Feeling better today. I guess I just needed some more sleep. Window works in the truck again too. So I head off to the nest my usual time this morning. I find Harriet and PB in the nest tree. Harriet on the outer branch left and PB way up on the right. Harriet preening a bit and PB still has his head tucked in behind him. Around 6:00 am PB is awake. I think he was awake before that because Harriet was looking that way in one of the photo's I took. Harriet says good morning a couple of times and more preening. Harriet moves out further on her branch then flies off towards the driveway around the cam 2 tree and around the old cam 2 tree and heads up next to PB. Wow....I find this interesting to say the least. Harriet flying to PB/FV.. Of course there are vocals from both of them and some beaking. I think maybe PB was a bit surprised by Harriet. PB is itching his feet then Harriet does it. Then they look at each other ..lol
They are sitting very close to each other , looking around. At one point PB is looking at Harriet. I am wondering what he is thinking ? Could it be "Boy what a lucky guy I am to have Harriet"?  Or " Man she's one Beautiful Eagle "?  Ohh if only they could talk. We would find out sooo much about them.

PB looking at Harriet 

The sun is coming up more and adding a reddish glow to the nest tree and them as they sit there preening , looking around taking in the view of all that is there before them.Just an awesomely beautiful sight.PB stretches and Harriet titles her head towards him as if to say "Are you ok"? They continue to sit there. Then the quiet is broken by Harriet vocalizing at the Hawk that flies by. PB sits for a few more seconds then flies off to the NE. Harriet turns around and stretches and watches PB as he is leaving the nest area.
Harriet is looking NE to NW then NE again . Harriet goes from preening to looking NE to NW for a bit.She then turns back around and  there is more preening to be done. First the feet are itched , then she preens the inside of her right wing. Done with her morning preening Harriet looks behind her to the NE then looks to the SE. Harriet  leaves the nest tree flying right towards us and past us. Over the road  and to the SE past the neighbourhood where the 2 norfolk pines are and dips down out of sight. Maybe she saw PB over that way. Who knows.

Donna M and Jeff are with me. We talk a bit then Jeff leaves. Donna and I continue to talk and then we see an Eagle fly past over by Publix's . Then we see another one that was way ahead of the last one . Both look to be heading SW  direction over Circle K and beyond.  Well both Donna and I decided it's a good time to leave . It was already 8:45 am and it's getting warmer out.
I do not see any Eagles on the cell tower nor Bob's pole as I go home.
Be safe Ozzie ,Harriet and PB/FV. Ozzie  I'll see you when you're ready to come home.

PB/FV left ,Harriet right

Harriet always has something to say..LOL

Dude you ok ?

Harriet vocalizing at the Hawk

PB/FV leaving 

Harriet flying past leaving for the day

Courtship, Bonding and Moving Forward ????

