Two scaps from June 4th......

#1 is really getting her feathers...the two littles are way behind her in development.



#3 is sitting with Mom just having a great time wiggling those yellow feet

June 5th

About 4:30PM

Three growing eaglets just hanging out on a hot afternoon.



They have all decided that they prefer the shade.



Later...about 8:30PM

Mom and food are both in the nest but nobody seems interested........#3 is just staring at the fish.

I can see huge crops on the two littles...no wonder they aren't interested in food.



OK...if they don't want to eat...I will just dif some holes.



The whole family is in the nest and Mom and Dad are tidying and moving their sticks.

OH NO! #1 is still so young!! I'm sure they know what they are doing, but............

#1 in the hack tower...shes still a baby!!

copyright- American Eagle Foundation


E-1 was removed from its parent's nest Monday, June 6, and placed inside the AEF's hack tower overlooking Douglas Lake in East Tennessee (see photo below of the AEF's artificial nesting/release tower facility) . Two other eaglets that are approximately the same age joined E-1. These eaglets were produced by other non-releasable breeding pairs cared for by the AEF. While there, the eaglets will not come into direct contact with humans, but are closely monitored and cared for daily by AEF staff members (using sliding food/water trays and one-way viewing windows) until they have grown to full-size at about 13 weeks of age and are released into the wild.

copyright-American Eagle Foundation


An artificial nesting/release tower overlooking a private area on Douglas Lake (East Tennessee) is home for the eaglets after they are removed from their parents' nest at 5 to 6 weeks of age. While there, they do not come into direct contact with people, but are closely monitored and cared for daily by AEF staff members until they have grown to full-size at 13 or 14 weeks of age and are released into the wild. While living in the nesting tower, the eaglets are viewed through one-way mirrored glass windows and fed/watered via sliding drawers, so they do not become "human-imprinted." Prior to their release, the eaglets are fitted with a radio tracking transmitter on their middle tail feather, a colored/numbered marker on their left wing, and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service metal band on their right leg/ankle.


Their last picture together

copyright American Eagle Foundation

Oh my - I knew they remove them at a relatively young age - but that certainly took me by surprise. #1 will be 6 weeks old tomorrow - I don't think it really registered how old she is as I always think of her as one of the youngest chicks. I am glad that she will have company - I suspect eagles don't care as much as people do, but she's used to having siblings around. Just looked back, and in 2008 Liberty & Justice's chick was moved to the tower when she was 6-1/2 weeks old.

Noah, last year's eaglet from the Carolina Raptor Center, went to the hacking tower when she was almost 6 weeks old; this year's eaglet Kinsey was almost 7 weeks. So I guess it is time.

I'm glad they posted some pictures. Thanks for bringing the information here, Mary.

Be safe, big one, and have a good time with your new friends.

(This should be a happy moment - she's on her way to being free and wild - so why am I crying?)

For the same reason that I did when I read about her move this afternoon, JudyB! When you look at her picture she still looks like such a baby! When they moved Kinsey she looked more like a juvi and was self feeding. I am glad that she has other babies with her in the hack tower!! I do know that they are experts and will take good care of her.

But I'm still sad!!

Here are a few of Mom and the littles.

The little ones just hanging out...look at their feathers coming in.



#3 does a whole series of big wing stretches...not really flapping yet.



#2 says...I can do that too!!

6:45PM It's raining really hard and Independence and the kids are very wet!



10PM The littles are awake and sitting up.



11:30PM I think it has stopped raining but Mom and the littles are still looking soggy..

Nice pictures of the littles, Mary! I expect it's getting pretty hot there - but they are also getting older if they're staying out in the rain.