What Physical Changes Have We Seen Harriet & M15 go thru During Mating and Nesting Season

I have been observing Harriet & Ozzie now for 3 years and M 15 for the past 8 months. I have always just looked at Ozzie & Harriet but never really Looked and understood what Harriet and Ozzie were really doing as far their day to day life's. With Ozzie's absents and with M15 showing up, I started to paid more attention to what they were doing and understanding a bit more.
To see a new bond form between Harriet and M15 from day one was very enlightening for me. To see the same things Ozzie and Harriet had been doing for years are now helping a Young Adult Male Eagle become a partner/mate and soon to be Dad.
I've had to step back and rethink all that I had seen before Ozzie's passing. There was a bond forming between Harriet and M15 the very day he showed up. Sure Harriet ran him off a few times but  M15 was very precinct in coming back to defend Harriet, E6 and the territory that is now His and Harriet's.
So now we go thru the summer and we are getting closer to the Official start of mating season. We have noticed changes in Harriet and M15. Harriet slowly starts to fill out and so does M15. What I mean by fill out is getting fuller , putting on some weight. This doesn't happen all at once it's over a period of time. So they'll need the extra weight/ fat to help keep their metabolism/energy up and to help them keep warm and the eggs too. Of course here in Florida we don't have the winters like everyone else so keeping warm is not a big issue.
We watched as Harriet and M 15 went thru a summer/fall molt but we also noticed that the feathers under M 15 and especially Harriet's tail have gotten fuller in the "ruffled pantie" area as I call it. Sorry  M 15 I know you don't have panties but shorts..LOL
I have only found one article on other birds that state that the Cloacal area does get swollen during the mating season.                                                                                                      http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpeople.eku.edu%2Fritchisong%2Favianreproduction.html&h=VAQE7Eg1y

 So I  can 't help but think this is why we see the feathers so much fuller right now in that area on both of them but more so on Harriet. Now these are just some of my observations. I'm trying to research it but can't find any thing on just Bald Eagles.
Photo's of Harriet last year and this year showing the same fullness back there.
Harriet Oct 31/2014 Not only does this show the feathers, she's also standing on them and it also show's her brood patch.

Harriet this year 11/17/15 See the fullness .

Then there is of course the Brood Patch that both the male and Female get. This is a patch just under the breast in the belly area where they lose feathers and the skin will be touching the eggs to keep them warm while incubating. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_patch

Photo from David Eppley of M15's brood patch and the fluffier tail feathers.

NOT ONE OF OUR EAGLES ! This photo also shows the fluffier feathers at the tail area.

We have also seen what could be sexual arousal or a show of readiness to mate by M15 . Donna was telling me one evening she was up at the nest and M15 saw Harriet heading for the nest. Not only was he vocalizing she also noticed the feathers in the brood patch area had ruffled open. Like he was displaying his brood patch to her or his readiness to mate. There wasn't mating at this time but we have seen this response to Harriet and mating since then.
I have a photo of Ozzie and Harriet last year and you can see the same thing on Ozzie just before he mounts Harriet.
Ozzie and Harriet Sept 19/2014

 This video is from Uta Grobe ...from the SWLF  cam showing M15 with his feathers puffed out.
Arousal ?? :::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPo8IKQ5RH8
I love how they look so innocent afterwards...lol
Now again I have to remind you these are things we see and are thinking that it could be arousal or a display of readiness to mate. Researching this for just Bald Eagles hasn't produced any articles that I could find. just on other birds.  So if anyone does have some information on this I would greatly appreciate it if you would share it with me. Thank You.
Now it was said that M15 was thermoregulating and not a show of arousal. Here is a video of M15 thermoregulating.  There is a difference in what we are seeing
Thermoregulating::: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO9t9NFjUME

Some definitions  of thermoregulating  :::

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Temperature_Regulation.html

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdmetabolism.html

http://www.klamathbird.org/images/stories/kbo/pdfs_k12_library/build_an_eagle.pdf

