Update on E15 7-23-20
SWFEC began streaming live to the public in 2012 and millions of eagle fans around the world have been able to observe Bald Eagles raising their young in their “own” natural habitat. What we are privileged to observe happens in thousands of nests across North America.
Not all seasons are “perfect”. SWFEC viewers have observed conflicts, sibling rivalry, injuries and even death at this nest. Nature isn’t always kind and when watching wildlife you are not only going to enjoy special moments, but will also endure heartbreak.
It has been noted for a while that E15 appears to favor the left foot/leg. This is only speculation on our part from observations. No other obvious problems have been noted. If E15 is experiencing pain/discomfort in the leg it could be the reason why E15’s behavior has changed somewhat - laying down in the nest and not as aggressive during food competition.
IF E15 does have an injury to the foot or leg it could have happened while competing for food or during a landing. It is not uncommon for young eagles to injure themselves when practicing their flight skills - especially the landings. Learning how to approach a branch or man-made object and determining if the perch will hold their weight is something learned from experience.
This is why it is so important to not approach young fledglings as they learn the skills. They need to keep their eyes on where they are going and not worry about observers who are approaching their comfort zone.
Food competition can be fierce as we have observed. Using their sharp talons to grab food from another can result in a miss and the competitor’s foot/leg can end up being the “prize”. Puncture wounds are not uncommon, but usually heal without incident if not too severe and don’t become infected.
From the camera’s closeups, there are no obvious physical signs of injury to E15’s foot or leg. Some viewers have noted they felt the left foot (or talon) appeared swollen. It is hard to determine if the foot/leg is swollen unless looking straight on with both feet perching the branch equally. The foot always appears larger when relaxed (whether dangling or tucked) and the lighting sometimes changes the color a bit.
As far as the talon - they don’t swell. They are made from keratin just like our fingernails. The talon can crack or break however.
There has also been concern from viewers regarding E15’s occasional head shaking when resting their head on their back while nuzzling their beak into the back feathers. This is not uncommon in all birds. We have watched both adults and young do the same thing over the years. Resting their head on their back allows them to rest their neck muscles and also conserves heat.
Many times the birds will shake their head to rid them of flying insects, but that is not the only place bugs are found. Eagles live with a number of external parasites within their feathers. When the eagle tucks their head/beak into their back feathers these parasites move around the face - including the eyelids. The eagle will shake to try to remove them from this area. Feather mites have been observed on both E15 and E16.
This is not to say there could be another reason for this behavior. But from observations it doesn’t appear to be a more serious problem such as lead poisoning. If it was lead poisoning you would see that behavior at other times and more frequent. Depending on the level of lead poisoning here are a few symptoms of lead poisoning: inability to control voluntary muscle movement, muscle weakness, uncoordinated, head tilting, refusing to eat, paralysis, and seizures.
From the first time it was noted that E15 seemed to be favoring the left leg, our SWFEC group has been observing along with our SWFEC online family. We all want both fledglings to remain healthy and eventually leave their natal area to take their own place in the ecosystem. We too share the same concerns as all who observe wildlife and when appropriate have reached out to the proper authorities.
Please remember it is not up to the camera owners as far as whether or not to intervene. It is up to federal and state authorities (FWC) and certified rehabbers whether a rescue is needed and/or feasible.
SWFEC’s moderators volunteer their time to share information about eagles and the SWFEC nest. While we do try to keep up with all nest activities (and post them above cams and on forum) not everyone in our group watches 24/7 and there may be times when they are not aware of a specific activity that has been observed by others (especially the chat admins/moderators when they are in open chat since some are unable to view the cams while moderating). That doesn't mean others in the group have missed it however. There are a number of people who work in the background.
SWFEC’s viewer observations are always noted and checked on if warranted. The SWFEC group respect and appreciate your input, but may not agree with the conclusion and offer another suggestion as to what might be happening. Five people can watch the same activity and come away with different perspectives. We try to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge and avoid speculating on what we aren’t sure of. We encourage viewers to seek out expert advice on questions/concerns which we are not able to answer.
E15 continues to go about normal activities in the area. Observing E15 activities both today and yesterday hasn’t raised any additional concerns. While s/he still favors the left foot/leg, it hasn’t prevented s/he from food competition and s/he seems to be more aggressive today. Perhaps resting the foot/leg for the past several days has been helpful. We continue to monitor the eagles and if there is any concern it is shared with the camera owners.
Quote from article by Susan Matthews which ran in an Audubon magazine: “But for conservation to truly succeed, we must channel the impulse to intervene on behalf of individuals into efforts that create an environment in which species and ecosystems can thrive on their own.”
To read the complete article visit: www.audubon.org/news/nature-cant-exist-without-suffering-...
