Cuddles and workout for the SWFL eaglets

Screenshots from the SWFL Bald eagle nest. Eaglets E19 and E20 are five weeks old (E19 today, E20 almost). Some of the pictures show gory prey.

E19 resting at the nest rails.

And E20, too. Sleeping on a stick pillow.

Both stretching out a wing. E19 left, E20 right.

E19 nibbles on a fish, E20 plays with a feather. The eaglets are gaining more strength and coordination, and are practicing their self-feeding and other skills. They can't get much done yet, but it's a start.

 Dad M15 feeding the eaglets, who both have a big crop. E19 higher on screen.

E20 dozing. The dark juvenile plumage is starting to visibly grow in all over.

E19 stretching out a wing. E20 having a leg day, standing up and taking some steps!

Mom Harriet at the attic branch, watching over her eaglets.

E19 trying to sleep with a sunbeam right on their eye.

Eaglets cuddling. E20 left, E19 right.

Playing with a stick together.

Playful beak nips. Beaking is an amicable interaction that's also seen with courting couples (or throuples), and the eaglets are now old enough that the initial sibling rivalry is starting to be done and they can try and get along while they're sharing the nest (not that fighting is over completely, wait until they start being able to eat independently, and bicker over the whole meal and not just small pieces offered in a parent's beak). Eagles are not particularly social, and E19 and E20 will go their separate ways in a few months and never see each other again, so they're more being friendly than making friends. But they'll have their own mates and chicks some day, and keeping peace with siblings is also good practice for being gentle towards their future families, when much of an eagle's life requires being anything but.

Speaking of amicable interactions, here's E19 allopreening E20 a little.

Then some more beaking.

E20 mid-blink.

And some more preening.

Harriet (left) and M15 both at the nest with their eaglets in the evening, before M moved to the attic branch again to keep guard. E20 (higher on screen) and E19 went to sleep cozily cuddled up to mom.

Wing exercises by E19 yesterday evening.

Standing tall!

And some more allopreening from E19 to E20.