How do Eagles Keep warm:::

http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012/02/it-was-hard-not-to-feel-sympathy-and.html

http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-do-eagles-stay-warm.html

I'm sure there are others changes that I have missed here but theses are the most noticeable ones that Donna and I have seen.
 I am by no means a Bird Biologist or anything like that. I'm just a simple person that is seeing things and trying to find answers . Oh the wonders of Nature. So many questions and not enough answers.
I hope that you all find some of this educational and interesting as much as I do. I just wish I had hard cold facts for you and not just observations that might leave you guessing and wondering as much as I am....
I know I'll be paying closer attention next mating season.

Is it the cooler weather or could we have Eggs on the way?

Was good to see both of them in the nest tree sitting side by side this morning. Harriet as usual does her morning vocals. Then we hear what sounded like mating vocals but not mating. I guess Harriet was letting M15 know she was large and in charge. Not long after that , they both drop down into the nest. Again the list is being made and some restorations being done. The past few days more rails have been brought in and lots more fluff. I like the "lots more fluff" part. We can tell from the ground the nest bowl is coming along just fine by how far down Harriet's heads goes and how far up in the air her tail is when she is aerating. Well this might not be the most scientific way of judging but hey it works right?!
Today was another early morning gathering of nesting material. a few sticks and a small amount of moss was brought in by M15. Boy he sure is doing great. Harriet the supervisor let M15 know she was pleased with each stick and the moss brought in. M15 's first attempt at a branch was with a pine branch right there by the porch branch. He tried and tried to get that branch to break and it just wouldn't . Even with grabbing it and dropping down to fly away didn't work so he went to one of his  stash trees and found a small bit of moss then back to the nest.

  Then off he went to the front pine tried to get some pine from there didn't get it then off towards Publix pond .Jay one of the other photographers was at the pond to get sunrise photo's saw M15 fly to a tree and get a branch and came back with what Donna likes to call a puzzle stick. You know one that takes a bit of moving around before it fits just right. Then they have to move it again . Well Harriet tried working with it a few times before it got placed. M15 is on the attic branch and by now you can kind of tell he is scoping out another place to go for more nesting material. Yep off to the other stash tree and this time he lands on the lower branch and is looking around. Ah-ha he found what he was looking for on the ground and off he goes heading back for the nest.

After that was placed M15 headed over to the west treeline. Went to one tree then over to the left and on the ground. I lost him on the ground but then he came up with some vine and back to the nest again. Harriet helped some what with the placement then out to the porch branch she went.

M15 puts his finishing touches on the the rails then hops up to the attic branch. Both are surveying their territory then M15 leaves heading SE way past the Publix pond. I guess he's off to do a check of the area.  Harriet watches him go then does some preening. She looks every now and then to see where he is at. You know she can see him even if we can't. Harriet vocalizes then preens and vocalizes some more. I wonder if she is telling him to bring home a fish for break fast? LOL
Harriet moves up higher and is looking off towards the SE again. About an hour and a half after m15 left ,Harriet heads off in the same direction that M15 went.
Well there we are  and no one home.
Both Harriet and M15 sure have been staying around longer most mornings. They have been coming back to the nest off and on during the day too. While working on my photo's I have the cam up and heard Harriet come back home. Then she started vocalizing and here comes M15 with a fish gift for Harriet. How about that . He brought her one last night also. Could she be getting closer to egg laying? M15 is showing her he can provide and not eat the food himself . Oh my Harriet starts vocalizing again and I have to look at the cam . OMG M15 brought her another fish !!!! That's two with in maybe 30 Min's ? I'm not sure because I didn't check the time. Boy he sure is on the ball.
Harriet stands on this fish and I don't know if she ate it or M15 because I had to finish my photo's.

