Parent-shaped umbrellas

Recent screenshots from the two Californian Bald eagle nests I've been watching this season, Big Bear and West End nests, both dealing with some inclement weather. Warning for closeups of prey at both, and mild sibling rivalry at the West End one.

Big Bear: Dad Shadow (left) and mom Jackie with their 3-week-old chick two days ago.

Chick doing a crop drop (moving food from crop to stomach). Jackie's talons in the background.

Chick picks up some nest material in its beak. Also seems to be sitting on the unhatched egg.

Curious nibbles at everything within reach, especially the fish.

The nest material keeps getting in the way, though. The chick isn't strong enough yet to tear pieces out of the fish, but, baby steps.

Peeks at the pin feathers on the wings as the chick stretches.

More of hanging out with mom.

Both parents still at the nest as it starts getting dark. Shadow didn't stay the whole night, but he stuck around a lot later than usual, and Jackie let him, instead of shooing him out of the nest bowl so she can get to brooding overnight. Shadow is currently brooding the chick here, and Jackie is perched on the edge of the nest. An unusual arrangement, but they can probably tell it's necessary. It'll be a stormy night.

Shadow gets up to be on the lookout for some time, but doesn't leave the nest, and when the wind picks up he returns to the nest bowl to brood.

Jackie moves closer, and the parents shield their precious chick together.

Later in the night, Jackie brooding alone, with the chick tucked under her.

Jackie feeding the little one breakfast. The wind has calmed down for now.

More self-feeding attempts. I think the chick may have even gotten a few small pieces out of the fish this time! It helps that now it's biting at a part of the fish that the parents have already opened.

Jackie gets a piece of grass stuck in her nostril for a moment while arranging the nest material.

Mom and chick doing chores together.

Rain starts, and the chick stays brooded under a parent. Dad Shadow on the nest at the moment.

A quick and efficient brooding shift change.

And a confirmed successful self-feeding for the chick! You can just see its little beak nibbling at the fish from under Jackie's wing. When it's too rainy for a feeding, you've got to help yourself, it seems. Good job, little one!

Jackie serving supper when the sun comes out for a bit.

And Jackie back to shielding the chick for the night, getting herself covered in snow again.

Breakfast in a winter wonderland.

Chick alone, but when it's not raining or snowing and the thermal down stays dry, it keeps the chick warm. The head still has a fine dusting of the lighter, wispier natal down, being the last body part to fully change into the second down plumage, which is why chicks tend to make sure to tuck at least their head under the parent even when they can't otherwise fit well. But Jackie and Shadow have kept their little one well protected from the storm, as evidenced by the snowless nest bown around it, too.

 

Then screenshots from West End, starting from four days ago. Triplets lined up and waiting for mom Thunder to feed them the cormorant she brought. Youngest chick WE3 in the middle, not sure again about which one of the older two is which.

Beautiful sunset on the overlook camera.

Dad Akecheta feeding the chicks breakfast. WE3 is currently eating in the screenshot, and I think middle child WE2 is at the front and oldest chick WE1 at the back here.

A family gathering in the evening.

And yesterday morning, chicks with dad.

The rain that reached Big Bear later in the day arrived at the Channel Islands first, bringing a wet and windy late morning. Both Thunder and Akecheta at the nest shielding the chicks. Poor parents look absolutely drenched, but they have pennaceous feathers keeping their down dry, and at least the weather is warm if otherwise unpleasant.

Rain letting up, and Akecheta drying his wings.

The chick pile is doing well, even if that persistent raindrop on the camera lens is trying to obscure them from view. WE1 is on the left here, and WE2 on the right. You'll see in a moment how I identified them with such certainty this time.

WE3 pops up from behind the older siblings.

WE3 is feeling big, it seems...

...and bonks WE1!

:V

WE1 retaliates, but against WE2, who just happened to be easier to reach, I guess.

Oh, don't worry, WE3, you'll get some, too.

Any more little siblings wanting to cause trouble? Didn't think so.

All three napping peacefully again.

But not for long. WE3 gets up to poop, and steps on WE2, who lifts its head.

WE3 gives WE2 a pre-emptive bonk!

And WE2 actually stays down. Probably just went back to sleep.

WE3 tries its luck some more, and does wing excercises, ending up hitting WE1 in the face.

WE1 as well is too sleepy to do anything about it.

WE3 is invincible!

Well, at least until it not much later had a brief bonk match with a not so sleepy WE1, and lost. But a spirited little birb, this one.

Some more moments from the sunnier rest of the day. A feeding with dad.

Sleepy... (and WE3 on the left is curious about some blades of grass).

Another feeding with dad. Always happy to see how good he has gotten at this.

And a feeding with mom. Interesting way for the chicks to have arranged themselves around her, but if that works, why not.

The West End chicks are 2-3 weeks old, with WE1 turning three weeks today. WE2 is exactly a week younger than the Big Bear chick, so they'll have their three- and four-week birthdays, respectively, in two days. WE3 just turned two weeks on Saturday.