

  

 

My timing was perfect when I stopped at the pasture last week.  Right in front of where I parked in the next door church lot I saw one of the two perched on this snag tree which is closer to the parking lot than it is to the nest tree.    Wings were fluttering and so was my heart as I tried to fumble the camera into position (using the strongest zoom lens position I have).

 

 

 

But I made it .... camera ready.... there was about ten more minutes of fluttering and hopping before E-10 finally flew off the snag.    

I learned later that this was the first 'long-distance' flight either of the two had made.  They'd been flying or hopping to higher branches in the nest tree for a while, but this was the first time either of them had actually left the tree.   

 

 

 

 

 Here's (s)he is  ..... flying gracefully across our cloudless blue sky and then smoothly gliding into the nest with landing gear extended. 

 

 

 

Once more back home  (s)he appeared to try to poke her less adventurous sibling awake.  Who knows, maybe narrating the tale of the first flight adventure.  Eventually she succeeded in the sibling jostling match   -- and both flew to the 'attic' branch just above the nest.

 

 

This,  though, is my favorite part of the story.   The whole time E10  had been gone and while all the action in the nest was taking place, their Mother (Harriet) was perched on the next branch up.  With her head resolutely turned away.     Can't you just hear her mom thoughts?     "I'm not going to pay one bit of attention to you ....    but  I'm right here if you fall."    It will only be a matter of a few weeks before Harriet and her mate M-15 will once more be empty-nesters.   Every season they handle this  transition beautifully.   Instinct is a wonderful thing.  

 

 

 

 

Here's a better view of the adolescent pair. 

E-10 hatched on December 26 and E-11 on December 27.    

Every year, we winter resident birders are grateful that nesting season corresponds so perfectly with Snowbird season here in North Fort Myers.  Hatch happens right about the time people start arriving .    The babies fledge during the main part of our season  -- and  those of us fortunate enough to stay late in the season will still be here when they leave the nest for good.   

 

 

Beautiful Harriet. 

(I think she was calling Dad telling him to bring home some dinner  -- or maybe she wanted him to take over the nest watch.  Although by this stage, Harriet and M-15 sometimes leave the youngsters alone for brief periods of time.

 

We live about a mile and a half from the Eagle pasture which is on a street that we drive pretty much every time we leave our RV resort.  But most of the time, like fans of the eagles everywhere, I check the progress on the Internet.     

Here is the link to the North Fort Myers Live Cam website where there is also great information about the history of this nest.   

 

THANK YOU to the hosts of the following sharing opportunities:    

 

OUR WORLD on Tuesday; ALL SEASONS; MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES; IMAG-IN-ING; THROUGH MY LENS; WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY;  Wednesday AROUND THE WORLD; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; SATURDAY CRITTERS; and RATHER B' BIRDING.  

 

Comments

[Hootin' anni]

Joyful tears with this series!!

For sharing with us at I'd Rather B Birdin', I thank you!!

[Betty Crow]

Lucky you had your camera ready to go. I've never seen a black eagle before. Beautiful!

[Patrick Tillett]

Great post Sallie! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into their lives.

[Stewart M]

What great looking birds - good to see that the youngsters are doing well.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

[carver]

What a treat this post is, photographs and words. I love the image of mom's nonchalance (pretended) when the teens are off. Not sure if teens really translates but that's how I find myself thinking of them.

[Linja in Virginia]

Wow! Great shots! I'm glad you got to see this.

[GreenComotion]

Such graceful beauties!
I love your perch shots, Sallie.
They have come out really great.
Eagle watching is also popular along the Mississippi in Alton, MO, if you ever go there.
Have a Happy WE!
Peace :)

[Penny]

I've been wondering about your eagles, Sallie wondering if I would be seeing them here on your blog and, tada, here is your post. Your photos are wonderful, but, oh-my-goodness, that second montage! Wow! That would make a fantastic US Postal Forever stamp - and I would buy them,, for certain.

[Kay L. Davies]

Growing eagles thinking of leaving the nest...and Mom keeping watch overhead? Wonderful. There has been so much said about eagles in recent years, after so many were on the brink of extinction, and I'm thrilled that the threat is over.
Near my hometown in southwestern British Columbia, eagles are one of the most popular forms of wildlife. There are a number of 'eagle cams' watching their every move from hatching to flying away, alone, on the mainland coast and on Vancouver Island.
Your photos are beautiful, and remind me of home.
Kay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

[Jennifer Jilks]

The big birds are so hard to photograph!

[Marie-OR]

Incredible pictures! Wow!

