The Three Eyas Are Growing Fast and Strong~

The adult male has just delivered a Vole, or Shrew to the hen to feed her 3 young eyas~

The hen takes a break to preen, sun and watch for any quick catches that she can grab to feed herself and her young.  She now soars once a day with her mate, but not to worry, for she always can see her nest, even from a great distance.  She hunts within eyes view of the nest, but no longer stays, other than to deliver food, and feed her growing chicks~

The two eyas above are the youngest, and most probably the very youngest is the one on the far right.  You can see the older eyas just to the left side of the nest~

In the images above, the older chick in just on the forefront of the nest and is having trouble hanging on.  The hen stops feeding long enough to watch and make sure that the young one, could get turned around and find a safer location, see images below~

After spending many hours a day for 12 weeks at a time, over many years, being in the presence of this adult hen, I feel that she knows me.  She knows that I mean her, nor the nest any harm.  She seems to trust me, as I walk around the nest tree 6 times a day, to make sure there have been no tumbles.  She has yet to warn me this entire season.  She really does not need to, for I respect that this is a wild bird, that could if she saw fit, attack me and hurt me badly.  She allows me time to get close to her, for some nice photography sessions and when she gets bored with me, she simply flies away.;)~

Whenever she looks directly at me, as she is doing in the top left hand image, I always look either down, or away, never making eye contact directly with her.  I walk carefully and slowly, whenever I am near her, or the nest site...never any quick movements made~

It is amazing how quickly all of this takes place.  In less than 3 weeks now, all 3 will have fledged, hopefully, if things continue forward as nicely, as these past weeks have gone.  I am still ready for any tumbles, but I am certainly hoping that none comes down this season, for it makes for a lot of stress for the hen, the young one in the basket, oh and me~

The older eyas shown here, already has a lot of the beautiful feather colouring coming in atop it's head and exercises it's wings, and hops all about the nest, making me very nervous, and yet all of this is very necessary~

White splashes of bird droppings, are always a good sign that all three eyas are functioning well.  This is also the tell tale sign to any wondering wildlife that eyas are present on the nest, and the reason that after watching Raccoons take young ones, that I place the protective aluminum pending around the nest tree and surrounding trees~

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