Bald Eagle Jewel female slicing 20160129
This morning at 7:23 AM while walking out into the west Miramar Water Conservation Area, I heard and then spotted Bald Eagles, about 1/4 mile at the north end of the preserve. As I moved nearer I could see that there were two adults and a second year juvenile. The adults chased the youngster and he flew up and circled, still quite far away for good photos. The two adults roosted in the grove of herbicide-killed Melaleucas on the far side of the wet prairie. The smaller of the two perched up higher. I took comparable photos from several positions of each from a range of 650 to 400 feet, using the same crop factor so that I could compare their size and shape. At 7:47 AM the female started calling andflew up and roosted just behind the male. At 7:58 AM the female flew to a higher perch about 100 feet farther along the grove of dead trees. She assumed a receptive position and both eagles kept calling as the male flew and briefly mounted her. They did not copulate, and the male then quickly flew to a nearby snag and at 8:00 AM flew off to the north. The female roosted a while linger, then at 8:02 flew up and circled to the north, carrying a small branch. From the distinctive undertail markings I identified the female as Jewel, from the Pembroke Pines nest which is 1.4 miles to the NW. The male is presumably Pride, her mate.
Bald Eagle Jewel female slicing 20160129
This morning at 7:23 AM while walking out into the west Miramar Water Conservation Area, I heard and then spotted Bald Eagles, about 1/4 mile at the north end of the preserve. As I moved nearer I could see that there were two adults and a second year juvenile. The adults chased the youngster and he flew up and circled, still quite far away for good photos. The two adults roosted in the grove of herbicide-killed Melaleucas on the far side of the wet prairie. The smaller of the two perched up higher. I took comparable photos from several positions of each from a range of 650 to 400 feet, using the same crop factor so that I could compare their size and shape. At 7:47 AM the female started calling andflew up and roosted just behind the male. At 7:58 AM the female flew to a higher perch about 100 feet farther along the grove of dead trees. She assumed a receptive position and both eagles kept calling as the male flew and briefly mounted her. They did not copulate, and the male then quickly flew to a nearby snag and at 8:00 AM flew off to the north. The female roosted a while linger, then at 8:02 flew up and circled to the north, carrying a small branch. From the distinctive undertail markings I identified the female as Jewel, from the Pembroke Pines nest which is 1.4 miles to the NW. The male is presumably Pride, her mate.