I found a few articles on the subject of courtship and bonding.Even though most of them talk of Eagles in Northern area's such as British Columbia, Tennessee and Virginia. I did find one from FWC ( Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ) I think it gives us a basic idea of what to look for or what  we might have already seen with Harriet and PB/FV and didn't realize it. Links will be at the end of this post.........
 Yes, some of the information is old ,what I mean by old is it's over 10yrs old and a lot should or is being updated since Eagle cams have come along. This is just what I have found so far. I'm sure there are more resources out there. I just wanted to give everyone a start... I myself have never seen the  Courtship Ritual and would love to. I have seen the other behavior with Ozzie and Harriet. And I do have a lot of "Eagle Porn " as my Daughter calls it in photo's and video from the SWFLEC that I took. These links give you some good information.    
   Yes I know ..our nesting season doesn't "officially " start until Oct 1 but I think the "getting to know you " has already begun with Harriet and PB/FV. The courtship/ bonding very well could have started way back when PB/FV first arrived after Ozzie was injured. Even tho Harriet ran him off, PB/FV came back  every time. He protected the area from others and E 6 from the Juvie's not once  but several times. PB/FV went after one that tried to knock E6 out of the right pond tree. PB came out from nowhere and was on that Juvie so fast and chased him out of the area.  He and Harriet chased off and intruder that came to the nest to steal the fish from E6. Yes he followed Harriet everywhere but he also got to know the territory better. In his own way,PB/FV even taught E6 lessons that he needed to know. Protect your food, nest area. E6 got to see all of this. Sure E6 didn't care for PB/FV being there, but what did he do?? E6 tried to run him off in his own way. I watched E6 fly at PB/FV while he was in the right pond tree. OMG I was so worried E6 was going to get hurt but PB/FV left the branch he was on ,E6 landed and was very vocale . PB/FV flew around and it looked like he was going for E6 but landed a branch up form E6 ... This scared not only me but E6 too. E6 left for the nest tree in a hurry. Squeeeing all the way..LOL
 So these are just a few things I think about when watching Harriet and PB/FV... PB/FV has proving himself  as far as a protector now we wait and see how he does in the other area's... Sure I saw Harriet not to happy with him when E6 was still around. So she should have been. Harriet wasn't foolish enough either to completely run PB/FV off . She needed the help and protection of a male around. Two fight/ protect better than one.  
I guess what I am trying to say, is that I am looking at Harriet and PB/FV and thinking of the things I have seen Ozzie and Harriet doing. and thinking I see the same things with Harriet and PB/FV. Vocalizing to one another, sitting by each other, sometimes sleeping next to each other, preening together, the disagreements on the placement of sticks, watching where one goes when they leave. The only thing ,well one of the things I don't see them doing like Ozzie and Harriet did last year at this time is working on the nest. O&H were very busy on the nest last summer. Ozzie was bring in some hugh rails. By the time SWFLEC was ready to put the cams back up , I told Andy , when he came to let me ,Kathy and DeAnna know they were putting the cams in that day, and not to take photo's.. that you all might have to move the cam up this yr. He said why? We told him because Ozzie had built up the sides of the nest so much that the cam might not fit where it was the year before. They did have to move it up a bit . The other thing I haven't seen yet is "bonding" the practice mating as I will call it for now. As far as we know they haven't done that yet. It should start some time next month. Someone told me they saw it last year in August but I can't confirm that. I can confirm that in Sept of last year Ozzie and Harriet did "bond".  Sept 9th , Sept 19th and Sept 23. So will this happen next with Harriet and PB ??? Only time will tell.
So am I convincing myself I see what I see..No  Am I right in what I see going on..... I could be.  Only Harriet and PB/FV know for sure. Trust the Eagles everyone says ... So that's what I am doing. Trusting the Eagles in what they are doing..... Moving forward.

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bald-eagle/information/biology/

http://www.hancockwildlife.org/article.php/AMatingBehavior

http://www.eagles.org/vu-study/biology/reproduction.php

http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2014/02/do-bald-eagles-mate-in-flight.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAwcoFoAk_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt7ysu3MSbs

http://www.munseysbearcamp.com/eagle.html

http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/index.php?s=news&p=article_34