[Eileen]

Hello Sallie,

I always enjoy seeing the eagles. I am so glad this eagle family survived and the eaglets have grown into beautiful birds. It is awesome to see the juvies leaving the nest. Great post and photos.
Thank you for linking and sharing your post. I also appreciate your visit and comment. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

[Michelle Banks]

Oh how wonderful to be able to see that..I stopped watching nest cams as it always seemed something awful happened....I am glad that this worked out well...Michelle

[Su-sieee! Mac]

Wow oh wow! What a fantastic event to watch and behold. Amazing. Thanks for sharing, Sallie. I love your post.

[Peter B.]

Wow, you really did time your visit perfectly! Wonderful photos.

[Sharon]

These are amazing! What majestic, impressive birds. Wow!

[Kelleyn Rothaermel]

How wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Great shots.

[Michelle]

Pretty awesome that you live so close to this nest. I always like to watch them on a wildlife camera. Thanks for linking up today!

[Ratty]

To be able to get pictures of these eagles is so cool. I see plenty of big birds around here. But they are all too near the big highways, so I can't stop for any pictures.

[NatureFootstep PhotoArt]

I have never seen young eagles in a nest. There are seaeagles here, I did see one two days ago. But the nests are keep as secret at possible to keep them safe. Love your shots. :)

[Yogi]

Nature is just so amazing. Glad the community has a space for these birds.

[Margy]

We enjoy going out to see the eagles, but most of the time we just watch them in town near our condo or up the lake at our cabin. There used to be a nest along our seawalk, but it fell a few years ago during a wind storm and was never rebuilt. - Marty

[handmade by amalia]

Such impressive birds. And you did them justice with your photos.
Amalia
xo

[Gattina]

Wow ! beautiful pictures ! You were lucky to get them so nicely !

[Anu]

Hello! Your timing was great! Awesome photos!

[Elizabeth]

I'm fascinated with birds of prey and eagles especially. These photos are wonderful!

[Breathtaking]

Hello Sallie!:) How wonderful that you actually saw these youngsters on their maiden flight. Great close up pictures of the young eagles, and Mom. I also enjoyed your imaginative narrative,...it was probably just what the eagles were saying and thinking.:=) Well done!:)

[craftygreenpoet]

Great photos, I love watching eagles

[Pat]

What fun to be able to see the eaglets learning how to fly in person in your neighborhood, Sallie! It's so wonderful that eagles are thriving again and I hope our country learned its lesson by not using terrible pesticides that were killing them a few decades ago.
I went over to the webcam and saw Papa sitting all alone in the nest! Maybe Momma was watching the young ones practicing again?

[Colleen LOOSELEAFNOTES]

Great captures. I don't know if I've ever seen on. Right now I have cardinals banging on my windows and waking us up too early.

[Photo Cache]

What magnificent elegant birds they are.

[nancy chan]

You were just in time to capture the first long flight. You take great pictures!

[Clair Zarges]

Wow, I loved this post! Your photos and narration were absolutely wonderful.

[Lisa]

Beautiful photos and such a lovely story behind them. Thanks for sharing their flight, Sallie.

[Maggie]

Wonderful first flight captures, Sallie, how fortunate you are to be able to witness this amazing event unfold each year. A lovely nature story for MM this week, thank you!

[gillena]

Your eagles are adorabls
Thank you for sharing Dally

Much🌼love

[Lady Fi]

Wow - what a privilege to see these amazing birds. Your shots are just fabulous!

[Linja in Virginia]

Great job! Harriet is awesome!

[islandrambles]

Love your photos of the eagles! You really got some great photos and I know how hard it is! We are just starting our egg laying here now so it is very exciting!..Thanks so much for your comment on my blog. cheers, Nora

[Angie]

I can truly imagine how your heart was a-flutter to get that picture. We want to get that picture to share with our friends, and I am so glad you did. I'm sure you're also a little bit like Harriet, proud of the little ones and yet scared at the same time! We have a hard enough time letting go of our kids at 18 or so; the eagles do it every year!

[Gaelyn]

So exciting to watch their family progress and a real bonus to see and beautifully capture the first flight.

[Sylvia D.]

Sallie, The snag tree provided a perfect unobstructed view of the youngsters. Have a great week. Sylvia D.

[David Gascoigne]

Hi Sallie: I am very pleased to see this series of fine photographs of Florida Bald Eagles and to know of their breeding success, knowing that it was C.F. Broley, a Retired Canadian banker, who did most of the early seminal research on Bald Eagles in Florida. His work was nothing short of legendary and he was widely known as “The Eagle Man.” I hope this is not misplaced chauvinism, but simply a reasonable degree of pride in the success of a fellow Canadian.

[Al]

You got some great shots of this amazing event. As the eagle leaves the nest, it's got so far to go...

