Eaglet to do list: sprout feathers, annoy family members

Warning for prey in the nests, but not in focus.

Jackie tucking in her 5-week-old eaglet Spirit at Big Bear Bald eagle nest. Jackie has been easy to tell apart from her mate Shadow for the past few days thanks to Spirit's bad/good aim. :)

And cute Spirit closeups the next day.

All the angles.

What an excellent model you make.

Spirit helping Jackie aerate the nest. Or rather, copying her behavior, but that's how you learn.

Spirit standing up, legs are getting stronger each day. Jackie on the left/front, Shadow perching behind Spirit.

Mid-blink!

Lumber-Jackie brings a new mini tree for the nest rails. Shadow tries to help, but she's got this. He and Spirit just stay out of the way.

Spirit watching Jackie arrange sticks some more.

Look, mom! I can do that, too!

Chomp!

Wing exercises!

Oh, the joys of parenthood.

Jackie nips at Spirit's wing. Get that off her face, lol.

Shadow, Jackie, and Spirit.

Spirit's juvenile plumage is really starting to grow in now, dark feathers emerging from under the down. These screenshots are from yesterday, with Spirit being five and a half weeks (or 39 days) old. Such a difference already to the earlier closeups in this post!

Curious about everything.

Also screenshots from the West End nest at Catalina Island. Oldest eaglet of the clutch, WE1, sitting on the rock next to the nest. WE1 is 31 days old here.

Dad Akecheta brings a fish, and WE1 clambers off the rock to get to where little siblings WE2 (middle) and WE3 (right) are already at the table.

Two days later, all three eaglets on the rock. WE3 is at the front, WE2 on the left behind WE3, and WE1 on the right. All have turned four weeks old now and WE1 is nearing five weeks. Mom Thunder is on the tor in the background, guarding the nest and watching for fish.

Eaglets with dad. WE1 is taking some steps on the left. Not very steady, but walking on feet instead of hocks.

Eaglets without dad. Oldest to youngest l-r. WE3 has the most light grey natal down still clinging to its head among the darker thermal down, while WE2 has the least. I'm guessing some of WE2's has gotten plucked off by WE1, even though sibling rivalry has been very mild in this nest. But those fluffy wisps are meant to fall off anyway.

Youngest to oldest l-r. A good look at their backs, and at what the two days of age difference that there is between each chick looks like in feather development.

Tracking Thunder flying to the nest.

Hi, mom! She doesn't stay for long, but soon flies back in with a fish.

Beautiful arrivals with prey by both parents.

Dragon Akecheta and his hoard of babies.

Waking up the next morning, WE2, WE1, WE3 from higher to lower on screen. They seem to have grown overnight again! Especially WE3's face has gotten more like a big eaglet's than a little chick's.

 

Feeding with Thunder. Sibling rivalry has been mild, but it still happens occasionally - they are eagles after all, and it's normal, and good practice for their lives as independent juveniles out in the world. Whenever feedings get delayed and the eaglets are particularly hungry, the pecking order rears its head. The two younger eaglets, however, do not, and try their best to look submissive to avoid bonks from WE1's beak.

WE3, WE2, and WE1, l-r. WE1 has a huge crop, having ensured it gets most of the food in that previous feeding.

Akecheta giving WE3 a private feeding later. WE2 is obscured behind WE1 in this screenshot.

There's WE2. It has a decent-sized crop, too. The younger eaglets did get more food later in the day.