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.