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.

2 Matings, Nestorations with a show of sexual arousal too ??

Harriet was in the nest tree by herself this morning.M15 came in from the west pasture a little after 6:00 am. M15 lands in the nest and Harriet is talking to him. She had been calling out to him off and on since around 4:22 am before I left for the nest. I didn't hear him call back at all while she was vocalizing.Harriet drops down into the nest both are in the nest  checking things out for the day. After being busy yesterday I was wondering if they would stay and work on the nest some more. Soon I got my answer. M15 was off and flying towards the front pines and got a  nice stick. M15 lands and Harriet tries to help him with placement but M15 does it himself. M15 hops up to the veranda Harriet is still in the nest. M15 looking around and Harriet just sitting there looking at M15 . I 'm taking pics and said to myself "Don't poop on Harriet ,don't poop on Harriet " and sure enough, M15 pooped on Harriet. Donna and I bust out laughing. You should have seen the look on Harriet's face. Priceless !  

 Harriet looks at us like "Did you see what He just did?" Yes Harriet we did. Well to make up for what He just did ,M15 flies to the front pine and gets a nice branch with pine on it. That a boy. Harriet might forgive you  with that .

 While M15 is placing his pine Harriet hops up to the veranda. M15 joins her and there is a discussion. At first I thought maybe mating but it just might have been a talking to about the poop shoot M15 did.

M15 flies to the attic branch and Harriet joins him. We have mating for the first time this morning.I guess that made up for the PS.

Now I want to show you all something that Donna pointed out to me one evening when she was at the nest and M15 saw Harriet coming and was vocalizing his hello/welcome home and thought there was going to mating but it didn't happen. So since that day we have been looking for it to happen again just before mating to see if this is really happening. M15 we noticed unfurls/ opens up his feathers right there at the brood patch as they are vocalizing in what maybe a sexual arousal show? Now we did see Harriet do the same thing with the second mating this morning.
This is M15 just before the first mating. He is to the right of Harriet. Look at his feathers.

The  2 photo's above show Harriet's brood spot opening up. Now I know we haven't seen her brood patch but if M15 has one ,Harriet has one too.  So we find this very interesting and so far can not find any information on it. So if anyone reading this has some thing ,Please share it if you will.
OK back to the happenings of the morning....
Done with mating both sit and preen for a bit and just hang out. Donna leaves for a few Min's and as she is leaving she tells me to look at the sun with the fog covering it makes it look like the Moon was still out. So I turn around and wow . She was right.

So now we have the fog coming in which makes getting photo's a bit harder for me. Oh well I do the best I can so for give me for some of the shots you will be seeing.
I turn back around and Harriet is in the nest. Donna makes it back ,then M15 flies to the right pond tree. Looking around he doesn't find any sticks so he flies to the tree closest to the pond. Lands on a lower branch and is looking around. He drops down to the ground and is gathering some old pine needles , moss and a small stick. WTG M15 the nest sure needs all of that.

So now I'm getting closer to checking off some of the  things on my list. Yep it's getting closer.
M15 makes it back to the nest with all of his materials and Harriet helps him place it. Well some of it...LOL

With this done Harriet hops up to the attic branch and M15 follows Well Harriet starts vocalizing and side kicks M15. Poor M15 with his head down is just taking it. Then when Harriet is done M15 picks at one of his toes and Harriet is just looking at him and I just start laughing.  These two are so much fun to watch.

After M15 is done picking at his toe ,he turns around and we have mating #2 . Photo's are up above .
Both sit with their heads bowed for a few Min's then Harriet goes to the front pine and gets a small stick. Harriet places her stick and moves a few others . She then goes to the porch branch. Next she heads over to the left pond tree. From there she to the front tree's and gets a stick and heads back to the nest. Harriet again heads out and gets her some more pine and M15 heads over to the west pasture tree line for a stick and heads back to the nest. Sticks in place both rest for a bit. Harriet on  a higher branch and M15 on the attic. Well Harriet spots a small stick she just had to have in the nest. She moves up higher and ends up spread Eagle trying to get it. What she does end up with is some dried up pine needles instead.

