immature bald eagle

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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

By eagle family report 5-19-15: Ice Spooked

VIDEO at http://youtu.be/n-T_L_44l8E
in the video: There was a loud sharp boom – my first thought was gunshot – but I quickly realized it wasn’t.
Poor Ice, however, reacted instantly. He had been perched about 600 feet from the nest when the sound occurred.
It took him about 6 seconds to get back to the place that was safest – the nest.
He was still nervous when he got there and showed it by picking at food and constantly looking about.
Notice how he cues in on the small bird passing by.
Finally Ice leaves and ends up on the perch where he had been when the disturbance occurred (not shown in the video).
In the photo below Ice is making the landing at the safety of the nest – a landing worthy of his parents!

WALK9114 May 19 2015 10-01-06 New HopeIce spooked

By eagle family report 5-19-15: Respect

in the VIDEO at http://youtu.be/Nxw8xvvBxdY Petruchio, the father bald eagle, delivers a fish. Wynd, the fledgling, comes to the nest.
She piles into her father and then she immediately mantles – places her wings – over the food as a sign that she now owns the food.
Wynd is telling dad he better not try to take it back. Petruchio stands his ground, not moving away.
When Wynd finally gives to his presence – she lowers her head, mouths with her beak and doesn’t try to look him in the eyes, Petruchio calmly leaps up onto a limb.
Wynd waits quite a while to see what her father’s plans are and when she realizes he isn’t going to demand the fish back she picks it up and moves it out of the confrontational area.
All young ones have to be given a chance to be independent and yet cooperative.
Even eaglets have to learn that some fights are better won by giving the respect they hope to earn back someday with a potential mate.
There is a slow motion portion that shows the interaction.
in the photo below Wynd is mostly hidden behind Petruchio

WALK8934 May 18 2015 10-21-11 New HopePetruchio respect

By eagle family report 5-14-15 Wynd’s Jam

VIDEO: http://youtu.be/AU0WXlefF04
Wynd gets into trouble: she hasn’t yet learned how to judge wind gusts.
In the video: Wynd is way down below the nest. She is to the left of the trunk of the nest tree.
Watch for her bright yellow feet.
She decides to try for the nest. But the wind catches her.
She would make a great gymnast! There is slow motion of the action.
I wish I had had a bigger viewing area but am glad I at least caught the action.

WALK8641 May 14 2015 09-29-27 New HopeWynd cartwheel

By eagle family report 5-10-15 Sticks

VIDEO at http://youtu.be/HzB5oGvk9_I
NOTE: wind was gusty and the 2nd video clip shows it!

First Ice brings a stick to the nest – gets it hung up on the rim and he is puzzled.
Then Wynd brings a fat stick to the nest. Gets it stuck on her foot.
Loses interest in the stick and bounces out of the nest and onto the parent’s big roost.
Only she misjudges the distance and ends up right at the end of the limb and can’t figure out what to do with her feet.
Quite a dance she does. She finally bails out.
I wonder if carrying the sticks is good practice for carrying wet slippery fish once the fledglings begin to fish for themselves.
In these photos: 1st is Ice in the very dark early morning; 2nd is Wynd landing with her right foot on the stick and her left foot on the roost.

WALK6828 May 09 2015 08-28-19 New Hope Ice stick 2015

WALK7077 May 09 2015 11-38-48 New HopeWynd stick