Eaglet Progress

Last Sunday, ten days after a branch broke and this eagle's sibling fell, the nest along Montlake Cut has continued to disintegrate. Day by day, the mass of sticks above the smaller branch on the left seems to be shrinking. The thin bridge of sticks connecting to the fork in the main part of the tree is also a concern.

You can see the nest building process in the post, New Neighbors.

You can also read about the parents who built the nest in the post, Monty, Marsha and...

... and you can read the initial post regarding the eaglet who fell in, Eaglet Troubles.

The latest update from PAWS regarding the fallen eaglet was forwarded by a kind and concerned reader, T. L. Stokes.

'The juvenile Bald Eagle has a fractured pelvis. We are continuing to care for the eagle to help him/her recover. This eagle is being housed with another juvenile Bald Eagle, and they get along great.'

A communication from the PAWS volunteer who retrieved the young eagle stated,

'Radiographs indicated that the eagle has a fractured pelvis near the joint. That means it has a super guarded prognosis.  Fractures near joints often don't heal well. We will continue to monitor how the pelvis heals to determine if the eagle will recover his range of motion.  We are cautiously optimistic but the nestling has a tough road to full recovery.' 

On Monday morning Lucy had moved back to the fork in the main stem of the tree. This inspired a momentary sense of relief given the sturdiness of the large supporting branches. By the way, no one knows for sure if Lucy is male or female.

A few moments later Lucy decided to return to the perch she was using the day before. It was obvious that the bulk of the nest, which was hanging from the smaller branch just 24 hours earlier, was gone. Sadly, this did not seem to impact Lucy's desire visit the site.

She slowly inched her way across the 'Sky Bridge' back towards the smaller branch. There was no indication that she could fly at this point. Her wings were wide but the feather development was incomplete. Most obvious were her missing coverts. Her coverts will ultimately cover the base of her flight feathers and unify the surfaces of her wings. This will enable her wings to function as single lift-providing units, relative to the air flow.

The white sheaths of her flight feathers, displayed on her right wing, will not be visible once the under wing coverts are fully developed.

As Lucy crawled, sidled and flapped her way across The Sky Bridge, the connecting sticks shifted and sagged beneath her weight.

As she neared the smaller branch the tension continued to build. I tried to persuade myself that even in their incomplete state her massive wings might help to break her fall. The optimistic thought did not reduce my concern.

The sigh of relief when she finally finished her sky walk was short lived. How would the parents bring her food in such a small and unstable location? Would she try to lay down and sleep there or would she just turn around and walk back? I wasn't sure I wanted to watch. Still, if she fell I wanted to be there to call PAWS as soon as possible.

When I checked back on Monday afternoon she seemed to have settled in on the far side of the Skybridge.

Soon she was up and flapping her wings. The shrinking remnants of the nest continued to shift beneath her movements.

I think she may actually be larger than Monty, her father. Female Bald Eagles are normally larger than males. Lucy's relative size is the only potential hint I have regarding her gender.

I think the frequency of her loud, piercing calls are indicative of the current level her hunger. I imagine that even at a distance the parents interpret the calls as, 'Feed Me, Feed Me!'

By Tuesday morning, Lucy was back on the main stem. I was relieved.

Monty brought her food and she found adequate space to eat in the fork of the tree, where the nest originally started. Notice how the sticks from the nest are almost completely gone.

Here is what the same fork in the tree looked like around the time the eggs were laid.

After she ate, they both found secure resting sites on the major branches protruding from the original fork.

I was beginning to hope that her adventures as Lucy Skywalker were over.

I was wrong, on Tuesday afternoon, Lucy was once again on the far side of common sense.

Her sky bridge and the nest had been reduced to the point that they no longer resemble an eagle's nest. Every time I visited the site I feared finding Lucy laying on the ground.

Luckily, on Wednesday Lucy was back on a major branch.

Earlier that morning, I noticed this uneaten fish on the sidewalk below the nest. Even though Lucy missed this small meal, I have seen enough feedings to know she is not starving.

On Thursday, Lucy was still on the safe side of the sky bridge. Once again, I was starting to hope she had finally deduced that The Bridge was a death trap.

Later, I watched from a distance as one of the parents, Marsha I think, brought Lucy a rat secured from the north side of Montlake Cut.

