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cairistionaLook what I found this morning when I pulled up the webcam! D12, the oldest of the 3 chicks, has branched! It's a bit of an optical illusion because of the camera angle, but that branch is about 5 feet below the nest and he's probably about 6 feet away from the nest (he's about 3 feet tall so I'm guesstimating), so branching isn't just a stroll out there for the eaglets. They have to polish their flying and landing skills and make sure they're strong enough flyers to fly up and back to the nest. Apparently D12 felt ready and so now she sits, lording it over her two siblings who are still wingercizing and hovering over the nest. *g*
Here's an explanation of the learning-to-fly process from the Decorah Eagles website FAQ:
"When will they fly?
Learning to fly is a process. They are currently wingercizing. This entails flapping their wings and hopping. Late in the wingercizing phase, a gust of wind will lift them accidentally, and they will hover over the nest because their muscles are strong enough to hold their wings in the correct position and their flight feathers are long enough to sustain the lift.
Branching comes after that. Branching is defined as a small hop and lift onto the closest branch. Unless there is a panner present at the time, we will not see this first very small journey away from the nest to the branch.
Fledge or first self-propelled flight away from and back to the nest tree comes last.
The whole process last 10-13 weeks."
Here's an explanation of the learning-to-fly process from the Decorah Eagles website FAQ:
"When will they fly?
Learning to fly is a process. They are currently wingercizing. This entails flapping their wings and hopping. Late in the wingercizing phase, a gust of wind will lift them accidentally, and they will hover over the nest because their muscles are strong enough to hold their wings in the correct position and their flight feathers are long enough to sustain the lift.
Branching comes after that. Branching is defined as a small hop and lift onto the closest branch. Unless there is a panner present at the time, we will not see this first very small journey away from the nest to the branch.
Fledge or first self-propelled flight away from and back to the nest tree comes last.
The whole process last 10-13 weeks."
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Date: 2012-06-09 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-09 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-09 03:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-09 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-09 04:48 pm (UTC)So, they are bigger and bigger, right? Time for the first going out alone, on their own... *thinks* *giggles* Do you think we can say that their mum and dad also just became parents of teenagers? *lol*
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Date: 2012-06-09 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-09 10:05 pm (UTC)I love 'wingecizing" too.
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Date: 2012-06-09 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-10 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-11 04:35 am (UTC)Where can I sign up?
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Date: 2012-06-11 09:47 pm (UTC)When you find out where be sure to let me know *g*
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Date: 2012-06-12 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-12 05:25 am (UTC)*feels sudden sharp pain on ankle*
Oh noes! Now look what you've done...
*attempts to shake off nuzgûl*
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Date: 2012-06-12 12:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-11 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-11 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-11 02:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-12 12:17 am (UTC)