Harriet is filling out even more. She's a "Girthy " Gal as I call her any way, But she will fill out more for egg laying and incubation of the eggs. Harriet will spend most of her time on the eggs and then the Eaglets to keep them warm. She will have time off the eggs to stretch and maybe even go for her own food. Hopefully , She will feel comfortable to  let M15 egg sit and Eaglet sit.  This will be his first time and I soo hope all goes well. Harriet at times didn't let Ozzie sit to long with the Kids. He so loved sitting with Kids.
So I can't help but wonder if we are getting closer to egg laying time. Hope and Honor were 11/26 /12 and 11/29/12 and hatched  1/1/13 and 1/3/13.

M15 works on the nest all by Himself

At 4:42 am this morning Harriet does some vocals. Nothing new for Harriet.. I don't see them on the cam but that vocal at least tells me she is in the nest tree some where. This morning both were in the nest tree. M15 up high and Harriet down below M15 . Harriet and more vocals with M15 answering  her back. I love the "Good Mornings Vocals" .
M15 drops down into the nest and Harriet joins him soon afterwards. The morning list is being gathered and then M15 up to the attic branch. Harriet is still moving a rail to the right place then some preening on her tail it looks like then hops out to the porch branch.  Harriet back to the nest then up to the veranda. M15 joins her and attempts to mate but Harriet wasn't having it and hopped into the nest. Hmm I watched her do the same thing last night but then they went to the front pine and did it there. Maybe they don't like the reviews they have been getting in performance ?
M15 stays on the higher part of the veranda and he is looking around while Harriet is making the stick and fluff list longer for today.
M15 takes off towards the Publix pond and beyond. Well I guess he has others plans or maybe a new Stick & Fluff place opened up that way..LOL
Harriet on the veranda branch watching M15 . Harriet is preening, looking around and preening while she is on the veranda then she moves up higher for a better view of the area and maybe M15. Harriet and her usual preening while sitting and she roused her feathers. Harriet turns around and now I have her back to me..LOL She's looking SW then NW. Around 7:15 am Harriet leaves heading NW towards the poles by Bob's. I guess no work from either one of them today. That's ok . Both have worked very hard on the nest the past few days. It's good to see how well the nest is coming along. Of course I have a thing about the fluff . I would love to see more of it for Harriet and the eggs to sit on. But if Harriet has an egg today,what is there is good enough for Her , is good enough for me. I'm not the one sitting on it.
We sit back down and wait to see if anyone comes home . An 1 hr and 45 mins later here comes M15 with some thing small in his one talon. I thought it was food from the way he was looking around for Harriet but the photo I got ,it looks like he tried to garb some nesting material one his way in and only got a very small part . Well we're glad he is back. Now maybe he'll do some stick getting while he's here. Of course I have to put in my 2 cents  about the "Fluff"... M15 looking NW I guess he might have spotted Harriet. M15  then flies out of the nest towards the cam 2 tree grabs some moss flies up and over the power lines and some of the moss gets stuck but he keeps going into the west pasture and back to the nest tree. Well how about that. He did this all by himself just like Ozzie would with out Harriet being here.  Great Job M15 !
M15 rests for a bit then off again he flies this time to the west pasture . He finds what he is looking for and back he comes with more moss that is stuck to a branch WTG M15.  Up and over the lines around the nest tree past OCT  around the big full tree that the Horse's like to stand under by the Church side and right past us. Wow he wasn't even bothered by us or looking at us .Always focused on where he is going and what he is doing.  M15 heads back to the nest tree and up to the attic branch he lands. As he is dropping down into the nest some of the moss is left on the branch. Well at least he got the stick into the nest maybe he'll get the moss later. M15 rests a bit then up to the attic and is still looking for Harriet to come back. He leaves heading right past us and behind the Church going NE.
Well I guess the moss will have to wait until later when Harriet gets home.
15 mins after M15 leaves Harriet goes past heading over towards the tree by the parking lot. One of the other Eagles showed up. Oh sure she can see that but not M15 working on the nest.  LOL
I'm sure she did see him and just didn't want to come home and help.
While I was trying to type all of this down , I heard Harriet on the cam and switched over to see her. She is on the OCT . She just got done with a bath and is preening and thermoregulating and roused her feathers  while vocalizing off and on. And what I mean by thermorgulation is that you see her puffing out her feathers in the front and other spots to let the outside air circulate thru and helps cool her off and help dry the feathers at the same time. Then you see her rouse which is a lot like a dog when it shakes all over to get the rest of the water off and fluff up their fur some then the fur lays down.. So does Harriet with her rousing. She fluffs up the feathers then they lay down a bit smoother. She then does her preening to get them back into to shape/ straighten out .I got about 11 mins of it on video and will put it in here. I missed her landing there and the bath darn it!! Oh well it's not like the last bath she'll every have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymguXLG_i0M   After Harriet's Bath today.
Photo's for the Morning......
# 1...M15
# 2...Harriet
# 3... Harriet
# 4... Harriet Rousing her feathers
# 5... Harriet leaving
# 6- # 13 All M15