I have met many neighbors in the area who have all been excited and welcoming to Monty and Marsha and their young. One of the questions I am often asked is, What will the parents do next year? I do not know, however, I see no reason for them to abandon a territory which appears to adequately provide for their needs. The nesting tree is still standing and at a location they like. My guess is they will rebuild the nest.

The next question which comes to my mind is, can we do anything to help the eagles succeed? Here are two suggestions. 

Avoid pesticides which kill creatures like rats and bioaccumulate in predators like eagles. It is critical for eagles, owls and hawks that we do not enable poisoned pests to become available for their consumption. Wild creatures are the most sustainable and natural means of pest control. Click Here to read the very informative thoughts and recommendations of our local experts at the Urban Raptor Conservancy.

Fish are the main source of food for eagles. One of the most dangerous chemicals impacting the development of fish is motor oil. Sadly, until the southern portion of the 520 Bridge is completed, the road runoff is still flowing directly into Union Bay. My suggestion is that for the next five years if you have a choice between driving a fossil-fueled vehicle across 520 or taking a different route (or vehicle), take the alternative. Every ounce of oil we keep out of Union Bay is healthier for the fish, which are Monty and Marsha's primary food supply.

On Thursday afternoon, Lucy was still on the safe side of the Sky Bridge. My hopes were rising.

On Friday, not only was Lucy still on a large branch attached to the main part of the tree, but her behavior was also starting to change. She appears to be starting to branch. Branching is just like it sounds. It is the process through which a young eagle learns to fly. They will often sit and flap their wings to develop strength, while occasionally making short hops to other branches in the nesting tree.

So far I have not seen her hop to a new branch, however she has been moving progressively further out on one of the large sturdy branches. Plus, she is flapping her wings more and preening her feathers. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see a white downy feather floating in front of her chest. Part of flight development is maintaining and spreading out her new feathers so they are completely functional. No doubt this process includes the removal of any old nonfunctional feathers as well.

It is exciting to see Lucy making progress in her development. I suspect that sometime in the next few weeks she will learn to fly. The parents are doing their part to bring her food. Lucy is finding adequate space to sleep and appears to be proceeding with normal development. Most importantly, it appears her decision making is improving and she is no longer sidling across an eaglet's version of The Bridge to Nowhere.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city!

Larry

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.
2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (If natives plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)
3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.
4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.

My intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

Is the bee (in the lower right part of the photo) native to the Pacific Northwest? What species is it?

For bonus points identify the plant, which was close to 18 inches high and growing in area which was disturbed during the last year.

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Scroll down for the answer

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US Sweat Bee:

I believe this bee is a male native Agapostemon Texanus. Click on the highlighted name to download the source pdf behind my conclusion. See bee number two. 

Rabbit's-Foot Clover:

My best guess, is that the plant is Trifolium Arvense. If I am correct it is of European origin and invasive. Click on the highlighted name for more information.

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional work around is to setup my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net

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Monty, Marsha and...

Is this Monty or Marsha?

If you have not seen last month's post regarding the new pair of Bald Eagles in Montlake, you may want to take a moment to catch up. The post was titled, New Neighbors. Click on the green highlighted title if you would like to see how they built their new nest in Montlake.

I must admit, I have paid significantly less attention to my old favorite eagle pair, Eva and Albert, since Monty and Marsha built their nest quite close to my home. This week I just happened to notice that Eva and Albert have not two but three healthy-looking eaglets in their nest. 

As luck would have it, Peter Reshetniak, President of Raptor Education Foundation, sent me a link to his beautiful video which documents that Eva and Albert have three young in their Broadmoor nest. Click Here to watch his wonderful update.

Identifying individual eagles might seem frivolous, but my assumption is that to truly appreciate and learn about our new neighbors we must first figure out how we can recognize them. 

In the earlier post regarding Marsha and Monty I mentioned noticing a difference in their 'eyebrows'. I have tried for years to see physical differences in Eva and Albert, other than size, but I have never felt very secure in identifying them. This could be partially due to the height of their nest. Even with closer access to Monty and Marsha's nest my progress has been a slow and humbling process, but I think I am finally making headway.

In this photo from January, the smaller Monty is sitting in front. Clearly, he has less of an overhang above his eye. Marsha's 'eyebrow' hangs down above and slightly in front of her eye. If you look back at the first two photos in this post, which were taken in late May, you can clearly see Marsha's distinctive eyebrow. The fact that the difference has been consistent for a number of months increases my willingness to rely on the distinction.

