great pics shrub, it's that extra little bit of nest on the north side [right side in pics] that's messing with my view.

Happy Easter Everyone,

Hi sctt4, I know what you mean. They seem to have built the nest up more on the one side.
Thank you for your compliments stim. I agree, the nest is looking much better, and the fact that it stayed standing through the past couple of wind storms we had, is a positive thing. Now to see how well it stands up to a couple of eaglets and their antics.


We stopped by for a visit on Saturday. We arrived just in time to see an egg roll. I'm not sure which adult was in the nest, as he/she was hunkered down so all we could see was a head peaking out from between the nest branches.


We were there for quite a while, and the only activity we managed to see, was a second egg roll.

I'm thinking that we arrived just after a swap took place. We decided to make our way to visit the Pitts, before we loose light.
Cheers

Thanks for the pics Shrub

Saw one of their heads above the nest from the corner of Renfrew and Hastings tonight. Certainly full time duty on the nest is the name of the game at present

Hi Everybody,

I'm having a hard time with this post today. It is with a very heavy heart to report that the dark cloud of tragedy strikes this pair yet again this season.

My husband and I arrived, and just as I got set up, one of the adults arrived at the nest. I thought at first that he/she may be feeding a youngster, due to the fact that a hatch was due any time. I moved to get a different angle, and I noticed that a huge amount of the nest was missing! With my heart in my throat, I wander around the base of the tree, below the nest to see if there might be remains, but saw nothing. Stan and Annemie joined us, and when I told them of my concern, Stan and my husband checked the perimeter around the nest tree again. That was when Stan found the remains of a broken egg shell that had blood stains on it.
He showed us the shell and in the mean time, one of the adults returned to the nest. It looked at first, that a youngster was getting fed, but then I realized that every time the adult would leave, he/she would fly over to the fir trees across Hastings by the PNE. Stan and I, again, circled the perimeter of the nest tree, and that's when we found the tiny body of one of the Hastings young.
I immediately called Karen to tell her the bad news, and she encouraged me to go ahead and post the pictures I had taken. Not that I have a morbid personality, I just remember when the nest fell down last season, David wanted pictures of the youngsters body for science purposes. That is why I photographed this tiny one.
We don't know if there is still an egg in the nest, or maybe even a youngster. It did look like, at times, that the adult was tending to something in the nest. But he/she could just be searching for their missing offspring. That was hard to watch.
Any how, my very deepest condolences go to Mr. and Mrs. Hastings once again, and to all the followers of this nest. May this tiny creature spread the wings in heaven that he/she didn't get a chance to spread here on earth.
I will take a stop by again a couple of times, to see if there is in fact something still in the nest, and hopefully the branches on the ground below the nest tree will stay there long enough for the pair to at least try to strengthen what is left of the nest, if in fact there is still the possibility there is a youngster/egg in the nest.
Hugs to all of you!

Heather, Stuart, Annemie and Stan I am so very sorry for your very sad discovery today. Suspicions about the integrity of that nest began early on. I am so sorry they became reality.
What I don't understand is why the wee eaglet's remains weren't with the egg!
Condolences too for Ma and Pa Hastings. I do hope they have another egg/hatchling to tend to and can make the nest safe for it.

Hello Sandra,
Thank you so much for your kind words. We also wondered the same thing about the eaglets body being so far away from the egg shell. The only thing that we can figure, is that there is so much foot traffic through there, that someone might have discovered the body, and moved it to where we found it to get it out of the way so it wouldn't be stepped on. When Stan initially found the shell, it was no where near where the body was. It took us a bit to find it.
My heart really goes out to these two. What's really hard was to watch the adults taking turns at the nest. It was like they were looking for their missing egg/youngster. At times one would try to move a branch on the nest, as if they either had thoughts of restructuring, or taking the branches to another possible nest area. They did leave this nest and fly across the street to the evergreen trees by the PNE. Maybe they already have plans in the works of building over there again? Or, my better guess is, that they're both a little distraught, and just don't know what to do at this point. These babies were due to hatch any time now, so I can't imagine what they must be feeling right now.
Any how, thank you again for your kind words and support.
Hugs
Heather

A few more details to share which may further help clear up how to put together the tragic events......

Stuart and I discovered what appeared to be one of the main structural support branches from the tree that helped hold the nest in place. Somebody had moved it to a location on the nearby stairs. This thick branch had been previously damaged by the wind or a lightning strike last year. Just plain bad luck yet again for our pair I'm afraid

The shell remains were discovered over a wide area by me where all the fallen branches were located below the nest tree. Heather's picture was taken after I put them all together into one spot at the base of the nest tree after showing everyone my find.

After seeing the behavior of one of the eagles in the nest in my binoculars I had no doubt at that time no happy ending was in order and another closer hunt around the nest tree was needed. That's when Heather and I discovered the little ones remains in a hollow spot at the base of the trunk of the next cottonwood tree over beside the nest tree....somebody must have put it there from earlier in the day. No way it could have got there on its own. The questions on the shell and the remains of it will be hard to put together but my gut feeling is that the bird was alive up top for some time before it and the shell fragments came down with the whole front section of the nest.

P.S. Wish we all could have met up today under happier circumstances....

Oh no...........I am so sorry to hear of this. Our Hastings pair has had so many tragedies...............and it seems that the trees where they have been trying to nest are just not strong enough to withstand the storms etc. which tend to weaken the trees even more................I wish there was some way to build a solid nest support for them to make a nest on...............I know this is a dream.............there would be no way to guarantee that the adults would choose to use it anyway.

Again..........my condolences to you all.