I arrive at the nest at O'dark 30 and everyone is sleeping. What's up with that ?!? The horses were laying  down by the fence. One looks up as if to say "TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS!" LOL
I turn off the truck and gather up all my stuff to set up. I find Harriet and PB in the nest tree at 5:30 am. Well at least I think it's PB . I could be pleasantly surprised one day and find out it's Ozzie instead of PB.. right ?!?  Well any how I get a few pics before Dona Broock arrives. I let her know two of them are in the nest tree this morning. As daylight breaks, you can tell it's Harriet and PB of course. Harriet says good morning and PB goes to the old cam 2 tree. PB preens a bit and stretches. Harriet does a few vocals then off to one of the front pins. She is moving around looking for a stick or maybe moss. PB flies back to the nest while Harriet is in the pine and moves things around like he is making a spot for whatever Harriet may bring back. Aww . Done with that PB hops to the porch branch and waits for Harriet to come back. Harriet moves to the next pine and finds herself a nice stick and brings it back to the nest. PB is still on the porch branch waiting . Harriet flies out from the front pine heads out around the old cam 2 tree then back up to the nest tree and  lands in the nest. PB hops into the nest and helps, well really he takes over the placement of the nice curved stick Harriet just brought in. LOL just like Ozzie.Harriet turns towards the spike branch while PB is low in the nest and her tail is over part of PB 's back . Harriet then steps up to the veranda then up to the attic branch. PB then goes back to the porch branch. So now it's PB 's turn to get some thing for the nest. He flies off the branch and is headed to the snag tree with the vines on it again. He really wants those vines..lol He still can't get them off the tree so off he goes to the ground by the pond under one of the full trees. This is also the tree the horses like to rub their backs on . It's so funny watching them when they do that. The whole limbs move back and forth while they are scratching their backs.
PB is walking around just a bit then flies off , around the tree low over the pond and still low to the ground as he makes his way back to the old cam 2 tree. PB is soon joined by a couple of starlings. Harriet does a few vocals ,PB looks around then both are preening. PB on the old cam 2 tree and Harriet still on the attic branch.
PB leaves the OCT and heads to the west pasture tree line to one of the palms that has dried vine on it. See I told he has a thing for them. Still no luck in getting one of those  vines so down to the ground to see what he could find there. It so funny watching them walk on the ground. He's looking around and still doesn't find anything he likes. Harriet has moved up to a higher branch and sits watching PB. Finally he finds a little something  and I do mean little ....and brings it back to the nest.
PB hops up to the attic branch and both are just relaxing and preening.PB takes off , flies around the pasture by the pond , not sure if he was looking for anything or just needed to spread his wings a bit. Heads back to the nest tree and lands on a branch close to Harriet . They are both way up on the outer branches to my right as I stand on the church side. Harriet a bit lower than PB. At one point PB bends over and looks our way as if to say "Peck-A_Boo I see you " I'm cracking up. He's so darn funny at times.  Harriet isn't paying us an attention. She is looking to the west.
By this time it's almost 8:26 am. I'm just so happy they have stayed this long. Both are very relaxed with each other and just chilling.  PB does a PS and leaves the nest tree heading SW way past Publix.
Harriet is still with us for another 45 mins just relaxing and looking NW. She stretches and turns around and now something has caught he eye in the SW direction that PB when. 9:17 am Harriet leaves the nest tree is heading towards the SW. Just a bit after Harriet, left one of the Horses was a bit agitated by something and was vocalizing it's displeasure and charged a bit then stopped then vocalized again then ran up just a bit past the nest tree. I guess he didn't much care for the way this person walked off or the way they were carrying what they had. I have never in all the times I have been up to the nest ,seen any one of them do this before. It really caught mine and Dona's attention. Dona explained to me that his whole posture and the way he moved, charged then stop then did it again then ran up to .. was a sign of agitation/displeasure . Wow the things you see and learn. Dona and I sit for awhile and talk and watch the horses then it's time to go . We leave around 10:00 am.
Ozzie ,Harriet and PB, be safe out there. Ozzie I'll see you when you're ready to come home.      

   

Just a reminder if you all didn't know it before , you can tap on the first photo and it will take you to a slide presentation where you can see the photo's a bit larger.  Thank You for reading my blog.

My mornings start off every early. I always check Facebook before I leave for the nest to catch up on things that happen while I'm sleeping.  This was one morning I did not enjoy the news I was reading. We lost another one of our dear Nest Family and a great Photographer. Nora Lang passed away at home. She was not ill. Just one of those freak accidents... I so enjoyed our conversations especially when she would tell me about her trips to Alaska. The excitement in her voice as she told you a story, the beautiful photo's she took and her great sense of humor. She could keep you laughing. We All will miss you very much Nora. Tell Jim Hi from all of us down here. You and Jim keep your Angel wings around Ozzie and bring him home to Harriet.

