Ready for our closeup

Lots of nice zooming at the SWFL eaglets from yesterday.

Younger sibling E16 on the left, older sibling E15 on the right. Just having a morning cuddle.

 E16 allopreens E15.

E16 with a pretty eye reflection.

A little nipping/preening from E15.

Checking what that was scritching at their head just now?

They are quickly getting covered in contour feathers, but baby down still shows through especially when they don't have their wings tucked in. Both still have pretty much completely grey, fluffy "pants", too. E16 is still a tiny bit behind in feather growth (on schedule for their age), but it's starting to be a challenge to tell them apart. This one is E15, with an almost completely dark head.

A very close closeup of E15's two tongue barbs, or rear-directed papillae. Most birds have those in some shape, size, and numbers, to help push food down their throat. They're dark like this on young eagles, but will get lighter as they age.

Side by side at the nest rails again, both panting to cool themselves. E15 is at the front/bottom of the screen.

E15 nipping at E16's beak a bit. From this angle you can also see clearly E16's glottis, the hole at the back of the tongue that's the entrance to the windpipe. The glottis closes when the bird swallows, and when the mouth is closed, it connects to the nares/nostrils via a lined up opening (called choanal slit) in the roof of the mouth.

Which is seen here, as E16 does a crop drop (moving food to the stomach from the crop) later in the day.

 

E16 on the left, E15 on the right.

E15 puts a wing over E16. The "wing-hugs" don't usually last long, but this time E15 kept that wing there for about a minute.

E15 plays with what's left of that squirrel plushie. They pulled stuffing and a string out of it, but didn't eat any of it.

 

E16 comes over to watch...

...and moves some nesting material around, just like mom and dad!

They're so cute! E16 still on the left, E15 on the right. I think one of the parents was at the treetop perch.

E16.

E15 standing on top of the nest rails like a big eagle! Surveying their kingdom.

E16 does wing exercises, showing off those aforementioned fluffy pants.