How old is this eagle anyway:question: she looks like 5 to me she also looks skinny and last evening looked like she was trying to lay an egg but the nest is empty now and I don't see an egg:question:

2:20PM empty nest!

windy too

2:49 PM
Nest still empty, egg not visible

2:50 PM
Adult into the nest and back on the egg
Adult used balled up talons to approach the egg when about to sit on egg
Adult tending sticks around nest cup

2:44 pm
Nest is still empty - and I must admit I wasn't paying attention so don't know when the eagle left.

I don't know how old the eagles are, garyandjudy, but I know they successfully raised two eaglets last year, so they are probably older than five. When the weather is a little less windy they do seem to have the completely white heads and tails of mature adults.

There is an egg (or at least we saw one yesterday afternoon), and they have been behaving as if there is an egg much of the time. Some eagles don't incubate their first egg a lot until the second egg is laid - that slows the development of the first egg a little so both hatch at about the same time. We're guessing that's what this pair is doing when they leave the nest for a while, or sit beside the egg cup rather than incubate.

2:51 pm
One of the adults just returned to the nest, checked and possibly turned the egg, and is now settling in to incubate.

Quote by: garyandjudy

How old is this eagle anyway:question: she looks like 5 to me she also looks skinny and last evening looked like she was trying to lay an egg but the nest is empty now and I don't see an egg:question:

I'm not sure we know how old this pair is; we do know that they used this nest last year and fledged 2 chicks.

If you read back you will find pictures confirming 1 egg in the nest bowl, thought to be seen first at about 3:30PM, and confirmed in a series of three s'caps, taken 1 second apart. at 4:40PM


2:51PM adult home digging the bowl
2:52PM settled in facing 3oclock

Both Ma and Pa Delta 2 were in a nearby tree where once again they were mating. The female shortly thereafter returned to the nest and the male is in the nearby tree. A busy day for them.
Ms. D.

Thank you Ms D

Great information, Ms. Davis--thank you for that important observation!