Royal Roads Eagles, Colwood, BC - 2019-2022 Seasons

[sassyk]

Royal Roads Nest (cont'd)

A few more photos of the eaglets.

[sassyk]

My birding partner discovered a good vantage point for viewing the nest. We went there this afternoon and saw both eaglets; 1 was up on a branch beside the nest, the 2nd one was at the back of the nest.

[sassyk]

July 7th cont'd.

The eaglet up on the branch was flapping its big wings.

[sassyk]

July 7th cont'd.

After I had taken these photos a parent brought prey to the nest and both eaglets scrambled for it. The parent hopped up on a branch then flew off while we were chatting with a lady who was walking by so I wasn't able to get a photo of it. We didn't see the eaglets again but certainly heard them

[sassyk]

I visited the nest area again on July 11th. I could hear both eaglets squawking but saw only 1 on a branch to the left of the nest; same branch as last visit.

I wandered down the trail under the nest to see if the 2nd eaglet was on a branch but didn't see it. As I was coming back up to the road I caught a glimpse of an eaglet flapping its wings but by the time I got back to the vantage point where I can see the nest I couldn't see it. I believe it was on a branch to the right of the nest.

This is the same eaglet that had jumped down into the nest then hopped up to the branch above the nest.

[sassyk]

I visited the Cottonwood Lane nest with my birding partner on July 7th. We were told the eaglet had fledged and we heard it calling softly twice but after wandering all around the area we could not find it! We spotted the adult female perched in a tree down the path a little ways looking very tired.

Enjoying a little shuteye!

Tree casualty!

[sassyk]

My birding partner visited the Royal Roads nest recently and has reported that one of the eaglets has fledged

[sassyk]

My birding partner visited the Royal Roads nest area on July 27th and 1 eaglet was still being fed at the nest and calling from a branch. The 2nd eaglet had fledged

[JudyB]

2021 Cam Maintenance
Matching Drive

A little over 17 weeks ago, we met Tiku from our Surrey Reserve nest; this is just before he or maybe she made it all the way out of the shell:

And now Tiku and Tucca from Surrey Reserve and Hope and Chase from Delta 2 have all set out to explore the world.

We do still have one young eagle to watch - this is Romeo from our White Rock nest, who hatched 6 weeks later than Tiku:

At 11 weeks, he (or maybe she) is practicing perching on the nest supports and exercising those big wings. Eaglets generally fledge (take their first flight) between 10 and 14 weeks, and it's my guess that will happen in the next week or so.

And you know - I haven't really thought about this before - but our little window to access the nests and clean the cams and do any other necessary work isn't always that much longer than the 35-40 days it takes an egg to hatch. Last year the Surrey Reserve adults didn't leave until August 14 (though they weren't visiting very often after Thor left in mid-July) - and Dad Sur was back on September 26. Different pairs have different schedules - and it can vary from year to year - so it would be great if we could get ready now.

With that in mind....

We will be posting more details about our Adopt-a-Nest program, the new option to adopt one of our eagles with a tracker (details soon), the Monthly Donor program - and the work we need to do on the 10 cameras we now have at five different nests.

The important thing to know is that at least the first $1000 in donations toward our cam maintenance fund drive will be matched by long-time supporters of Hancock Wildlife - so the time to donate is now!

Details about How to Donate

If you have questions, please contact judyb@hancockwildlife.org or gemini@hancockwildlife.org

Thank You!

[sassyk]

Thanks you JudyB for all of your hard work to keep the forum running. The time & effort you and the other admins donate are very much appreciated. I will be donating soon.

My birding partner and I visited the Royal Roads nest area yesterday and spotted one of the eaglets perched in a tree near the nest tree. Both eaglets have fledged and were heard calling from different trees. They flew off towards Esquimalt Lagoon before we could get any photos. However, we did see both fledglings perched in trees along the edge of the lagoon and flying to other trees. Both adults were also in the area; one perched in a tree and the other one soaring overhead.

This eaglet was perched on a snag across the lagoon near the boat house; a long ways away! Photos have been cropped a lot.

One of the adults perched on the edge of the lagoon near the nest tree.

[sassyk]

Two more photos of the eaglets perched in different trees around the lagoon.

Eaglet is in the tree on the right near the top.

One of the adults soaring over the lagoon.

[sassyk]

I have locked this thread but will unlock it for the 2021/2022 season when the eagles have returned to their nesting territory Hoping to see them looking healthy and well fed and hope they produce a family in the spring

[sassyk]

THIS IS THE OPENING POST FOR THE 2021-2022 NESTING SEASON

Good News!!
I have unlocked this thread and welcome your observations and photos if you see the eagles in and around Royal Roads and Esquimalt Lagoon.