Sticks,Fluff, Mating.. a Fish Gift for Harriet and A Sub-Adult visits with Harriet

Earlier this morning around 1-1:30 or so ,it was reported Harriet dropped down into the nest . She was still there this morning. I checked in on them before I left for the nest. Harriet was still in the nest. She woke up vocalized and M15 did too  then M15 took a fly about and was right back on the attic branch. Harriet vocalized and M15 answered her. He did a PS. I sure hope it didn't land on Harriet.
Good morning Vocals by both with Harriet sitting in the nest and M15 still on the attic branch.
M15 drops down into the nest nest and they both do some aerating. M15 has his honey-do list and leaves for his favorite spot for fluff this morning. Yep on the ground by the shorter tree which is close to the pond. He gathers up some grass and off to the tree he goes. He circles around then lands in the nest . Harriet up to the veranda and M15 soon follows. We have mating this morning. I couldn't tell if it was a successful mating or not the were behind the pine curtains again. M15 heads up to the attic branch then flies off to one of the pines in the front and gets a real nice pine branch. M15 takes the long away around the tree then stops on the porch branch. There he rests a bit before hopping into the nest which catches the branch on the side of the nest.

M15 hops up to the veranda and Harriet is still on the attic branch. Both looking around then Harriet stops Robing and Ben land on the cell tower and off she went with h a vocal and M15 right behind her. They fly to their tree by the parking lot. I'm sure there was a lot of vocals from Harriet about them on the cell tower. Seems to be a neutral zone right now. We'll have to wait and see what happens when eggs are laid how things will go.

  


















M15 is back on the attic branch,  but I didn't see if he brought in a rail or not. Harriet comes back a few Mins later with a nice size branch. Harriet goes around and around the nest till she finds that right spot for her rail. She placed it back by the spike branch. M15 takes off to the tree where the Horse's scratch their backs and down to the ground behind a dead branch on the ground...LOL OK more hide -an-go -seek.

M15 walks around looking then flies a bit from the branch and looks some more. I guess he can't find the one special stick or grasses so he flies around the pond then straight for the left pond tree.

 Harriet is on the attic branch so I think,  then M15 takes off from the pond tree heading right for us. As I  turn around from getting M15's photo's.. Harriet is gone too. They were seen heading in the SE direction I was told.

Well .. I guess they had other plans for this morning. But that's ok there are a few visitors to the nest this morning to keep me company. We're all sitting there talking when all of a sudden we heard Harriet to our left. Here comes M15 with a fish and Harriet hot on his tail. YA !! Another fish gift for Harriet . M15 went straight to the nest and Harriet landed right next to him and took her gift . WTG M15 !! Great Job ! I knew you could do it. Instincts kicked in again didn't it ?!
As I sit here typing this ,I'm still grinning from ear to ear like a proud Mom.

