More of spying on modern dinosaurs

It looks like I've added the Royal Albatross Cam from New Zealand to nestcams I'm keeping an eye on. A chick hatched there a few days ago, and the glimpses I've caught of the tiny fuzzball on the livestream myself have been pretty limited, but luckily there are excellent captures by other people out there to keep me posted (check out the video descriptions, too, for information on the birds and their behavior, and on the conservation program). The parents themselves are adorable with each other, too, when they're at the nest at the same time. Their brooding shifts last several days, so mom albatross actually saw her baby for the first time just today!

(For viewing the videos and stream, I should mention that unlike raptors, albatrosses feed their young by regurgitating, in case that's something you don't want to see. If so, there are clips about other activities than feeding, too.)

Early morning, so the camera's still in night mode here. Chick peeking from the nest a tiny bit from under dad.

A better, though quick look I caught the next day! Mom just got up to turn around and then plopped right back down to brooding. Just enough to interrupt the little one's nap. :D

On the raptor front, the Big Bear eagles are continuing to incubate their eggs (less than two weeks to go, now! The incubation period is 35 days, though for the first egg likely a bit longer due to delayed incubation to let the second egg catch up, and the high altitude can cause longer incubation in general, so may take as long as 42 days, too). And the Trio nest is also starting to enter the stage in their nesting season where eggs can be expected. They've certainly been doing their best to make some, lol.

I've also continued to keep an eye on the Southwest Florida nest. No eaglets, but the adults Harriet and M15 are fascinating in their own right, and the camera continues to let us observe their behavior in the aftermath of their first complete loss of a clutch.

The couple have been spending a lot of time in the nest tree and the area around it. One reason, I believe, is to guard their territory so no one else takes the nest they'll need again next season. The nest itself is seeing a lot of renovations, with both eagles bringing in new sticks and arranging them. Sometimes they bring their prey to the nest to eat it there, including M bringing food gifts for Harriet. Another thing they're doing quite a bit is mating, which is indeed something bald eagle couples do even when fertilization is not possible, and like the nest work it's an important part of maintaining their pair bond. So, good for them.

All in all their behavior would seem like early nesting season courtship if we didn't know they've already incubated and hatched their young this season. There's been speculation about whether they could still have another clutch, but, we can only wait and see. Though replacement clutches are a thing, they usually happen if eggs are lost during incubation, and while as far as I know new eggs after losing hatchlings isn't unheard of, it's rare.

Even if there's no new babies coming this season, though, it's nice to see them spending time together and being comfortable in each other's company, including just perching side by side on the attic branches or sharing a bath at the nearby pond.