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[STLbf]

Thanks, nanimal.  Always good to hear from other watchers!  Add your own pics if you please.

Temps in the 40s today.  Looks like DNF had a bath -- her face feathers are clean.  Pics of changeover about 11:30 this morning.

[STLbf]

DNF had a meal on the nest this afternoon. About 2:15, MrN flew off to get out of the way, and DNF landed with something furry and large. She was really puffing from the weight she carried. She proceeded to eat  and  MrN returned to sit on the eggs for a while. In one pic you can see the back legs of the prey between MrN and DNF.  In a later pic, the carcass turns out to be the back half of a large rabbit. Probably DNF captured it and ate enough on the ground that she could carry it to the nest.

[STLbf]

The rabbit carcass is still in the nest at noon today.  Regular changeovers and some new grasses from DNF.  A red tailed hawk perched on a Love Branch for a while about 9:00.

[STLbf]

Afternoon highlights, better on rewind or video!  A little before 2:00, MrN was on the ground under the nest area with a large cornstalk.  He flew it to the Yonder snag before taking it to the nest.  DNF left and MrN removed the rabbit carcass.  He took it to the ground and defurred and ate some of it, then he flew to the creek for a nice bath and preening in the Claw Tree.  Meanwhile, DNF landed on the Yonder snag as MrN left [see pic with circles]. She ate the remaining rabbit bones before returning to the eggs about 2:20PM.  One egg in view and the other is covered with grasses. 

[STLbf]

More pics from afternoon activity.

[STLbf]

Ordinary morning with about 6 changeovers from 6:00 to noon.  While the temps are "mild" DNF and MrN bring in new cornstalks and grasses.  Love how carefully they step with curled in talons as they move on and off the eggs.

[STLbf]

Back to the cold of winter today!  Changeovers happen faster to protect the eggs from the cold. 

[STLbf]

Cold but sunny today.  Changeovers as expected, eggs look fine, no food at the nest so far.

[STLbf]

Another day much like yesterday so far.

[STLbf]

Sometime since yesterday's mid-day post of pics, one of the Norths brought prey to the nest, I think rabbit.  The remains of a leg are at one edge of the nest this morning.

[STLbf]

Snowing this morning and quite windy. At 8:30 AM changeover, DNF spent several minutes flapping her wings, likely to shake the snow and ice off her feathers.  It didn't work very well!  Both Norths spent time snoozing as they incubate the eggs on the rocking nest.

[STLbf]

It's day 23 for Egg 1 and day 20 for Egg 2.  RRP says egg watch will begin on March 19, so a long time for the Norths to keep incubating.
Meanwhile, changeovers continue as expected.  MrN brought a new cornstalk at 9:30 AM, and they tusseled over it as DNF left.

[STLbf]

Nice quiet day with regular changeovers and the eggs are fine.  But holy moley, the excitement last night before midnight!  See the Home page for explanation and video of a sub-adult intruder on the nest and DNF defending and MrN finally chasing it away.  For me, I'm glad I missed it, or I wouldn't have slept the rest of the night keeping watch, unlike DNF who settled down and went back to sleep after a few minutes.  Whew   

Remember to change your clocks ahead to Daylight Savings Time tonight if you live where you change times.

[nanimal]

That was a tough video to watch, STL! Thank goodness it ended well. The sub-adult looked BIG!

[STLbf]

nanimal, yes, that sub-adult looked big because it was a full-sized adult, just younger than 5 years when they get the white adult plumage.  According to the Age-Progression chart attached, it was about 2 1/2 years old, kind of the white-and-tan checkerboard phase.

This morning is another regular day, with changeovers and rolling of eggs and occasional aerating of the nest material.  MrN brought some new grasses about 11 AM, then he manuvered DNF off the eggs.