From EagleJim at Boonshoft, Dayton Ohio, Jim and Cindy's nest
A Door and Window Scenarioby eaglejim
Everyone has heard the old adage that says, "When God closes a door He opens a window." Well a door closed this week as I was notified that our eagle-cam project has been permanently discontinued. Although our setup was not as advanced as many of the nest cameras out there, it was our nest and we will miss being able to go online to see how the aerie has weathered a storm or to watch the comings and goings of Jim and Cindy and their family. We are grateful for all of our partners in that project during the few years that the cameras were running and I personally will miss hearing from the teachers and students of the classrooms that followed the cams as part of their science lessons.
Now the window part.
The annual "window of opportunity" for egg-laying has opened! In each of the last 5 years Cindy has laid the first egg of the season between the 15th and 17th of February so we are expecting her to do the same this year, although it would not surprise me if the warm winter weather delays the process by a day or two. But all is ready. The nest has been prepared and the nursery bowl carpeted. As you have seen in our recent posts, Jim and Cindy have been spending much of their time together which is a necessary prelude to egg-laying.
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Just after a "kiss".
Since many of our new blog followers may be heading into their first nesting season let me recap the basics. Eagles typically lay 1 to 3 eggs per year with the average being 2. The eggs arrive a day or two apart and will hatch in that same order after each egg has been incubated for around 35 days. During that time either Mom or Dad will be in the nest with the other perched nearby, standing guard, or off on a very short hunting trip. Often, the non-incubating adult will bring food back to its mate in the nest.
And so we wait in anticipation of the beginning of a 35-day waiting period before we wait around another 84 days to see the eaglets fledge. There seems to be a lot of waiting in these door and window scenarios.