DN15 and DN16 hatched on March 25 and March 27 respectively. We were enthralled as they grew from fluffy bobbleheads into sleek young predators and loved watching them reach important milestones: the first feeding, the first nestploration, bonking battles and food steals, wingercizing, stick play, self-feeding, pin feathers, standing, jumping, hovering, branching, and finally fledging. DN15 was 77 days old when he fledged on June 11. DN16 gave our eagle-watching Dads a nice Father’s Day present when she fledged at 84 days old on June 19!
Watchers especially loved the moments of magic here: eaglet cuddle puddles, light playing on landscape and leaves, fog shrouding the valley in mystery, frogs and coyotes chorusing, and hummingbirds flickering in and out of view. What is it like to be an eagle? DN15 and DN16 can see colors into the ultraviolet, sense magnetic lines of force stretching away from them, and watch thermals of warm air rising and spilling into the clouds above. They see a hummingbird’s wingbeat, the ripples of trout rising in the creek, the passage of dragonflies across the field. Dispersal is tugging at them like a fishhook now: there are new valleys and creeks to explore, new eagles to chase, play with, and steal from, and new horizons to explore. We wish both of them the very best as they leave for the wild blue yonder!
The Raptor Resource Project