Update on E15 7-23-20
SWFEC began streaming live to the public in 2012 and millions of eagle fans around the world have been able to observe Bald Eagles raising their young in their “own” natural habitat. What we are privileged to observe happens in thousands of nests across North America.
Not all seasons are “perfect”. SWFEC viewers have observed conflicts, sibling rivalry, injuries and even death at this nest. Nature isn’t always kind and when watching wildlife you are not only going to enjoy special moments, but will also endure heartbreak.
It has been noted for a while that E15 appears to favor the left foot/leg. This is only speculation on our part from observations. No other obvious problems have been noted. If E15 is experiencing pain/discomfort in the leg it could be the reason why E15’s behavior has changed somewhat - laying down in the nest and not as aggressive during food competition.
IF E15 does have an injury to the foot or leg it could have happened while competing for food or during a landing. It is not uncommon for young eagles to injure themselves when practicing their flight skills - especially the landings. Learning how to approach a branch or man-made object and determining if the perch will hold their weight is something learned from experience.
This is why it is so important to not approach young fledglings as they learn the skills. They need to keep their eyes on where they are going and not worry about observers who are approaching their comfort zone.
Food competition can be fierce as we have observed. Using their sharp talons to grab food from another can result in a miss and the competitor’s foot/leg can end up being the “prize”. Puncture wounds are not uncommon, but usually heal without incident if not too severe and don’t become infected.
From the camera’s closeups, there are no obvious physical signs of injury to E15’s foot or leg. Some viewers have noted they felt the left foot (or talon) appeared swollen. It is hard to determine if the foot/leg is swollen unless looking straight on with both feet perching the branch equally. The foot always appears larger when relaxed (whether dangling or tucked) and the lighting sometimes changes the color a bit.
As far as the talon - they don’t swell. They are made from keratin just like our fingernails. The talon can crack or break however.
There has also been concern from viewers regarding E15’s occasional head shaking when resting their head on their back while nuzzling their beak into the back feathers. This is not uncommon in all birds. We have watched both adults and young do the same thing over the years. Resting their head on their back allows them to rest their neck muscles and also conserves heat.
Many times the birds will shake their head to rid them of flying insects, but that is not the only place bugs are found. Eagles live with a number of external parasites within their feathers. When the eagle tucks their head/beak into their back feathers these parasites move around the face - including the eyelids. The eagle will shake to try to remove them from this area. Feather mites have been observed on both E15 and E16.
This is not to say there could be another reason for this behavior. But from observations it doesn’t appear to be a more serious problem such as lead poisoning. If it was lead poisoning you would see that behavior at other times and more frequent. Depending on the level of lead poisoning here are a few symptoms of lead poisoning: inability to control voluntary muscle movement, muscle weakness, uncoordinated, head tilting, refusing to eat, paralysis, and seizures.
From the first time it was noted that E15 seemed to be favoring the left leg, our SWFEC group has been observing along with our SWFEC online family. We all want both fledglings to remain healthy and eventually leave their natal area to take their own place in the ecosystem. We too share the same concerns as all who observe wildlife and when appropriate have reached out to the proper authorities.
Please remember it is not up to the camera owners as far as whether or not to intervene. It is up to federal and state authorities (FWC) and certified rehabbers whether a rescue is needed and/or feasible.
SWFEC’s moderators volunteer their time to share information about eagles and the SWFEC nest. While we do try to keep up with all nest activities (and post them above cams and on forum) not everyone in our group watches 24/7 and there may be times when they are not aware of a specific activity that has been observed by others (especially the chat admins/moderators when they are in open chat since some are unable to view the cams while moderating). That doesn't mean others in the group have missed it however. There are a number of people who work in the background.
SWFEC’s viewer observations are always noted and checked on if warranted. The SWFEC group respect and appreciate your input, but may not agree with the conclusion and offer another suggestion as to what might be happening. Five people can watch the same activity and come away with different perspectives. We try to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge and avoid speculating on what we aren’t sure of. We encourage viewers to seek out expert advice on questions/concerns which we are not able to answer.
E15 continues to go about normal activities in the area. Observing E15 activities both today and yesterday hasn’t raised any additional concerns. While s/he still favors the left foot/leg, it hasn’t prevented s/he from food competition and s/he seems to be more aggressive today. Perhaps resting the foot/leg for the past several days has been helpful. We continue to monitor the eagles and if there is any concern it is shared with the camera owners.
Quote from article by Susan Matthews which ran in an Audubon magazine: “But for conservation to truly succeed, we must channel the impulse to intervene on behalf of individuals into efforts that create an environment in which species and ecosystems can thrive on their own.”
To read the complete article visit: www.audubon.org/news/nature-cant-exist-without-suffering-...