In a comment on the last post about EagleCam, Diane G. reports a video of our female eagle laying her first egg. Watch it: it’s only six minutes long, and I think the action happens at about 3:45. The egg seems remarkably small for so large a bird.
The site harboring this video also has clips of other eagle highlights, including one mating and the moment when dad first sees this egg (he doesn’t seem very thrilled).
Not thrilled? Dude, he’s cut-off for a YEAR… Would you be thrilled?
The male usually does most of the hunting for both mother and chicks for the next several months. He’s probably been through this before.
She seemed to start vocalizing beginning in the early 14:48’s.
I got a kick out of this exchange on the running comment thread at the main site:
Q: will we be able to see the eaglets hatch…when they do?
A: It is hoped the camera position will be very good for viewers and will afford good views of the egg and the bobbleheads.
Wonderful description of altricial baby birds! 😀
I chuckled seeing her bend over and look between her legs right after she laid the egg. It made me think of both cartoon birds and potty-training toddlers.
I’m not sure sitting on the egg can be seen as doing most of the work when the alternative is hunting for prey and nailing it and carting it back to the nest!
:- )
Mind you, it can be seen as by far the most boring and confining work. I wonder if it feels like that to them. It’s hard not to suspect at least that flying and soaring are pleasurable – as I’ve mentioned, it’s not rare to see adult eagles obviously “playing” with each other in the sky.
Oops – meant to post this on the other eagle thread!