Of course the flip side to the issue is, can we also see a consistent distinction for Monty? Here is a similar photo of Monty in May and we can see that his eyebrow has remained fairly horizontal and without the slight downward protrusion, like Marsha's.

Here is another example, with their heads in the shadows, it is less obvious that Marsha is the closer bird. However, there is just enough of a difference to tell them apart.

One of the things this distinction has taught me is that Monty spends much more time on the nest than I had expected. While this tiny distinction is sometimes helpful it is not always a functional distinction. For example, when the eagles are in the air they seldom slow down and allow me to examine their eyebrows.

Although in this case, when Monty was just leaving the nest, I did get a clear look at his eyebrow. As luck would have it, there is currently another notable distinction between these two eagles. 

On Monty's right wing, just beyond the halfway point, Monty is missing one of his feathers. In this photo there is just a tiny gap through which the sky is visible. It takes at least two years for an eagle to replace all their feathers, so while Monty is regrowing this feather we will have a larger personal indicator.

This photo from January shows Monty has been missing this feather for a few months. The missing feather is near the border (I think of it as his elbow) between his primary and secondary feathers. I believe Bald Eagles have ten primary feathers. If my counting is correct Monty is regrowing his third or fourth secondary feather.

Occasionally I get lucky. Here is a photo of Monty in-flight with both his partially missing feather and his horizontal eyebrow on display.

Of course the next question is how do we identify Marsha in-flight. This photo from late in May shows that she is regrowing two secondary feathers on her left wing. One near the mid-point and one is closer to her body.

This photo from early March shows that she has been missing these feathers for a few months. Being able to identify them individually also helps us to learn the boundaries of their territory. Previously, I have had to watch the eagles until they returned to their nest to identify them.

For nesting Bald Eagles it seems like their most consistent challenge is defending their eggs, and then their young, from crows. 

Sometimes they see the challenges coming, and sometimes they don't.

Monty seems to react to the crows a little more than Marsha. I wonder if her indifference is somehow due to her larger size or just a generally calmer personality.

If I remember correctly, Monty was a bit upset by the crows in this photo.

Still, when Monty returns to the nest Marsha can also get a bit vocal.

The most exciting Marsha and Monty moment in May was getting to see the head of a young eaglet (or two) in their nest. A kind and generous neighbor allowed me access to their strategically placed deck, which enabled this special and unique view.

These young eaglets create some new challenges for us. Will we be able to identify the individual young birds? What will be appropriate names for Monty and Marsh's offspring? Luckily, we do not have to worry about protecting and feeding the young.

In this photo, we see Marsha returning to the nest with baby food.

By the way, if you have an extra few minutes you might want to read these wonderful posts regarding, Valuing Nature and Decoding the Audio Mysteries.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city!

Larry

Wood Duck Update:

Off the top of my head, I can no longer count the number of Wood Duck ducklings that have been reported in the last week. This is a great time to be visiting the shores of Union Bay.

This duckling was already wandering around on its own, which makes it helpful to be able to tell the difference between a Wood Duck... 

...and a Mallard duckling. Not counting their size, Do you see a key difference? Answer below.

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.
2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (If natives plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)
3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.
4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.

My intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

What species of butterfly is this? Is it native to Union Bay?

Scroll down for the answer.

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Western Tiger Swallowtail: Yes, it is a native. Click on the name to learn more.

(In the case of the ducklings notice the difference between their dark eye lines. Another difference is that the light-colored feathers on the Mallard duckling are a slightly brighter yellow.)

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional work around is to setup my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net

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Eaglets!

Whenever I see Eva and Albert sitting calmly in their nesting tree, it creates an inner sense of peacefulness and bliss. For a moment, I feel as if all is right with the world. 

An aircraft gliding by reminds me of our ever-growing need for harmony with nature. I believe the first step towards harmony is paying attention. If you have ever watched or listened to musicians singing in harmony, you may have noticed the intensity of their effort, their focus on the rhythm and pitch of their partners. Working together, they produce music which is greater than the sum of their individual voices.

By early March, Eva and Albert were spending more and more time around their Broadmoor nest.

