With Harriet missing, mate and eaglets making do

By CHUCK BALLARO news@breezenewspapers com

It has been nearly three weeks since Southwest Florida’s most popular eagle matriarch, Harriet, went missing She was last seen flying from the nest off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers on Feb 2

Ground searches have thus far been unsuccessful and the longer she is missing, the more likely the outcome will not be a good one for those who follow the happenings in and around the nest on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam

Meanwhile, M15 is alone to care for the eaglets, who are now about six weeks old and close to halfway before they fledge

The situation has brought all sorts of other eagles to the area to scope out territory of their own, sometimes even showing up at the nest tree This is interaction new to the eagle cam

G i n n i e M c S p a d d e n , o n e o f t h e founders of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, said she does not know how to answer the big question: Is it possible Harriet will come back?

That said, the length of time she has been gone is not good

“All signs point to that she is not going to return and our new normal is going to have to be seeing how M15 does with keeping these eaglets alive,” McSpadden said

So far, that, at least, was going well as of last week M15 has gone above and beyond to keep the babies alive, having learned an awful lot from Harriet as he is a lot younger than his mate

“His natural instinct is so strong I’m s o i m p r e s s e d a n d w o w e d b y n a t u r e b e c a u s e u n d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s i t ’ s amazing to see what a great job he’s doing,” McSpadden said

The eaglets have had quite the rivalry, with E21 at times brutally bullying E22 into submission. There is always some sibling rivalry, especially in the first week or so

“Sibling rivalry will increase if there is additional hunger M15 has been Dad of the Year because he’s bringing in so much food and putting himself in between the two to give them equal chances to eat,” McSpadden said “I am in awe He has to be dealing with so much ”

What happens from here is anyone’s guess The odds do not appear to be in favor of two successful fledges with a single mate, but that is an unknown Since M15 has to hunt for food, the eaglets are often left alone

Intruders have begun to arrive at the nest, as they sense the vulnerability since Harriet is gone, and are already trying to overtake the nest and, it appears, bond with M15

“I don’t know what will happen but it will be a definite learning experience for not only us and our viewers, but for eagle e x p e r t s a n d w i l d l i f e o f f i c i a l s , ”

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION S a n i b e l - C a p t i v a C o n s e r v a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis gives remarks at the dinner on Jan 27 during the 38th annual Everglades Coalition Conference in Coral Springs