Surrey Reserve 2018-2019 Observation and Discussion

[JudyB]

6:25 pm
I'm going to reboot North one more time then head off to bed. It's been a wonderful day here - thank you all for your posts and support!

[BETHINB.C.]

Hi everyone, I know I sure will sleep better..and I am smiling big time to see Res, she is such a good momma. I am still praying she will get all the way better and be a mamma again next year.

Thank you, Judy, for all your wonderful updates.. I am so happy..
Good night ladies, I may be back later but not too sure.

[nightowl]

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

[gemini]

12:58 am Checked the DVR back to JudyB's last post and there was one food delivery at 7:10 pm by Sur who displayed some fancy footwork to escape! I believe it was Ess who claimed the prize. There was no attempt to steal by Dee. The rest of the evening went as usual.

South Cam view
Sur delivers a bedtime snack (:38)



North cam View
Sur Delivers a bedtime snack (alternate view) (:58)


Both chicks are currently awake - one down in the nest and the other standing at the side of the nest.

[IrishEyes]

Good Morning everyone and thanks nightowl for starting the day here and great videos gemini !


Weather Report

4:12A 'Ess and Dee are sleeping /Ess is on the left

I checked the DVR back fo gemini's post and no other nest visits

[BETHINB.C.]

Good morning everyone. I haven't seen any visits this morning but noticed a lot of noise again from the construction going on. Off to look and the off to some work on here. I hin and out all at the same time...I have to laugh at Sur the way he swoops in and ut at the same time.

[JudyB]

Good morning, everyone! The forum was offline for a while this morning - and happily is back now.

At about 7:15 am I checked back on the dvr and didn't see any morning visits (update - see my next post) - since I couldn't see when the last post was, I checked from when it first began getting light; the chicks were eating occasionally, but I checked those And then I rebooted the North cam - and of course that's when the food arrived! I think this is Sur with a fish.

I think maybe the eaglets didn't see him coming - it looked as if he landed and they suddenly saw him and rushed him.

I'm pretty sure it was Dee that got the fish - this was the scene when the North cam came back up, and it may not be obvious in the picture, but I'm pretty sure the tail on the right is Ess's with the white tips.

[JudyB]

While I was just checking back again, I found two early visits that might have been by Res, at 5:04 and 5:08 am; I had noticed that one of the chicks appeared to be eating around 5:10, but the first time I went back I didn't see either brief visit.

At the 5:04 am visit, the upper tail appears white - Sur has a couple of black patches near the top of his white feathers.

And when she was taking off, it looks as if she's using her "heel" to support her weight as she turns, not the toes.

North cam was pixelating, but I got a couple of pictures. This looks like Res's head to me.

And I'm thinking I'm seeing her swollen right foot here:

video coming

[JudyB]

Reserved for 5:08 visit

Note - I have not checked anything after 7:15 - and I really need a lunch break now. I'll add more later.


Added - Darlene or gemini, if you stop by and want to do videos of any of this, that would be fine - mine will be fairly small if I process and post them.

[Marg]

Sleeping peacefully.

[gemini]

9:27 am Judy, at first I thought it may have been Res that came in with a small fish at 7:18 this morning. No black on the tail in my scap .....

and white strip on the wing maybe? (Click bigger)

and after viewing h/h backing away from the swarming chicks, I think I detected a bit of a limp - what do you think? I'm conflicted after seeing your scap of the tail!


Adult in with small fish



Off to look at the earlier visits - I missed them both! I really don't like this 12 hour DVR backup!


Two early morning visits by Res! (1:38)


10:47 am Not seeing anything since

Battery going!

[JudyB]

9:27 am Judy, at first I thought it may have been Res that came in with a small fish at 7:18 this morning. No black on the tail in my scap .....

and white strip on the wing maybe? (Click bigger)

and after viewing h/h backing away from the swarming chicks, I think I detected a bit of a limp - what do you think? I'm conflicted after seeing your scap of the tail!

Off to look at the earlier visits - I missed them both! I really don't like this 12 hour DVR backup!

