Eagle dad, eaglets dealing with intruder
Since Southwest Florida’s most famous eagle matriarch Harriet disappeared two-plus weeks ago, many viewers of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam have wondered whether mate M15 would rebound and find himself another mate while protecting his eaglets at the same time.
M15 may not be looking but it seems as if there are eagles eager to find him, and the now-single parent is trying to cope.
According to those running the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, there are at least three eagles vying for M15’s attention, which could have a negative impact on the two eaglets he is now trying to raise on his own.
“We don’t really know their true intentions, what we see on the cameras seems to be either a hungry eagle looking for an easy meal or another female trying to take over the territory,” said Ginny Pritchett-McSpadden, founder of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. “He has acted differently toward each one in different situations, kind of on a watch-and-see basis.”
Pritchett-McSpadden said there are three eagle “intruders.” One roosts with M15 at night and has been playing it cool, with M15 doing the same. This eagle may have been knocked off the tree Sunday night by owls. This intruder appeared unhurt, but stunned by the attack.
There has been one female in particular that has been coming to the nest on off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers uninvited. This eagle, with a wounded talon, has been looking for food and has been frequently visiting the nest on the Pritchett Farm to grab a free meal.
The food, though, isn’t for her, but for M15 and the eaglets. But since the eaglets are still relatively helpless at six-plus weeks, the intruder has helped herself to dinner until M15 flies back and chases her away.
Those who watch the eagle cam have seen things get very busy and even a little violent at times in the nest over the past week, with more than one scary moment.
On Sunday, M15 was knocked out of the nest by the intruder moments after arriving with a fish for his now apparently motherless brood. The intruder, with the fish to herself, bit E22 and warned off the other eaglet until she had her fill and flew off.
This intruder seems only to be after the food, not to harm the eaglets. Indeed, M15 decided to allow the intruder to eat and not risk injury to the babies. M15 later went and got another fish to feed the eaglets, this time without the intruder.
“This intruder seems to be becoming more fierce with her intentions of stealing food from the nest. This could be a territory fight between the two, with the injuries coming from previous battles,” Pritchett-McSpadden said. “It’s amazing to see how this is unfolding.”
The intruders arrived shorty after Harriet went missing on Feb. 2. The main one would hang out in the nest edge at first, and M15 didn’t seem to mind as long as she kept her distance from the eaglets. But she soon became much braver and began coming into the nest for food.
Harriet has been missing since when she went out after intruders near the nest and didn’t return.
As time has progressed, it is feared that Harriet died somewhere. She has not been located.
There has been concern for the lives of the eaglets, who are still about a month or so away from fledging. Once that happens, assuming they survive, Pritchett-McSpadden said the question becomes if M15 allows them to stay, or picks one or none of the intruders.
In the meantime, these intruders will stick around, knowing the nest is vulnerable.
“Within the first 24 hours of Harriet going missing, there were already other eagles circling the area. The eagles can sense the vulnerability,” Pritchett-McSpadden said. “How they do it, I don’t know, but it’s pretty amazing.”
Pritchett-McSpadden said the eaglets and M15 are defying the odds and believes the eaglets have a shot at making it to the point of being old enough to leave the nest and hunt for themselves.
“In so many situations like this, the eaglets have succumbed to injury or hunger or the surviving mate can’t deal with it,” Pritchett-McSpadden said. “M15 has been the rock star, rolling with the punches and doing the best he can. We’re thankful he has stepped up.”
Pritchett-McSpadden said viewers are really getting a chance to see nature at its best, and worst, sometimes all at the same time.
“If people’s heartstrings can handle it, it’s time to tune in just because it’s something new and there is so much in the air we can see happen,” Pritchett-McSpadden said. “We’ve seen the beautiful and the ugly in nature, but it’s fascinating to watch firsthand.”
For more information on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam and on the eagles, visit dickpritchettrealestate.com.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information on multiple intruders from the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com