An Eagle Pair’s Love Story
The last of my four Eagle posts in a row, this shares the bonding and mating of a pair of Bald Eagles just over two weeks ago. My encounter was beyond incredible for me! I clicked away from my car, taking over 100 photos.
I’ve tried to keep it simple with as few photos as possible yet still share the entire love story.
Ready? 😉
I happened upon a lone Bald Eagle perched on an Osprey platform and stopped to take what I thought would be a couple photos.
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Bald Eagle (male)
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I heard another Bald Eagle from behind the platform and spotted a female on the ground. She was calling to her mate and watching him.
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Bald Eagle (female)
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The male turned and looked down at her, returning a very excited call.
The female took flight, circled past me, and landed on the platform.
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Bald Eagle (female) heading to the platform
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Female lands on the platform to an excited male
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They acknowledge each other, as the male sidled towards her
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The male patiently awaited the female’s okay
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The female finally looked at her partner, giving him the signal, and he quickly moved onto her. I shot 22 incredible photos, here’s five of the series.
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My favorite shot!
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Just as quick as the mating started, it was over. But the bonding session wasn’t just yet.
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While the female looked around, the male sat humbled, watching her intently; did he please her?
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She finally gave her partner a direct look and he perked up
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Shiver Me Timbers!
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The Mrs. is unimpressed
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The female began preening herself. Poor fella, he couldn’t catch a break.
The male decided to do one more bonding gesture.
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As she preened, the male took flight
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The female noticed him then, she just missed getting swiped by accident!
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The male proceeded to dive down to the ground
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In flight, the male grabbed a clump of grass and flew off
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I watched where he headed. I then turned back to the female who was also watching her partner fly off. If only he knew!
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The female turns and watched her partner carry-off nesting material
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When he disappeared, the female’s interest went back to looking around. I took a couple more quick shots and prepared to pull away.
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Bald Eagle (female)
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I am aware of a nearby failed eagle’s nest for the past couple years, and that was the exact direction the male flew with the clump of grass. Hmmmmm…..
I left the female and drove to a spot where I knew I could get my binoculars on the nest from the road through the trees. Guess who I found arranging grass and branches on the nest?!!
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Male Bald Eagle on nest
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The male worked on the nest, then would glance over his shoulder to where he left his partner at the platform. He had hoped to coax her there.
For sure, he had coaxed me! Ha!
If you recall two posts ago of the perched eagles, I shared a female with a dark, vertical marking on her left iris.
In this mating photo shoot, I was able to easily identify this as the same female. Now that I am looking for her at the refuge and in my eagle photos, it just seems appropriate to name her Iris. 😊
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Iris
Bald Eagle (female)
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