An adult eagle was seen and photographed yesterday August 21st at Esquimalt Lagoon Hoping for a successful season for this eagle pair

[sassyk]

I visited the nest site on Oct. 2nd and both nests looked intact However, I did not see or hear the eagles anywhere in the vicinity of the nests or around Esquimalt Lagoon. A fellow who lives near the lagoon has seen an adult eagle in the area a few times lately and has also seen a juvenile eagle.

I took a photo of the old nest from the lagoon.

I also took photos of the 2nd nest near the arched entrance to Royal Roads; 1st one from inside the archway,
2nd one from outside the archway.

[sassyk]

Due to the fact that I have had hip replacement surgery 2 weeks ago, I will not be able to visit any nests for awhile. My birding partner will forward her observations to me to post here when she visits the nests.

Observations over the past couple of weeks:

Cottonwood Lane nest- an adult has been seen perched in the nest tree
Royal Roads - both eagles were seen perched together by the bridge at Esquimalt Lagoon

[sassyk]

I was finally able to get out to visit the nest area on Feb. 13th. The nest looks intact but I didn't see any new sticks. There were no eagles seen or heard in the area. However, there have been several sightings of both eagles around Esquimalt Lagoon

[sassyk]

I visited the nest on Cottonwood Lane on April 7th. Sadly I did not see or hear any eagles in the area but chatted with a lady who walks her dog on the trails daily. She told me the eagles have been around for a few weeks, coming and going in the nest When I zoomed in on some of my photos of the nest I think I can see some white feathers between the sticks

This photo shows the back side of the nest.

[sassyk]

I visited the Royal Roads nest on April 7th. As I was getting out of my vehicle I heard eagles squawking and saw both adults flying in being chased by an Osprey The eagles continued to squawk back and forth but I could not see them from the road beneath the nest. After several minutes I saw movement in the nest and managed to capture the tail feathers in the nest. When the action calmed down I captured the eagle lying down in the nest.

This photo was taken from the entrance to College Dr.

These 2 photos were taken from the road beneath the nest.

[sassyk]

April 7th cont'd.

This is the old nest tree taken from Esquimalt Lagoon.

[sassyk]

I was at Esquimalt Lagoon on Thurs. Apr. 14th and saw one of the adult eagles circle overhead, making all the other ducks and birds take flight. It swooped down, chased and caught a duck, then flew to a tree at the other end of the bridge. I lost track of it but another observer said she saw it land with the duck. I did manage to capture a photo of it in flight before it grabbed the duck.

The trees where the eagle landed with the duck. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pinpoint just where the eagle was perched but the eagles perch in these trees quite often.

[sassyk]

I visited both nests at Royal Roads on April 27th. One of the eagles was perched in the usual tree near the nest tree and the other one was in the nest near the entrance to College Dr. I heard a very faint squawk as I approached the nest tree but otherwise all was quiet in the area. It is difficult to get a photo of the eagle in the nest when it is lying down and all I could capture was some white feathers between the sticks

[sassyk]

I visited the 2nd nest on the Royal Roads property on April 27th. One of the adults was perched at the top of a tree near the nest tree. When it flew off a few minutes after I arrived the one in the nest squawked once but didn't get up.

This is the view of the back of the nest.

[sassyk]

April 27th visit cont'd.

When I wandered down the trail to view the back of the nest I heard both eagles squawking back and forth and I could see one perched near the nest. When I got back to the other side of the nest I saw where the eagle was perched. I don't know whether the eagle in the nest got out and flew to the nearby tree or if the other eagle was the same one that flew away a short while earlier.

I took these last 2 photos from the gate onto the Royal Roads property. They have been cropped a lot.

[sassyk]

I visited both nests on the Royal Roads property on May 5th. An adult was perched on the usual perch tree near the nest tree by the gates near the entrance to the Royal Roads property.

I heard an eagle in the nest squawk once but all I saw from the road beneath the nest was some white feathers above the branch.

This is a view of the nest from the street, across from the school.

[sassyk]

May 10th cont'd.

The second nest on the Royal Roads property is active. However, during the entire time I was there I did not see the eagle or eaglets in the nest.

I took this first picture from the road before going through the gate onto the property.

I took these next 2 pictures from the path below the nest, front and side views.

[sassyk]

May 10th cont'd.

This is a view of the back of the 2nd nest on the Royal Roads property.

I took one final picture of the front of the nest before I left. This was after I had seen a wing flap in the nest while I was chatting with a lady. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera ready and missed getting a photo.

The 2nd eagle flew in and landed in the same perch tree as the last time I was there.