When I got to the nest there was so much going on in my head. The disbelief of Nora being gone and Ozzie still not around. I get my camera set up to take my first photo of the day. I find Harriet in the nest tree. No PB or Ozzie as I go one by one check the other tree's. Hmm PB must be in the west pasture again this morning. I sit down in my chair and begin to tell Harriet about Nora. She is quiet. Like she is just letting me talk away. I tell Harriet how now we have two Angels out there looking for Ozzie and keeping him safe until he comes home. She's still quiet.  I finish talking to Harriet and eat my breakfast sandwich. The tears begin to flow ......
 I am so thankful that no one walked up with me sitting there talking to Harriet or when I was crying. I'm sure they would have thought I lost my marbles.


It's getting a bit lighter out now and still no vocals from Harriet and PB hasn't made it to the nest yet. 6:40 am Here comes PB from the west pasture with a stick gift. Awww he did good by bring in a stick this morning. PB lands in the nest , places his stick then heads up to the attic branch. Still no vocals from Harriet. By now Harriet has turned around looking NNW . A Hawk lands in the right pond tree. A Juvie from what Donna M told me. Now we hear  another one and it lands in the right pond tree also. This one is an adult. Harriet is now vocal. Just letting them know she is there.
While watching one of the Hawks getting chased off by a squirrel, Jeff lets me know PB left the nest tree heading SW around 6:50 am . Harriet is still in the nest tree looking NNW. She does some preening, a PS and drops down to the lower outer branch . Harriet does some more preening and this is a good photo opp for me and Donna. She is still looking to the NNW when done with her preening. Harriet turns around facing the other way so I figure she is ready to leave.No she just preenings her backside and wings.Done with that now maybe she is ready to leave. Nope she goes up into the small branches with pine. Aw maybe some pine for the nest this morning.  Wrong again...LOL She heads for a tree in the west pasture treeline.
As we are sitting there watching Harriet , 2 Muscovy Ducks fly into the nest area. One lands in the cam 2  tree. The other went to one of the front pine trees. The one in cam 2 tree flies to the nest tree and lands on the side of the nest , knocking a few rails down before it got it's self up into the nest. OMG !!!! All three of us a just waiting for Harriet to come swooping in after the duck. The Duck finally gets up right and in the nest. He/she is checking out the nest a picking at whatever is in there. Jeff tells me to keep getting pics of the duck, Donna is watching and ready for pics of Harriet to come out of her tree and Jeff is watching for Harriet too.  I'm thinking OMG , OMG we're going to have duck feathers all over the place when Harriet see's this.....I see Harriet ,I look back the duck is gone. It takes Harrit 2 mins from the time the duck lands on the nest tree for her to come out of her tree in the west pasture.I move my camera back on Harriet and she is coming fast right at us and past us heading for the duck which by now is back behind the church some where shitting and getting. Harriet didn't get the duck form what we could see but one is never sure. Oh how exciting that all was. We were laughing and glad the duck got away.

I started taking some photo's of a Pileated Woodpecker and here comes Harriet from the NNE heading to the same tree she was in a min ago before chasing off the duck. It looks like she either brought in something with her or maybe a stick she found after landing. I couldn't get a real good shot of it. She moves into and behind some palm fronds. I'm guessing around 8 or so Harriet left the west pasture heading SSW. Some how we missed her leaving because before Donna left to go home she checked the tree we last saw her in and she wasn't there.  I left around 9:00 am. Still no sighting of Ozzie. Be safe Ozzie, Harriet and PB . Ozzie , I'll see you when you're ready to come home.
Nora, we miss you !