Harriet lands and takes her fish gift and begins eating while M15 is watching. He did end up with some of Harriet's fish but she let him had it. While Harriet was finishing up her breakfish, M15 went and got another small stick for the nest. Done placing the stick M15 goes to the porch branch and Harriet soon followed. Harriet feaking her beak and M15 just looking all proud of himself.

Harriet moves up to the attic branch still cleaning her beak. Then she moves up even higher and is feaking her beak some more. Harriet then flies down to the pond. When I got there Harriet was just standing there in the mucky -muck . It seemed like for ever before she bent her head down a got a drink of water. Then she stood some more before getting another drink. Harriet turned around then got herself another drink of water.Harriet stood for just a bit then took off for the Church tree.

M15 was still in the nest tree this whole time. After I got back to the Church side then M15 left heading SE. Harriet at some point left the Church tree but did come back to the nest around 9:49 am.
Harriet had company stop by. A Sub-Adult flew around the nest ,tried to land in the nest tree with Harriet but she wan't having it. The Sub-Adult landed in the the pine next to cam 2 tree. Harriet  vocalizing the whole time. Harriet moved up to the attic branch watching the Visitor . The nest tree filled up with Starlings as if they where Harriet's "gang" . The right pond tree and the big one in front of us filled up with Crows. Wow. You can tell they knew some one was there that didn't belong there. Just amazing to watch. The Crows flew out and back a few times as did the Starlings. Harriet would vocalize but not so much as a warning just a vocal to let the Sub-Adult know she wasn't happy wiht it there. Finally the Sub got brave and flew to the higher branch on my right. Oh BOY ! I thought for sure Harriet was going to go for him but she didn't . It surprised all of us. Harriet is allowing this one to sit awhile. She would vocalize and we all would start looking for M15. No M15.
They sat this way for about an Hour then Harriet took off towards the NW and the young one followed her. We could see them flying way up. There was 3 of them .2 white heads and tails and the Sub-adult . Finally I lost them  but David was able to get a photo of two of them on the tower way NW the one that has the red blinking light on it just past Bob's.  

I left not to long after this. No one was at the tower with the red blinking light when I went past .

Harriet gets a Cattle Egret for Breakfast.

So I see Harriet is the only one in the nest tree this morning before I left the house. She must have gone to another branch when I was checking F/B because I hear her and switch back to the cam as she is landing on the attic branch vocalizing. She might have been calling M15 to check out where he was at. I get to the nest and Harriet is still the only one in the nest tree. She vocalizes and still no sound from M15 that I could hear. By  the time Donna shows up Harriet had vocalized again and this time we heard M15 answer her back. It was off in the distance so Him must be in the west pasture treeline. Sure enough a little bit after 6:00 am here comes M15 flying in from the west pasture. Both in the nest then M15 up to the attic and Harriet goes to the porch branch.M15 flies off to the front pine and around to get a small rail and back to the nest. Harriet still on the porch branch. Harriet takes a quick look at M15 placing his rail then back to looking around the area. Harriet turns facing the nest and M15 still in the nest moving a few things. M15 then hops up to the veranda then to the attic branch.Harriet is preening,M15 is preening. Oh it just might be a short day. Right now they don't seem in to big of a hurry to do anything. Harriet then hops into the nest to check out what M15 has done.

 Then Harriet leaves the nest heading to the west pasture treeline and M15 right behind her.Harriet goes to one tree then M15 to another back behind it and finds Harriet. It takes a bit before either one of them come out. We were beginning to think they might have left without us seeing them. It wouldn't be the first time they have done that .
About 10 Mins later here comes Harriet with a small stick. M15 took off towards the tree's by Publix. We look and there is 6 or more Vultures sitting on the cell tower this morning.lol

Harriet is watching then heads up to the veranda to get a better look. She then leaves and joins M15 in the trees by Publix. Donna checks them out and they are just sitting and talking to each other. So we sit back and wait thinking they might be done for the day. Nope here comes Harriet with a branch and M15 not to far behind her with his little bitty stick. LOL

