bald eagle fledgling

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By eagle fledgling prize

I was out with the Army Corps of Engineers during their part of the annual hydrilla survey.
Hydrilla is a nasty invasive plant in lakes and waterways.
Around the bend came a fledgling eaglet.
He was very concentrated on his prize – a piece of pine bough.
The fledglings of eagles and ospreys both have a habit of doing this.
I am not sure why the urge to pick up and carry – maybe practice for catching fish, maybe for future nest building.
Or, just sheer curiosity on the young one’s part.
When he suddenly saw the boat, the startled eaglet dropped the branch and disappeared over the tree line.

fledlging w pine

By eagle family report: Ice’s glare

I am glad I am not at the end of Ice’s glaring stare.
He has spread his wings to dissipate heat.
Note how much white there is on the underside of his wings.
Usually I see this kind of pattern on two year olds, not fledglings – and I call it the Navaho blanket look.
Compare it to yesterday’s photo with Ice with his back to you and Wynd from the underside.

WALK4305 Jun 07 2015 @ 10-48-24 New Hope Jun 07 2015 @ 10-48-24 hot Ice

By eagle family report: Wynd and Ice

Ice had been hanging out on the roost beside the nest
occasionally giving a “weep-weep” call hoping for fish.
Suddenly Wynd came busting past the nest – screeching.
Wynd had seen a parent coming with fish.
Not to be left out of a meal, Ice jumped into the air and they both disappeared.
Been a long time since I caught them both in the same frame.

WALK3809 Jun 05 2015 @ 09-57-26 New Hope Jun 05 2015 @ 09-57-26 Wynd and Ice

By eagle family report: Ice

Mom Kate is plainly telling Ice that he better mind his eagle manners when he gets into the nest.
Her scowl and body posture are easy to see.
I think both parents are tired of hearing Ice screaming for food – you can hear him all over the cove.
I don’t know that he has made any effort to fish.
He made quick work of the fish Kate had just brought into the nest.
And then Ice proceeded to fly to where Kate was perched and landed on the same limb and began his begging all over again.
Kate left in a hurry.

WALK2015 May 29 2015 @ 09-53-11 New Hope Kate and Ice 1

By eagle family report: Ice is hungry

VIDEO of Ice trying to get his father to feed him is at http://youtu.be/l5KEIkWotRs

The video is an interesting look at how tough a bald eagle parent has to be.  
In the video, Ice, the bald eagle fledgling, is hungry.  
That is him draped across the branch to the left of his father, Petruchio.  
Ice works his way all the way across the branch to his parent.  He gives hunger cries (the weep-weep sound).  
He tries lowering himself into the begging posture of a chick.  He uses his beak in the baby gesture of opening and closing the bill.  
Finally he gets right in dad’s face.  To no avail.  
It is time for Ice to begin to fish for his own food and he won’t hunt unless his parents quit providing most of his food.  
It is a hard lesson.  But necessary as 40-50% of eagle fledglings don’t make it to their first birthday because they never become proficient at fishing.
In the photo below, Ice has chased Petruchio all over several large trees, begging for food, until dad finally bails out.
WALK1336 May 26 2015 @ 08-19-50 New HopeIce Chases Dad