I think you're right, gemini - I was thinking Sur because the adult was moving around so well - but watching your video, I see more "Res markers" than "Sur markers" - and at one point it looked as if she was using her right "heel" (need to look up the proper name - but standing more like a chick than an adult on that leg). Res does have one or two small black marks at the very top of her tail - and I think that's what we're seeing.

[BETHINB.C.]

Hi again, that was Res for sure this early morning, I went back and back again till I got a good look, she is still favouring her leg, look to have brought a bird and I believe it was Ess that grabbed it. I always get them mixed up. it had white tips on the tail feathers. I am just so happy that they are being fed. Thank you, Judy, for the pics and info. Off to look some more..lol.

[JudyB]

I just found an 8:29 am visit by Sur (99% certain it was him) - and I totally agree that looking back over 12 hours makes it really hard to see anything - only found it because I wondered why a chick seemed to be eating. Visit was less than 20 seconds.

Dark spot on tail

Then up to perch, gripping with both feet.

Sur's Turn (25 seconds)

[JudyB]

Another quick visit at 10:44 am - I think Sur because I think I can see him putting weight on the right foot, and I don't think Res can do that yet.

North was too pixelated to get anything useful though I had an impression of dark spots on the tail when Sur(?) left.


I'm going to reboot North after this - very hard to tell who gets what without it.


More Food! (33 seconds)


North reboot was successful. I'm going to try to reboot North every 3-4 hours when I'm around to make it easier to review (unless we haven't had time to check for visits). I'm a bit reluctant to reboot South - it should be fine, but the last time I rebooted it, it stayed down for a couple of hours - and it currently is the best cam for seeing visits. I think.

I noticed the South cam vibrating a couple of times, so while I was in North, I took a look at the cam to see if there was an eagle perched there, but no one was there when I checked.

[JudyB]

12:28 pm
Another quick food drop - first impression is Sur with a fish that Dee claimed.


Second impression - definitely Sur - strong use of both legs, and dark shadow around the eye. Not having much luck getting a screenshot.

And it may not be a fish, though it's hard to tell with the North cam pixelating again. But this is Dee eating it, and I saw Ess's white tail tips before s/he stood up.

12:34 pm
Ess moved closer - I think planning a grab, but perhaps it didn't look work the effort - Ess moved back to where s/he had been napping, leaving Dee to finish the small meal.

I'm going to try another reboot of North - it's OK as long as the chicks are still, but not useful when there's activity, like a nest visit.


12:46 pm
Ess comes over again, just in case there was something of interest.

[JudyB]

Well, I got a couple of closeups - but the cam is still pixelating.

Tails - Dee on left, Ess on right

Dee, with feather stuck to beak

Ess, no feather

I need to wait a bit, then I'll try another reboot of the cam if it doesn't settle down.

[BETHINB.C.]

Hi again, another food drop approx 12:31 Sur this time. A drop and fly..lol. I couldn't see who grabbed it but I would imagine Ess and she seems the be the one that gets it all the time.. ( she should share you know...lol. ) I don't see either being too excited to eat so their being fed well.

Nice close-ups Judy, I love the one of the head shot..

[JudyB]

1:45 pm
Sur in with a fish, and Ess got it.

Not having much luck getting Ess's white tail feather tips with a dark background - but it's Ess.

[JudyB]

2:15 pm
Sur is back again, and again Ess got the fish(?)

Dee had a few words for Dad about equal distribution....

Then Dad Sur flew to the perch and away.

[JudyB]

2:17 pm
Apparently Ess wasn't actually hungry - Ess put the fish down - and Dee grabbed it.

I'm not sure, but it looked to me as if Dee was a bit greedy, and a moment later came back and grabbed what was left of the earlier fish.

Either way, Ess did not seem hungry - and Dee did. So it's all good.

[BETHINB.C.]

I get so confused Judy, your probably right, I know one of them steals food from the other all the time. Even Sur looks disgusted...lol.

I guess with the chicks so big now it will be a drop and run from now on, hard to catch them bringing food now..lol...I go back, then back, then back again. Sometimes I m lucky and catch the parents.

