SWFL eaglets are back at the nest

E17 and E18 were returned to the SWFL eagle nest earlier today (or yesterday by now on my timezone) after a week at Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) to recover from eye infection.

Looking around and lying around after the humans had left, taking in the familiar surroundings. I said I won't be able to tell them apart, but apparently I lied. E17 is on the left, E18 on the right. 

The eaglets have gained some size difference as they've grown (they're each already double the weight they were when they were taken out of the nest), with younger sibling E18 being a bit smaller, though not by as much as would be expected with eaglets with a bigger age difference. Both were considered well-fed and healthy other than the eye infection at their intake exam, and got plenty of food at CROW and consistently put on weight, so E18 is growing normally. E17 is just bigger. Could be due to E18 being from an egg laid 4 days after E17's, so there's some catching up to do even though they hatched on the same day, or, while it's a bit early to speculate about what sex they are, E17 could be a female and E18 a male, since female eagles are larger, already as chicks.

The eaglets were alone in the nest for several hours, but they were monitored via the nestcam by people from CROW in case the parents would take too long to return. Though Harriet and M15 nest closer to humans than many other eagles do and are used to humans being around to some extent, people intruding in the nest is still stressful for wild birds. The eaglets had been fed before renesting, so the parents could take the time they needed.

E17 is on the left in the former and on the right in the latter of the above two screenshots.

And eventually, Harriet flew back to the nest. No idea what she might think about where her chicks went and how they got back, but it probably doesn't matter to her as much as that they're home now. E18 looking up at mom, while E17 sleeps.

Tucking both babies under her for brooding. ♥

M15 has now returned, too, and the parents switched nest attendance duty. E17 is beak to beak with dad, maybe wanting snack. E18 is showing submissive behavior after some sibling rivalry. It seems the eaglets have established their pecking order, though the rivalry will likely still continue for a while. As I recall the eaglets usually outgrow most of it by 3-4 weeks old. Not always the cutest of behaviors, but it's an important one - they are competition for food to each other, and both learn in this way to hold their own outside the nest, too, whether it's by aggression or picking one's battles. It's tough to be an eagle, and Harriet and M are experienced at raising little fluffballs to be tough and capable birds of prey.

E17 left, E18 right. Back to napping, with dad watching over them from the branch above.