Free Range Photography

The tiny eaglet spotted in the nest last week is less tiny now, but for at least a few more weeks, it’s going to be challenging to see and photograph it. I try not to lament how much easier it was to see the happenings of eaglet rearing in the old nest, because what a blessing it remains to be able to witness this slice of wildness at all. However, the difficult light, the distance from the watching spot, and the branches of the nest tree that supports the new structure all conspire to make this season’s viewing a high level game of hide and seek. So apologies in advance for the squinting you may have to do to make out what’s happening in these pictures.

It wasn’t until I got home and put the photos up on the computer that I could see the little one for sure, standing up a bit taller than last week, and moving its wings some, which can be seen in the video linked below.

Even arriving at 7 a.m. Monday morning the clear skies were already beginning to make the sunlight a bit harsh on the nest. I couldn’t see, with either my camera or my monocular, anything other than the dark form of the adult in the nest when I settled in to my spot on the hillside. Yet I was able to see the parent’s general, but specialized movements, observed many times before, indicating a wee one was being tended to.

If you’re a fan of the Big Bear Eagles or any other of the eagle nest cams on the web you will have noted how amazingly delicate the huge feet and talons can be when carefully stepping around the nest bowl, as well as how daintily the massive bill, evolved to shred prey into consumable bits, is used to offer the tiniest morsels to brand new hatchlings, angling the head gently this way and that as the youngster learns to reach up and grab the food.

After watching the nest for awhile, observing a feeding and the inevitable inactivity of the nap period that follows, there was a shift change at the nest, during which the second parent flew in to relieve the first one, who took off in a downstream direction. Not long after that, the baby was left alone for about ten minutes when the parent flew off to post up in a nearby tree. Even though the eagle was perched close enough to get back to defend the nest should any danger in the form of a raven or other potential predator appear, the mom in me always cringes a little when the tiny baby is left alone.

The worsening light prevented me or my camera from recording well the next few comings and goings of the adults, but I did capture a few glimpses of nursery activity, and by the time I left, both adults were in the vicinity, one on the nest and one perched nearby. Hoping for continued health and wellness for the family, as the past two years have not gone well. There was no hatch at all last year, and in 2023 the youngster died just a few weeks after hatching.