Raptor mani-pedi

Starting the Battle Damage raptor's makeover with painting her claws dark purple. I think it works as a nice contrast to the yellow.

The weather has been really hot and I haven't felt like painting much, just bringing out and putting away the supplies feels like a workout, lol. But my laptop ran out of charge during a thunderstorm, and that was as good an excuse as any to do artsy things not involving a computer for a change.

E15 has fledged!

Or fludged, as leaving the nest tree didn't seem to be the plan just yet, but E15 did great regardless. The fledging happened yesterday, and today E15 is 11 weeks old.
(Link to nestcam)

The big moment. You can find Lady Hawk's video of the fledging here, and in this post are screenshots I took from the livestream on three of the nest's cameras.

Attic exploring with eaglets

Exciting SWFL eagle news: E15 has made it to the attic branch!

E16 standing below, occasionally flapping their wings, too. Both are pretty good at hovering already.

Glowy clouds

Back from raptor vacation, you guys didn't have a photoshoot or anything while I was gone, did you?

I'm adding a new member to one of my toy raptor packs.

The yellow and brown JWFK Battle Damage raptor kind of looks like she could be one of Survivor's grown-up chicks, so that's who she's going to be now. She won't need very drastic repainting, but I'll still spruce her up a bit.

Reuniting with maximum and minidad (okay the size difference isn't that big, but I think the jumping raptors are pretty cute being a bit smol) parents. Grappleclaws is Survivor's chicks' biological father, so the new raptor being yellow can be a trait inherited from him. I'm glad she actually is not as brightly yellow as the photos I'd seen of her made it seem, and this colouring looks like a natural variation of the brown JP1 raptors. I might change the colour of her claws to darker for a bit more contrast, and she could use more stripes.

I don't know if I'll do anything about the Battle Damage feature. It's a little distracting, but these are toys, and I don't mind if they look it. She has a case of the tilted feet like my Attack Pack Blue, but she can still stand pretty steadily, if leaning to one side a bit. I think that's also fine by me. This pack has had a tough life, and as her scarfaced other mom and grandma know particularly well, raptoring can lead to all kinds of odd injuries.

Ceiling beans

New uses for wings

The SWFL eaglets have reached 8 weeks of age, and some new milestones.

E15 has started exploring the nest tree outside the nest! So far not any further than the closest branch, referred to by viewers as the nest's veranda, but branching is an important step towards fledging. And what's more, E15 has broken the record for earliest branching among eaglets at this nest!

E16 has given the veranda a few calculating looks, too, but has stayed in the nest for now.

What E16 has gotten quite good at already, though, is mantling their food! Raptors cover their prey with their wings when eating anywhere they might get their meal stolen, and the eaglets have started learning this skill by guarding and trying to steal food from each other. Above is dad M bringing in a fish, and E16 immediately claiming it while E15 watches from behind their little sibling's wings.