For the last week or so I’ve been checking in frequently with the Hornby Island eagle nest. I watched the juvenile bird working his wings, taking short hopping “flights” to the outlying branches close to the nest. Sometimes the telltale wheezing he made was the only indication that he was still there, at the other edge of the nest and out of camera range. But there have been days of silence, and days of bare branches. I did see one of the adult birds in the nest yesterday, eating some prey, but no sight or sound of the offspring. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, I guess. The young birds learn from the parents what little information instinct doesn’t provide, and then one day, they just take off. It would be difficult for human eavesdroppers to keep the kind of watch needed to see the exact moment of first true flight. And who’s to say that the young eagle doesn’t occasionally revisit the old homestead, just as the adults appear to be doing. But if they young do make the occasional nostalgia trip back home, I imagine they will eventually stop altogether. So I guess it’s time to take the link to the nest down. And I’m sure I speak for all who were regular visitors to the site when I say that, if the nest is occupied again next year, I hope to high heaven they aren’t building another house in the vicinity!
8 seconds of Kevin Spacey (from The Usual Suspects) showing how it’s done.
Eagle photo from Wikimedia Commons
Video by YouTube member BigStikMix
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9 comments:
Just like that ...
How wonderful to have been able to see or hear him at all
there is much to learn from nature or just slowing our lives down enough to listen and feel
Eagles are so beautiful... I'm glad you got to visit the nest on occasion.
As I've said before, I worry everytime I see them clear a lot up here--to build another house. They uproot so many birds and critters when they do this.. Grrrrr....
Hugs
Betsy
Clever video.
I had taken my link down earlier because the lens was so soiled I could barely see it. Now all of the nests I was watching are empty.
That is so great! And, yes, how wonderful to be able to have seen and heard him!
You are in a blessed place, friend!!
Aloha-
Comfort Spiral
that is precious
Is that your photo? How wonderful to be so near something so wild and free.
I visited this site several times but the sawing noise drove me nuts! I'm glad to hear that the chicks are now venturing out on their own. From what I understand there is a long process of the adult teaching hunting skills after the flight skills are achieved. They hang around Mom for quite some time; at least that is what I've observed.
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