Here are a couple of pictures sent to Karenb by Martin Passchier from the Stanley Park Ecological Society. Karen asked me to post them when the Jericho Park thread was set up. They arrived in my email on Feb 4, so they were probably taken sometime in January, or early February. (Sorry Keta, I forgot I had them!)

Anyway better late than never! Especially since they show the band so clearly!

Thanks everyone for posting the pictures and Keta for your video. My son lives close by so we will make a point of visiting the nest next time I am in Vancouver.

I dropped by the Jericho nest early this afternoon. I met a neighbor of the nest who apparently can see it quite well (with a spotting scope) from his living room. We chatted awhile about the history of the nest, and both hoped for a more successful year in the cottonwood. Eventually I set my camera in the driveway to the community center, and started to take a few pictures. Nothing spectacular, just a head at the top edge of the nest. Waited, and watched, looked around a little, and noticed a juvenile in one of the trees behind me. Probably one of the offspring from last year I would guess? Was this nest successful last year? Anyways waited, and watched, took a couple of pictures, talked to some of the pedestrians, then noticed another adult eagle in the tree across the street. Straight out from the community center driveway.
Swung the camera around and tried to get a decent picture of this eagle.
Why do eagles always sit behind so many big branches... I was hoping that with the teleconverters (magnifiers) we might be able to read the band on the leg. (Not very likely, but an honourable goal.) Anyways the eagle across the street didn't have a band. After a few minutes the one in the nest started a conversation with the one I was photographing, and then took off out of the nest.
Then the one across the street was in the air.
The Juvenile tried to join them in their circling flight, but was quickly chased off by one of the adults.
By the time I found the second adult it was back on the nest.
But now instead of a head showing, all I could see where tail feathers. Watched a little longer, got cold, and went home. So how was your afternoon

Well, it's kinda like watching paint dry at the Sidney nest right now Ian. Sounds like you had the more exciting afternoon.

Might that chap you spoke to allow you to see the nest through his spotting scope?

Did a quick drive by this evening after the wind storm. Had to take the long way round, city crews were blocking 4th avenue off so that they could clean up the fallen trees. Luckily the nest tree seems to be intact, and the nest looks like it is in good shape.

I went back this morning to see if there is a better view from the Aberthau community centre. The staff were very helpful, and let me sit up in the attic space for a while. (There's a window...) Unfortunately there are many branches in between the nest and the community centre, and the leaves are now starting to grow. Here's the best shot I was able to get.

Oh hey, right on! Getting photos of "our" eagles down at Jericho, excellent.

re: the band, (people in this thread were saying Vanier, but I expect they mean Jericho?? :huh: ) I've never seen a band on the Jericho eagles but someone did point out that the male had a tag waaaay down low on his back feathers. Spotted in one of my videos on a windy day.

Also a bit worried about the terrible wind and if the Cottonwoods would hold up I took the camera down to Jericho yesterday. Looks like business as usual!!

re: questions about juveniles. There is a perception among the local Jericho nest followers that the only juvenile you will see being a big pest, that the adults allow to land in 'their' trees, is Chirp, from 2005. Back then the eagles were again nesting in the Cottonwoods. The two eaglets were out on a branch exercising when it broke. The female fell to the ground and broke a wing and had to be rescued (by O.W.L., later released successfully). The younger sibling fell to a lower branch, it took him (her?) three days to climb back into the nest, no food the whole time! Ever since then he would call and call and CALL for food, even if he (she) had only just eaten. He was also difficult to get rid off, with the parents finally stopping feeding him altogether at the end of July. I have some great shots of him (her) madly trying to catch random seagulls and crows on the beachfront until he finally started to take lessons from his parents.

PHOTOS + STORY

That was the August long weekend, and the whole family took off after that, with the parents returning later in the season without him. Many locals believe Chirp found his way back, and pesters the adults on occasion. I'm not so sure, why him over any of the others? (yes there was a successful fledging last year, two babies. The year before the babies died and the year before that the eggs didn't hatch). It's getting up onto five years for Chirp, he (she) may have been a big whiny baby, but should be getting into adult colours around now, no??

-Keta

Hi Keta.

The band we are talking about is definitely on a Jericho eagle. The reason I mentioned Vanier, was that in one of my previous images at Vanier, I mistakenly thought there was a steel band. Turned out to be a talon. But on the Jericho one, it is clear that It's a stainless steel bracelet on the right leg of one of the birds. If you go back a few postings on the thread you can see both the full picture (where the eagle is jumping off the branch wings fully extended) and the enlargement of the leg.

That's interesting that there may be a tag in the wing as well, I'll need to watch for it.
Here's the closeup again.