[JudyB]

These two get along well now, Beth, and are very close in size and development - but for the first week or two, Dee was bigger and more assertive, and if Dee was hungry, he or she would peck at Ess and put Ess into submission so Dee could have a solo feeding. After a minute or two, Ess would creep back, and generally by then Dee wouldn't be as hungry and both would get a good feeding - but sometimes as they got bigger and hungrier, Ess wanted food before Dee was willing to share, so Ess learned to sneak in and grab bites from the adult, rather than wait for bites to be offered (though they also often sat side by side and took turns politely). I think Ess was also the first to try to grab bits of food directly from the prey, rather than waiting for an adult to offer him or her a bite.

And I may be reading too much into some of this, because this is a pattern I've seen a number of times - but it's my impression that we're occasionally seeing the flip side of the early feedings, where Dee had the upper hand. To humanize slightly, Dee expects that a parent will feed him/her and waits (briefly) for that to happen - while Ess has learned that s/he gets fed sooner by grabbing the food. Dee is now learning to grab food when it appears - and to keep it away from Ess - and Dee is likely to get more food when a parent does feed, because Dee immediately demands food from the parent while Ess can be a little more careful about approaching, because Ess remembers the early days.

I think they are both getting plenty of food now (though I have been more interested on which adult we're seeing than on which chick got the delivery) - and learning to grab food from each other and mantle their food so the other can't see they have it are great lessons that they will use as they compete with other young fledglings once they are on their own. And I do ramble on - sorry.

Not sure which eaglet this is - but I'm seeing a nice big crop!

[BETHINB.C.]

Judy, you are not rambling on, lol..what you are saying is very interesting to me I really enjoy it. I too have been very interested in which parent is delivering. I was so upset when I saw Res's foot injury. I have noticed that Res is more active these past few days. Does Sur seem to be ( in my eye ) the smaller of the two birds? Maybe it's just an illusion. I would love to see both together. I also figured Sur is the slimmer of the two. Again, maybe an illusion. This is the first time I have followed the Eagle's hatching and I must say I am really amazed by it all. They really have a lot of hunting to do to get both eaglets fed. I also see where the chicks are almost the same size as the adults. I have always loved the Eagles we live in the valley and see a lot of them, especially if we head out to Deroche, Agassiz, area, there are so many of them there, there is also a fish hatchery out this way Weaver Creek and the Eagles eat the dead salmon that spawn, along with the bears. So interesting. The only thing I didn't enjoy was seeing all the dead and dying salmon. I know its nature but I am soft..lol. Now who's rambling on Judy?..lol.

[SueD]

5:16 p.m.: Parent arrives with small bird. One of the eaglets snatches it and begins defeathering it.

[SueD]

5:29 p.m.: Eaglet on our right is self-feeding on the small bird it defeathered.

[JudyB]

Thanks for the pictures of the 5:15 delivery, Sue! For the record, I think Ess is the one who claimed the bird, and I think it was Sur making the delivery, in part because he moved to the perch afterwards, and was using both feet there.

He also seemed to be dancing on both feet as he got out of the way of the eaglets rushing to grab the food.


Beth, female eagles are generally larger than males, so I would expect Res to be larger than Sur. That's true of most raptors, and is useful because there's more room under them to brood the chicks as they grow - and because they can fight off any intruders. Male eagles are unlikely to tangle with female intruders because the females are larger; females expect their partners to chase off any males who want to take over the territory, but they can and will protect their chicks from any eagles that might threaten them.

[JudyB]

5:44 pm
Sur arrived with a large white bird - I'm guessing another seagull or part of one.

He did some de-feathering while the eaglets watched.

Ess was still busy with his/her little bird from the previous delivery, but took a break to also call at Dad - I think both of them wanted to be fed.

[JudyB]

5:47 pm
Ess is back working on his/her little bird, and Dee is working on the big bird Sur brought. Sur is keeping watch.

And I'm pretty sure it's not a seagull, though I don't know what it is. It was definitely dead when it arrived, and Dee has gained access.

6:02 pm
Sur has gotten in the middle of the chicks and the larger bird, and I think he's feeding them, though he may be getting some bites for himself as well.

And on that note, I think I'll say good night. The feeding is continuing, but it's getting late in Maine.

[Kitcat11848]

Sur in with something bloody, has blood on his tail and beak. Looks like the eaglets aren't too hungry although Sur is feeding them a few bites.
1:4 pm