News from the Nest & Field

Our eagles have names! The male, with the completely white head, is Soren, which has a meaning of strength & determination. The female, who is larger and has a darker beak and head feathers, is Skye, which has a meaning of winged.

Our eagles have been visiting every day and spending longer times at the nest in preparations. They normally visit between 7:00 am – 9:00 am and in the late afternoon between 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The times they spend at the nest together will continue to be longer as their bond grows. As their bond grows the male will start to bring the female more gifts of food.

Skye is pictured above as she was at the nest this past week. The pair have also been improving their nest by bringing in softer materials to form the nest bowl where the eggs will be laid and bringing in more sticks to form the nest rails which help keep the eaglets from falling out. You will also see Soren and Skye try out the nest bowl for comfort and fit.

We do not have a prediction of when she will lay her eggs, since this is our first year watching them, but we believe it to be soon. Things to watch for: for her to be more vocal and for them to mate at the nest or in the nest tree. Once they mate and the egg has been fertilized, it takes 10 days for the egg to develop and be laid. Once she lays the first egg, subsequent eggs will be laid in 2–4 day intervals. For now, keep watching for signs of further bonding and mating. That will be the prelude to her laying the eggs.