[Mary Howell Cromer]

How marvelous this post is and especially since I just love these Bald Eagles so much. Soon I may no longer have access to the nest I have followed for going on 4 years. My heart will ache, as I have spent hundreds of hours there, just sitting and enjoying nature and the quiet. The nest you have shared, wow, already young Eaglets ready to be on their way, while our pair is still brooding eggs. It won't be long though and they will be busy feeding.

[Jeanna]

An Eagle pasture, how cool. When I checked the eagle cam there was a lone feather ominously hanging from the tree—hope all is well.
That is good timing and you're making me wonder what's going on up here eagle wise. Fantastic shots, why is Harriet the only one with a name? She looks as if she's a wise and strong mom. Those two juveniles landing is so cool with their wings out and their legs down.

[fun60]

Your timing was perfect, arriving just as they are making their maiden voyages. I would love to watch the eagles but your photos make a good alternative.

[Carol]

Sallie, this is a fabulous post! Love the pics and all the info. I'm so glad you get to watch the action each season and that you share your photos.

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Oh fantastic ~ such a miracle ~ Wonderful photos!

Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

[bill burke]

That's great that you live so close to the eagles. Must be nice to see them as they grow. Your photos are beautiful.
Thanks for sharing!

[phil]

Hi Sallie. Well obviously I hope that E-10 and E-11 get further than the outer branches but it is a big, bad and dangerous world out there. It is very heart warming that the eagles are local celebrities, much better than the so called celebrities we have to endure on our TV screens trying to tell us how to live our lives.

By the way the Chiffchaff (a warbler), not Chaffinch (a finch) is so called because of its onomatopoeic song - a repetitive "chiffchaff, chiffchaff, chiffchaff".

[Jennifer Jilks]

We're too early for nesting yet, here. I love you photos, and signs that spring will arrive soon!

[Hazel]

How lovely to watch the family grow up each year! The photos tell a great story.

[Cathy Keller]

Oh my, what handsome eagles they are! Tis the season! Have a wonderful week!

[Lea @ Lea's Menagerie]

Wonderful photos!
The word from the Eagle nesting site at Shiloh, TN, is that two eggs have hatched. When we were there on March 5th, we saw the 'changing of the guard' - one parent flew in to the nest, and the other one flew off towards the river (to get a fish for dinner, I assume).
Have a wonderful week!

[William Kendall]

What beautiful birds!

[Linda Brown]

OH! Lucky you!!! Your photos are very good!

[Debbie]

i know those feelings...when viewing this is not enough. it must be captured and shared!!

your timing was perfect - how exciting to share this long flight with eaglet. this is something you will never forget. so exciting and beautiful captures!!! WoW!!!

[Marie-OR]

Amazing photographs! How incredible to get to follow the lives of this wonderful eagle family!

[Snap]

How exciting! Thank you Sallie for sharing this amazing family with us. Happy Monday!

[Lavender Dreamer]

We've always liked to look at the Eagle cam too. What amazing photos you've taken. I'm so glad these 'babies' have survived! YAY!!! Hugs, Diane

[Eileen]

Hello, Sallie

Awesome shots of the juvenile Eagles. What a sight to see, them leave the nest. They are beautiful birds. Enjoy your day and have a great new week!

[Annie]

Happy to sea again the eaglets and their parents. Your picture are wonderful ! Here, birds are always around the mangers but become more and more nervous. Spring is in the air and they begin to sing in the trees. Have a good week, Sallie !

[Bob Bushell]

What a beauty, and what an Eagle pictures, finished very well.

[jesh StG]

Wow, this is a busy nest:) Your captures are to die for, Sally! Love the ones you took during their first flight. What an accomplishment! It sure takes them a lot lot shorter than human babies learning to walk:):) Do you know when young eagles are taught to look for their own food?
Thank you for sharing this excitement with All Seasons and for your cute comment! Have a lovely week!

[mick]

Great photos of magnificent birds. You are very lucky to have them so close to you and so well looked after by people around them.

[Joy]

Love seeing the eagles - and such clear photos too. Glad you posted on my blog so I can come over and meet your Sallie, love watching birds but I am not a birder, just love seeing them.
Joy

[Lowell]

I'm awestruck by the quality of your photos! You not only got them sharp, but also in sharp in flight. This is an amazing post .... I didn't realize right away they were "babies" until I read for a bit, but that makes things even more exciting for youngsters seldom stay still for very long. A truly great job, Sallie. So beautiful and so interesting!

[ellen b]

So very cool to see all this activity and to capture so many great photos. Eagles are such a treat to see and capturing them with our cameras is the cherry on top. Have a good week!