12/4/15... Harriet and M15 still on the OCT when I got there. As it got lighter out I could see they were pretty wet from all of the rain. Hope they stay and dry off here but Noooo . They went to the nest briefly then up to the attic. An oops by M15 .I guess he didn't realize Harriet had turned around and he started to land on her head and quickly aborted that move..LOL Harriet sure let him know about it too. Well after that they both headed over to Bob's where M15 made things right.I saw wings just a flapping as I went past on my way home..lol
I have been asked if the window of opportunity to lay eggs is close and I honestly don't know. From the past 3 seasons there was a 2-3 week window where it was determined the eggs were made then laid 4-10 days later, by counting back from the date the first egg was laid to get the approximate time frame. Now from what I read, the window isn't necessarily closed. What was Harriet's window evidently is not now. " The interesting item here is that eagles will mate over a 10 month period but the only mating that results in fertilization happens during a two week period preceding and during the period while the eggs are being laid. I suspect some of this mating is what we scientists would call "bonding behavior" to reinforce their territory and their relationship that must tolerate two killers coming together to procreate. Others of us might more superficially just call this having a good old time. "
Read that again, and again. When is that two week window ? "but the only mating that results in fertilization happens during a two week period preceding and during the period while the eggs are being laid."
We knew with Ozzie and Harriet , we don't know with M15 and Harriet yet.
"Different pairs are more closely synchronized from year to year than necessarily from neighbor to neighbor. There can readily be a two week or even a month's difference in the above time of the cycle between two next door pairs. And the difference between different years for the same pair is very small. If a pair lays their first egg February 27 one year it is likely to be within a day or two of that date every year. In fact seeing a couple of weeks' difference in the laying dates for a pair from one year to the other is a good indicator that one of the pair has been replaced by another -- and a new timing schedule is about to be developed for the new pair."