Yesterdays blog I received some good information about another well bonded Eagle Pair at WestEnd/Two Harbors. Here is a link to their history. They had a situation some what like ours with Ozzie and Harriet . When you have time please read it. TY   http://www.hancockwildlife.org/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=420792#420792
I arrived at the nest my usual time and get the camera set up. I find Harriet in the nest tree by herself. I figured PB/FV is in the west pasture treeline again this morning. Harriet was doing her morning preening and a couple of vocals. I guess PB/FV decided to sleep in this morning he doesn't arrive at the nest until 6:44am. He lands on the branch to the right of Harriet but doesn't stay there to long before flying to the attic branch. A little bit of preening by both and a few more vocals from Harriet. A Hawk stops by the right pond tree, vocalizes then leaves. Harriet watches the Hawk for a bit. PB/FV leaves 7:08 am heading SSW again this morning. Harriet tracks PB then leaves at 7;12 am off towards the same direction as she last saw PB/FV ...SSW . They must have a really great spot by the river that they hang out at. I wish I could go too.  I stayed until 8:00 am then left for home. Stopped by the Publix pond just to check and see if anyone was there nope. Didn't even see the Gator. No one on the pole from Sable Spring either. It's a beautiful morning. No rain and lots of sunshine. I can't blame them for leaving. I'd be by some water and lots more shade too if I could. Still no sighting of Ozzie.  Be safe Ozzie, Harriet and PB/FV. Ozzie ,I'll see you when your ready to come home.
A few photo's from this morning. First one is at 5:33 am  #2- is at 5:59 am of just Harriet. # 3- the moon, #4- PB/FV on the attic branch ,Harriet up higher. # 5- PB/FV Leaving, #6- Harriet leaving.    

It's been about a month and half now as I write this  that Ozzie has been released and still no sighting of Ozzie anywhere. For me this is getting harder and harder for me to understand why he has not come to the nest or the area that we have seen. There are a few people out looking for him and not one sighting. The longer this goes on, the more  puzzled I am by this. It doesn't go along with everything we have been told or read about "they are a well bonded pair"and that Eagles mate for life  and Ozzie will be back.As far as Harriet is concerned, Ozzie is not around and PB is. That's her life right now and working on the nest. Harriet has moved forward in her "relationship" with PB. I have been so thankful everyday I see Harriet at the nest and what nestorations she and PB do. To me that means this is Her home and she plans on staying. I worried so much at the beginning whether she was going to stay or not. Here's another thought.... "If" and I do mean "if" she has seen Ozzie at any point in time why isn't she with him instead of PB? Why would she go see Ozzie then come back to PB? Wouldn't one think that she would stay with Ozzie? Sure at first I thought maybe she did see him but now I think back on it ... it was just wishful thinking on my part. A fairytale thought. Not reality . Harriet calls to PB like she did Ozzie. They talk to each other like Harriet and Ozzie did. Harriet tracks PB and he her, just like Ozzie and Harriet did. They have the disagreements on the placement of sticks just like Ozzie and Harriet did. All apart of them "bonding".. making a relationship.
I might have said this before,  Ozzie and PB might have had their encounter already and PB is the "winner"?  What if Ozzie decided to be on his own from now on and left their territory and is just being nomadic traveling here and there? What if Harriet and PB do the "practice " mating.... you know where the tails don't touch and a sperm "package"isn't transferred to Harriet because it's not her fertile time yet which isn't until November I believe they figured out last season. You say it isn't time for that..... well yes it is. Ozzie and Harriet were doing that towards the end of this month and definitely in the month of  September last year. Those two had no shame ....LOL
These are the things I think about when watching Harriet and PB right now. We are getting closer to nesting season and the longer Ozzie is gone the more likelyhood of him coming back seems to me it will not happen. Have I counted Ozzie out? My heart says no but what I see  my head says yes. There's always that miracle, fairytale happy ending that could happen and I so hope it does. See there's that human emotion coming out.  
I am not a researcher, biologist or anything like that . I'm just someone who wants to know more about our pair.  Have I worked around raptors or a rehab.. no. Have I watched a lot of Eagle cams no but working on it..lol Ozzie and Harriet take all of my time and attention. Am I an expert ..no. We are all learning or I would hope most are learning from all of this. I try to educate , inform people to the best of my  limited knowledge and understanding of theses Eagles. The best thing I have done for myself , is to be the nest everyday so I can watch Ozzie and Harriet.... now PB and Harriet. Do I understand all that they are doing or why they are  behaving the way they are ? NO !   I just keep watching and reading anything I can find.
So when I tell you I am a bit worried/puzzled by Ozzie not being home , it's from watching Ozzie and Harriet last summer and still not understanding all about their behavior. They are wild Birds, not pets. Their habits change . What was yesterday may not be today..........

