Bet great scaps today this male does seem smaller to me and I have been watching since HWF started streaming Maine. I do not have time to do a comparison and things can appear very differently depending on the time of day and lighting etc so I do not think a comparison would prove anything. Too bad no ground crew as they would certainly know if they were observing every season. It is very interesting that we have not seen an egg yet.

It will be interesting to see the length of time they are both together in the nest; if it is just mere seconds they could be using this nest for meals and incubating eggs elsewhere; one eats one incubates...just a thought.

Talons crossed we have eggs here within a day or two or I would suspect they nesting elsewhere.

This nest is on private property in someone's yard and the location has never been disclosed so there is no possibility of any ground observers. That's the way the property owners and the cam operators want it. Except for this year I have watched this nest closely myself and read the Maine forum daily. I have no reason to believe this is a different pair. I'll go read the other forum right now and see what they have to say about it....I'll report back later. for now...be back later!

Debs...what do you mean about HWF streaming Maine? I know it's not a HWF cam.

I've asked them over on the Maine forum to let me know what they think. JudyB is over there a lot...maybe she has an idea if it's the same pair.

Good morning, everyone! We have someone visiting this morning:


Nestled into the nest for a minute, stood looking around, hopped up to the branch and flew away.

There's been a lot of discussion on the Maine forum as to whether this is the same pair as back in 2007 (the last year they laid eggs, at least in the nest with the cam). There was definitely at least another male trying to take over the nest after they lost their chicks that spring, and I don't think he succeeded then - but I don't know if the pair we're seeing now is that pair.

Good morning, JudyB,

Thank you for the really nice s'cap. Always happy to see somebody at home in the morning on the nest.

6:16 am,
Had just looked in at 6:16 am and got this one pic.

Mornin Maine

820 am

Mom was poking about the bowl. Called out then flew out
of the bowl.

823 am
Mom is now back and sitting in the bowl ?

825 am
Mom is seated high and looking out the front porch;
back is to the cam.

827 am
Up to the perch and off she goes.

Here is the answer that I got from the Maine forum which is much like JudyB's


purpleagle Nice to see you.....hope you have been well.
Lots of mixed opinions about the Maine pair. Many feel that it is a new pair. However, there are some that feel it is the original pair, or at least the Mom.
We will never know because they aren't banded and no one can prove their theories one way or the other so, IMO, it is good to let each person feel what they would like.



I guess that doesn't really tell us much new! I still think that the disaster there 2 years ago really affected this pair.

Mary, I agree whole heartedly about the disaster affecting the pair. (Didn't those storms destroy a large number of eagle nests in Maine?)

If I recall, Dad was injured in presumably a fight near the end. Then the strange eagle came in and consumed the remains of the deceased eaglets? I am too lazy to go back and verify at this moment.

Any way, Dad's behavior and appearance at that time is sort of the base of my assumption that this is at least a new male. Dad was heavily feathered as befitted his age. This male seems to have a sleeker trimmer appearance as a young eagle would have - feathers not as long or dense.

When the March Madness tournament is over, I will probably go looking at my old images.

My recollection is that Dad was injured partway through the incubation period - we weren't actually sure if the injury was in the leg, foot or talon, but it interfered with his ability to land gracefully at times. We also suspected that it interfered with his ability to catch and carry food; he still brought food to the nest (including what looked like a rabbit in the height of the storm, flying into gale force winds carrying something that looked at least half as big as he was). But the nest was left untended more than usual during the last weeks of incubation, perhaps because Mom was sharing hunting/gathering duties more than is normal at that stage. (That's all speculation on our part.)

I think it was Dad who returned to the nest a couple of days after the chick(s) were lost, and consumed the remains. Humanizing, perhaps, but he seemed quite exhausted, and in a way I was glad that the chicks might help him survive. And survive he did - we watched him defend the nest through the summer. I don't remember details, but there were a number of nests that blew down in the storm, so a number of pairs were looking for nests.

If I had to guess, I'd say this is a different Dad than in 2007; I'm less sure about Mom, but the fact that they seem to be on a very different timetable than they were in 2007 and before suggests that both may be different. I've no clue when the change took place (or changes - some of those who watch regularly have feel that several different males and females have been seen, though some may just have been passing through). I'm a big fan of pleasant fantasies, so I'm hoping the 2007 Dad and Mom retired to a quiet cove with lots of fish. I suspect that's not generally what happens in real life - but maybe sometimes it does.