Posted on 02/23/2018 5:31:59 AM PST by Prov1322
Sad day at Berry: One of the two latest eaglets fell from the edge of the nest and did not survive. Posted on February 23, 2018 by hometownheadlines
One of the key things we’ve heard from Berry College since the eagle cams went live on the nest behind Krannert Center was that we were seeing nature as it happens. In recent years, we’ve watched the parent eagles scrap with invaders and other drama.
But sometime later Thursday, the first of the 11 eaglets to hatch in the nest perished. B10 or B11 was poking around the edge of the nest and went too far over the edge. A video was captured showing the curious eaglet on the lip of the nest. And all at once, it vanishes.
The eaglet’s body was found at the base of the tree. From Facebook:
“Dear eagle watchers, we are very sad to report that one of the eaglets fell out of the nest Thursday night and did not survive the fall.”
The eaglets hatched Feb. 12 and 13, right on schedule. This was the first time an eaglet has not survived to successfully “fledge,” that is mature and leave the nest, usually in the first weeks of May.
Berry College Eagles - Eaglet falls from the nest - 02-22-18
There are times when the nest (which is HUGE) looks like a buffet with squirrel, fish, coot, rabbit and/or anything else these two swoop down on.
Berry has the world's largest contiguous college campus, spanning more than 27,000 acres of woodlands, meadows and streams so there is ample selection as well as carrion...
For any eagle watchers some sad information. The Hanover, Pa eagles nest at Cordorus State Park has been overtaken by intruder eagles. The two eggs were about ten days from hatching, and the nest has been occasionally attacked by a male and female eagle. The nesting female called Liberty disappeared on Saturday and feared dead from a fight with the intruder. The male has gallantly stayed on the nest calling to his female and incubating the eggs since Saturday repelling attack after attack. The last two days he has been literally buried in the snow. Today he finally left the nest for food and when he tried to return he was attacked, the eggs obviously have become unviable and it is a nest failure. Sadly, this is nature but a tough one to watch.
Wow, that’s very interesting. The Berry pair have withstood some attacks by a hawks and owls over the years but nothing like that.
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