As I set up this morning around 5:35 am , I find Harriet in the nest tree by herself. She is quiet this morning. I do not see PB/FV in any of the others tree's close by. He could be in the front pines or the west pasture treeline. An hour later PB/FV flies in from the west treeline and lands on the outer right branch from Harriet. No again I see I have to explain , my view is from the church side not the driveway side, so the naming of their positions maybe be a bit different than another report. Trust me they are in the same spots just different angles.Ok with that said, There is some talking between the two of them. Pb then drops down to the attic branch. Harriet drops down into the nest and PB follows her. They are aerating the nest. PB flies to the porch branch and Harriet back by the spike branch. PB/FV does some preening while Harriet sits looking around. Harriet then goes to the veranda then up to the attic branch. PB watches her. A few mins later Harriet leaves the attic heads to the front pine and gets her a small branch with some pine on it and back to the nest with it. PB watches her fly in the hops into the nest from the porch branch and helps Harriet. LOL Some beaking going on as usual. PB steps up on the veranda and Harriet once again is by the spike branch. PB goes up to the attic branch. Harriet leaves again and gets another small branch with pine on it.
PB flies from the attic branch and heads over to the snag tree where the vine is. Again he is trying to get some of it off the tree gets a very small part of it flies around the old cam 2 tree and drops the bit he had keeps flying back to the snag tree again for another try which was unsuccessfully then flies back to the nest tree. Poor guy , he tries. PB regroups himself and flies from the nest tree over to the old cam 2 tree grabs some vine from there as he is flying away he looks down at his talons to see what he got if anything. LOL not much there so he flies to the west pasture treeline and comes back with a nice stick. At time's, Harriet is vocalizing her encouragement. Harriet drops down into the nest from the attic branch and helps PB with his stick. Harriet then goes back up to the attic branch and PB heads off to the west pasture again. I thought he got some thing but then in a few mins he leaves the nest area heading SSW . Harriet watches him leave. 5 mins later Harriet leaves heading SSW over Publix then turns to the SE direction and out of sight.        

Harriet leaving 

 It had poured around 2 am this morning so I wasn't sure where I would find Harriet if I found her at all by the time I got to the nest.5:20 am  I find Harriet sitting in the right pond tree. At first I was so hoping it was Ozzie. There were a lot of mornings I would find Ozzie there. Oh well one of these days it will be him. PB nowhere in sight at this time so had to wait until it got lighter out.  Harriet vocalized and still no PB. Harriet vocalized a few more times then something caught her eye on the ground by the driveway. Down she went to the ground and was walking around . She stomped/ grabbed whatever it was a few times. I was at a disadvantage being on the Church side. I really couldn't tell what it was even when she picked a  piece of whatever it was. She did how ever seem to not like what ever it was. She kept shaking her head ..LOL Harriet stayed on the ground for about 20 mins then flew to the snag tree by the Church. Harriet was looking around a bit then left at 7:22 am heading SSE way past the Publix pond. PB was nowhere in sight but maybe she saw him.  I left around 8:40 am No one home at the time. Be safe Ozzie ,Harriet and PB. Ozzie I'll see you when you're ready to come home.      

Harrit 5:20 am right pond tree.   

Harriet checking whatever it was on the ground.            

Hello Harriet                            
                                                                                                   

Bye Harriet 7:22 am