Sky fledges!

The last one of the three eaglets I've been watching since they were hatchlings at West End of Catalina Island Bald eagle nest has fledged! Sky the middle-hatched chick took his time after his older sister and younger brother had already shown flying can be done a while ago, but it was a very deliberate fledge with a safe return to nest soon after.

I don't have a screenshot of the flight itself, but I do have these of Sky head-bobbing (triangulating) right before. A tell-tale sign that a chick is about to test its wings to get to whatever spot it's figuring out the distance to.

Two fledglings on Turtle Rock.

Sky (left) and little brother Ahote back at the nest with a bird prey. Older sister Kana'kini perching in the background.

So good to see Sky finally trust his wings to carry him and join his siblings as a fledgling. All three will now practice their flying by zipping and soaring between rock peaks before they eventually make the journey to the mainland.