Harriet heads over to the west pasture tree again and brings back another stick. Boy what a day. Both rest a bit then M15  leaves the nest and heads over to the tree's by the parking lot. Not sure if he stayed there or not. Harriet stay until 10:00 am preening and vocalizing off and on then heads off past the Church heading NE .

Instincts.... M15 has them.

 Sitting here waiting to go to the Dr. and watching the cams. I happen to check chat ,which I really shouldn't do but did anyway. I'm still surprised at the comments being made of how M15 was taught how to do this and how to do that. Not one person even thinks that M15 has any instincts at all that he had to be "taught " how to fish, how to bring food to the nest and how to build a nest. Do they really think that M15 made it this far and never knew how to fish before? Bringing food to the nest for Harriet is something that was done by instinct. Not from Harriet bringing in the water fowl the other day. She did to make it easier for her to eat it.She did this with Ozzie too. Was Ozzie being taught also?? Did everyone forget how she brought food to the nest for E6 and it wasn't showing M15 to bring it for her???? She brought a fish in during the summer and ate it by herself . She didn't wait to show M15 he was to do this for her down the road. Some ppl think that M15 watching Harriet take a bath was teaching him. Really?? M15 never took a bath all those years he was growing up?
M15 was a single "Guy" he didn't have anyone to take care of but himself. Stealing food is what Eagles do and when you're a single Eagle you fend for yourself. He had no need to build a nest so it took him a bit to get the hang of it. Does everyone think Ozzie and Harriet knew how right away? I'll bet that took a few years to get it down the way Ozzie did. He had his Eagle instinct to guide him in what he needed to do. Same with Harriet. M15 does too. No one seemed to think he needed to be shown/taught how to protect the nest, E6 and Harriet when he first came in. He just did it... INSTINCT !
He followed Harriet around because his instinct and hormones led him. He knew the territory and did his job patrolling it. He's from here  not an Eagle on vacation and decided to stop and help the little woman with a child. He's from here ! He has watched Ozzie and Harriet and other pairs I'm sure. He knows the routine . Remember a stolen meal is an easier meal if not caught.
Cutting M15 short of his own is just wrong in MY mind and way of thinking. He's an Eagle . He knows the Eagle way and I wish ppl would stop and think about what they are saying.He's not a human being that needs to be "taught". He is an wild animal and has instincts on how to do things.
Again I'll say, Learning by emotions for me is not that way to learn. Learning by misleading information is not learning. To say you think or that Harriet is teaching him is to me saying you don't value M15 as a All knowing /instinctual Eagle.  It tells me you're guessing that he doesn't know how to do this.
I have learned so much by sitting there watching their behavior. M15 never had to get a stick on the fly. What would he have need for it as a single Eagle? So it took him a couple of tries but he did do it. Putting the rails where we think they need to be is not His worry . He puts them where he thinks they need to be. He'll get better at it as the seasons come and go. The same with anything that has to do with Nesting season. He knows how ,it just won't be like you or I would want it . Again did you know everything there was to raising children when you had them ? I'll bet you had a lot of help with your first one... It will come to him in time. Harriet will show him by what she does... not teach him. The instinct is there just trust him to follow up on it .
I made the comment one time that Decorah Dad had to teach the new Mom how to sit on the eggs. Well my comment was corrected by the one that is leading you all to think that Harriet is teaching M15 that Dad did not teach her , he showed her by doing it.  So read that sentence again and answer your own question of why is there a difference in the two situations???  Why is one "Teaching" and the other is "Showing" ? Hmmm I don't know do you?
So hopefully the next time you or someone wants to say Harriet is teaching M15 , think about it . She maybe showing him, not teaching him. He already knows , he just didn't have the need to do it when he was a single Eagle. And who knows maybe they do practice branch getting for some thing to do when they are young.I don't know.
Just like his mating attempts at first. It took a bit for him to realize that humping the branch wasn't getting him anywhere.Well for him it might have....lol  It was much better to get Harriett than the branch.
I see M15 growing every day. Maturing into a very fine Male Eagle that hopeful one day here soon will be a Dad. He's already a great mate for Harriet. He was the first day he showed up.
So I hope the next time when someone says that Harriet is teaching M15 someone besides me will stick up for him and say " He already knows,He has his instincts that guide him."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/instinctual

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/instinctual

http://grammarist.com/usage/instinctive-instinctual/