On March the 9th the behavior changed. From this point forward, one of them was almost always sitting low in the nest. If you zoom in, you can just barely detect the upper half of an eagle head in the middle of the nest. This new routine made me think Eva had laid at least one egg and was beginning incubation. With approximately 35 days for incubation, the first egg should have hatched in mid-April. Initially, the eaglet or eaglets were too small and too weak to stand and be seen from the ground.

In mid-April, I watched one of the adults take a couple of passes at waterfowl in Duck Bay. The lucky ducks escaped. The eagle headed back in the direction of the Broadmoor nest. 

The eagle stopped to rest and preen just south of Foster Island. Whenever I see them by themselves, I always struggle to identify them. This bird was clearly in Eva and Albert's domain and apparently headed back towards the nest, but which one was it?

When I looked closely I was excited to see an oval marking on the left side of the eagle's bill - just below the nostril. I wondered if this was permanent. Would this mark be something I could use to uniquely identify this eagle in the future?

The right side of the bill was unmarked.

 

While we are on the subject of identifying eagles, during the last month I have noticed that Monty, the male from the new nest near Montlake Cut, is partially missing a feather on his right wing. I am not sure how long it will take for the feather to grow back. In the mean time, the gap is a useful means of identifying him.

Needless to say, I have been watching Eva, Albert and their nest fairly closely. They are the pair which have been historically called, The 520 Eagles. Of course, with Monty and Marsha moving in along The Cut, they have new competition for the title.

I have been observing feeding behavior which is encouraging. On the other hand, I have spent a fair amount of time without actually seeing any eaglets.

Not only have I been looking for signs of their young in the nest, but I have also been watching for that unique mark on the left side of the bill. 

The distance involved has made discerning modest markings difficult.

Although when Albert passed fairly close, it was obvious that the left side of his beak is unblemished. I am now hoping for another similar close encounter with Eva.

On Tuesday morning, I finally got my first look at one of Eva and Albert's new nestlings. The whitish natal down is replaced fairly quickly, so I am thinking this eaglet is less than 3 weeks old. On the other hand, it is standing up and alert so I suspect it is probably more than a week old. So far, I have not seen any other eaglets. In years past, there have usually been two in the nest.

I am guessing the little brown extremity in this photo is a wing. I think the nearly invisible buds are where the flight feathers will soon pop out.

The best moment of the week was when Eva held up her wing behind the eaglet. I have seen hawks and osprey use their wings to mantle their food e.g. hide it from competitors, and once, from a great distance, I watched an eagle mantle her young. 

In this case, I cannot be positive what Eva was doing. I did not see any danger in the sky, and she was obviously not shielding the eaglet from the sun. However, when I reviewed the timestamps on my photos I found she held her wing in this position for 17 seconds. That makes me think the effort was intentional. 

I do believe Eva was attempting to protect her eaglet. (By the way, this morning I saw a second eaglet in the nest.) Especially for the first few weeks the young need protection. Their innocence and small size make them vulnerable. The adults' experience, knowledge and physical capabilities make them the highly capable parents. 

Even so, the next couple of months will be challenging for them as they strive to find enough food to feed their young. If all goes as expected, by the end of July these little eaglets will be larger than their parents! 

Have a great day on Union Bay...where eaglets hatch in the city!

Larry

Going Native:

Without a well-funded Environmental Protection Agency, it falls to each of us to be ever more vigilant in protecting our local environments. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and native creatures. I have been told that even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. My hope is that we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors and local businesses to respect native flora and to support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.
2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (If natives plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)
3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.
4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants.

My intention in my weekly post is to include at least one photo each week and visually challenge us to know the difference between native and non-native lifeforms.

What species of plant is this? Is it native to Union Bay?

Scroll down for the answer.

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Fringe Cup: Is a native plant to Union Bay. I see it often in somewhat disturbed areas next to trails in the Arboretum. Click on the green link to learn more.

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The Email Challenge:

Over the years I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements regarding my posts. Even more frustrating when they go to 're-sign-up', hoping that will enable them to once again start receiving the announcements, they get a message which says 'Sorry, you are already signed up.' Google has not responded to my requests for help with this issue. 

My functional work around is to setup my own email list and each week I manually send out a new post announcement. If you are experiencing the issue and would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Thank you for your patience!

My email address is LDHubbell@comcast.net