American Bald Eagles.

[Abigyl]

05:54 Mom is covered with snow. Snow stopped.

She gets up and the kids are almost dry, she covered them well enough

07:38 Both are back to sleep and Mom went to work

[Birdfriend]

Abigyl

7:44 Only Simba wants food which Dad brought in. Cookie is laying down and not stood up, I know, something is wrong with him.

[Birdfriend]

Gray skies all day, but Jackie and Shadow both brought fish to the chicks this morning and the chicks were fed, including a bit of a rainy dinner. Simba tried to eat one of the fish on his own, but didn't get very far before he decided the practice flapping instead. Now Simba and Cookie are both huddled in as much under Jackie as they can get to keep warm from the rain and snow.

Simba must have gotten the memo that around 6 weeks old bald eagle chicks will start feeding themselves. He made a stab at it. Jackie and Shadow are spending less time at the nest and less time feeding as a way to encourage the growing chicks to learn to feed themselves. Cookie didn't partake in this lunch, but he did eat earlier in the day and later.
https://www.facebook.com/70550802949160 ... 888332719/

Solo, thank you for sharing that, but I knew it already. I watch over the IWS- links and post in the IWS- forum.
Cookie is not good, the same indicators how by one of the chicks last year.

[Birdfriend]

I guess we lost Cookie, fly free poor chick Cookie. It is so sad

[Solo]

I guess we lost Cookie, fly free poor chick Cookie. It is so sad

this year I participate not here, but I read the news here and their FB page
I am really very sad

now I saw the stream - not good

[Rita]

27th May, 2019: 9:08 a.m. hrs.:

Solo: I guess you are right: The sick chick is breathing hard. Shadow looked at it long and intensely right at that minute. He knows.



It is not taking part in the feeding. I think the poor thing passed away:



So sad, so sad.

[Solo]

...Solo: I guess you are right: The sick chick is breathing hard. ... I think the poor thing passed away:...

https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Big ... _tn__=kC-R
now:
We are very sad to say that it looks like Cookie died just a little bit ago. He was up earlier but looked weak; he also seemed less energetic yesterday. This last storm was a tough one with rain first and then snow and cold temperatures (just like last year). As we could see with Jackie, the feathers got wet and then the snow stuck to them. The chicks weren't able to fit fully underneath her yesterday and last night. We've consulted with Dr. Sharpe and he says that it hypothermia was likely the cause again. Cookie was not moving much and hardly breathing earlier. With elevation of Big Bear, the nest timing should be more similar to Alaska with egg laying in April (not in January, February, or March). Such early egg laying at this elevation exposes them to a lot of bad weather.
Typically when a chick dies in the nest, it gets moved off to the side or buried by new nesting material. Climbing the tree again to retrieve the body is unlikely. We are mourning with all the rest of you. Nature can be very tough. The survival rate for bald eagles is 50% in the first year. We will all be rooting for Simba to stay strong and healthy.

[Taube]

sooo sad RIP Cookie

[Cessie]

So very sad that, Cookie, passed away.

I had watched the, Big Bear nest, last night because I knew that it was snowing there.
And the wind was really blowing, too.
Cookie’s, head was under, mama Jackie, with only the backside exposed. I was hoping that they would all be okay. :(

Rest In Peace, sweet baby, Cookie.
You were loved by so many humans.

[Abigyl]

It's unbelievable ! How can history repeats itself this way?

13:52 Simba is near us; it gave me a very sad look

[Cessie]

Abigyl, so true!
It’s just unbelievable …

[Liz01]

Birdfriend, Solo, Rita, Abigyl, Crissy .. thanks a lot for update.

It's unbelievable ! How can history repeats itself this way?

13:52 Simba is near us; it gave me a very sad look

that's very sad!
I hoped it would be better this year. They brooded later. But it has not changed

[Abigyl]

that's very sad!
I hoped it would be better this year. They brooded later. But it has not changed

Liz, Did you read about the feathers in rain and snow? It was a very interesting explanation.

[Rita]

29th May, 2019 - 8:53 a.m. hrs.:

Shadow is feeding. He is so careful. He knows how to do it. He stuffs little Simba by offering yet another bite. So cute:



The body of the dead chick is still in the nest. It does not bother them.

[Abigyl]

Yes, to us it looks horrible. but they are feeding and winging near the body.

In the afternoon I saw that simba was lying very close to it.

[Abigyl]

Last year 2018, we lost the eaglet on March 23rd.

Few days later, on March 28th, Stormy was ringed. On this visit, they removed the body from the nest.

Who knows how it'll be this time

[Abigyl]

29th May, 2019 - 8:53 a.m. hrs.:

Shadow is feeding. He is so careful. He knows how to do it. He stuffs little Simba by offering yet another bite. So cute:

Rita, this morning they prepared 2-4 XL fish, as if they had 3 eaglets to feed. It was like humans who are preparing food when they are sad and stressed

[Abigyl]

21:13 Simba is sleeping with head under wing, on her sibling

Insects are moving on her

[balistar]

from banding day it was said:

The BIG NEWS - they're both males! That means that of all of Jackie's four offspring so far, they have all been male. Simba (the oldest by 1 day) has purple tag #ZR1; Cookie's purple tag is #ZJ1.

[Abigyl]

MAY 30th

09:06 SHADOW is moving the body. Looks like a big fish was under it.

while doing it, he is tasting some pieces.

It wa very heavy for him and he stopped on the left side