Harriet lands and gets her stick some what placed before M15 makes it in with his. A flurry of wings and some beaking going on the sticks get placed . Harriet sits by the spike branch and M15 takes off to the short tree by the pond again then down to the ground looking for some more fluff I guess. M15 finds a stick but it was to big or not to his liking and drops it ,sit there looking around for something else. He walks away , I just love watching them walk , it's more of a waddle than walking. Any way  he spots something else.He pounces on it so I'm now thinking he is gathering up dried grass. Good more fluff for the nest. He does this a couple of times then puts his head down and comes up with a clump of something in his beak. Oh boy now what did he find?

Well I'll be it's an Air Plant ... Maybe a gift for Harriet or just thought it would be a nice touch to the nest decor ..LOL Off to the nest with his gift.

Well I hate to say it but Harriet didn't seem all that impressed with M15 decoration for the nest. She was busy looking towards the west.
Harriet leaves the  nest again heads back over to the trees across the road and M15 goes too. Harriet comes back with a hug branch. I'm kidding about her knowing of Ma Berry bringing in that Really Hug branch yesterday so she had to go get one too.

Harriet just barely gets her branch placed when in comes M15 with branch . Not as big as Harriet but bigger than the last one he brought in.Now we have two good size branches and two Big Eagles in the nest... Let the fun begin. First move the smallest rails out of the way. Sit for a second or two then beak each other then move some smaller stick again then sit. Now this is when Donna spots the Hawk going after the Cattle Egret. She moves down further and I stay watching M15 right now because he is watching the Hawk also. M15 hops to the porch branch and Harriet is moving her Big branch. She get it placed so she thinks until she moves the other big branch then up pops one side of the branch while she is moving the other. LOL what  a mess she has going and all this time M15 is watching the Hawk.

Finally the photo above is what Harriet  had the branches looking like just before she spotted the Hawk with the Egret and took off  for the food.Harriet was out of the nest like a flash with her sights on the Hawk with the CE. Down she went.... up went the Hawk and the poor CE was now trying to get away but Harriet caught it. Now this is not for the squeamish. So please if it bothers you , stop reading now. This is Nature at it's finest.
Harriet pins the CE to the ground and is watching M15 coming in fast to take the CE way but Harriet wasn't having any of that. As she is trying to keep M15 away the CE is still trying to get away so Harriet really has to get a hold of the CE while keeping M15 at bay. Wings are flying Harriet's squawking and I'm just blown away with watching all of this thru my lens.
Harriet gains control , mantles the CE to keep M15 away. Wow just like we see the Babies do. Amazing. Harriet turns just a bit still mantling her prey and wing wasps M15 . Harriet still vocalizing all this time.M15 bends his head down and tries to get the CE and Harriet goes off on him again. M15 gets away from Harriet a bit and she calms down. That's when the CE starts to move and Harriet clamps down on it even more. Satisfied that her prey is subdued, Harriet stands there for a few seconds, gets the CE just right in her Talon the takes off  with it heading towards the nest.

 

M15 takes off behind Harriet . We walk back to the nest tree and Harriet isn't there but M15 is . Now where did she go? We hear her in one of the front pins. M15 flies off the nest and gets a stick while Harriet is enjoying her prey. After placing the branch M15 joins Harriet in the front pine. Done with her meal Harriet and M15 fly to the pond for a drink. M15 flies off first  heading past Publix then Harriet leaves heading to the Church tree where M15 joins her. When we got back to the Church side ,M15 left heading behind the office  and Harriet was still in the Church tree when we left. Wow what a Morning. The first time I got to see Harriet do a kill right in front of me. I have seen her off in the distance get a Rabbit on the ground in the west pasture but nothing this close. It sure reminds you that these are Wild Animals and not your Pet.