Iowa Bald Eagles ready to hatch their eggs. LIVE!

[TexasEd]

Wow!  Those kids have big feet!  And claws!  Beginning to grow feathers!  Can't believe how fast they're growing -- they're gonna need to add a room soon!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

You must have been watching at the same time I was!  They were zooming in on the babies, and I noticed those HUGE feet! 

Mom/Dad seem to spend less time in the nest.  Yesterday, mom/dad left them alone for over 30 min., but I'm sure they were still IN the tree with them.

[hpmsrm]

I noticed those huge claws also.  No wonder the little ones have problems moving around the nest.  Those feet look almost full adult size don't they?  Mom and dad were absent when I was watching earlier today but mom flew in shortly and cuddled up to the kids to let them sleep.  It was windy.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

It's probably part of Nature's plan, the feet are awkward so they can't walk and topple over the side?

[hpmsrm]

If you have not been following the eaglets recently......#1 is getting really big.  I was just watching and he/she is up on its feet, strutting around and spreading its huge wings and flapping them.  Practice I presume.  It isn't going to be long before this one takes a try at flying.

[skeeterintexas]

I usually try to check in with the family once a day but got busy over the weekend.  I couldn't beleive how big those babies got in 2 days!

One of the mods in the chatroom posted that the babies are around a foot tall.

ETA: Not the best pic but shows how big they're getting.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

If you all want to see some good other earth science  / natural stuff, check outr the various webcams from Yellowstone.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

You're just keeping us all nature'd up, aren't ya, DH! 

Thanks for the link, and to skeeter for the pic.

I've been grabbing screenshots, but haven't had time to post them, so here they are.  I saw mom this morning pulling the soft stuff out of the middle of the nest; IF I recall, this is what they do to make it uncomfortable to stay, and encourages them to leave.  They must be getting pretty close?

They were eating by themselves!

Far right eaglet kept grabbing a stick and trying to move it!

When mom came back, she noticed right away and fixed it!  (no photo of that, sorry)

Night shot of mom and a baby with eyes wide open.

These were all from earlier today, and you can see how big the babies are with mom in the nest:

Mom was picking out the soft stuff here, and tossing it!

[TexasEd]

Nice screen shots, Spd! Interesting to see the eaglets looking over the edge of the nest. Guess acrophobia is not an issue!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

80 feet up, I hope not!  I still don't know how the parents keep them IN the nest!

[hpmsrm]

Thanks for the link to the NPS webcams, Dave.  I didn't get a look-see today but I bookmarked the website so I can go to it tomorrow.  Been there more than once.  Would love to go back.

[hpmsrm]

I really think that eaglet #1 is getting ready to attempt flight before very long.  Again this morning I've seen it standing in the nest.....stretching out its wings and flapping them wildly as if attempting to take off.  It ain't gonna be long.  Mom was there in the nest watching.  I wish the operator would zoom back just a little to take in a bit more of the situation and not cut the heads off the eagles when they are standing up.  #1 appears to be darn near as big as mom....but it might be an optical illusion because it was standing nearer to the camera.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Once they can fly, do they ever come back?  Seems I recall that the parents do continue to care for them until they can hunt on their own?

Will be sad to see them leave.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

Does anyone have names for the eagles?

[skeeterintexas]

The folks who run The Raptor Resource Project are adament about NOT giving them names since they are wild animals.  The only moniker they'll give them is E1, E2, E3 (the order in which they hatched) and then Mom & Dad.

They are also saying that they will take flight around the Fourth of July.  How fitting!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Hope some of us are able to catch that!

[hpmsrm]

If you have not been following the growth of the three eaglets recently.....you might want to start keeping an eye on the site again.  I really do believe that at least one....perhaps more....is just about ready to make the jump to flight.  I've been checking a couple of times per day and just a few minutes ago all three were crowding very close to the edge of the nest and flapping their now fully developed wings.  I predict a day or two but I might be optimistic.  Mom and dad don't stay in the nest much anymore....just bring food and leave.  These three are big now.  Often the camera can't show everything and the lens is zoomed all the way back to widest angle.

[Escapee]

Bump so you don't have to look for it.

[TexasEd]

Looked at it yesterday and one of the "little" ones was looking directly into the camera -- they're starting to look fierce like their parents!  It's hard to tell if all three are still in the nest.  Maybe some are flying already?

[skeeterintexas]

One of the mods posted that all 3 are still there and would require a bit more winger-cizing to prepare for flight.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

They're so crowded in there now, you have to look closely to see 3 heads!  Cannot believe how fast they have grown!  It doesn't look like they have their full tail feathers yet, either?  That would be a must for controlled flying.

[hpmsrm]

Well I was just now over there watching and it appears to me that the one I think is oldest is just about ready to take the leap.  Right now it is fluttering around the nest with wings stretched wide and flapping.  It was teetering on the far edge of the nest and then turned around and propelled itself across to the near side with the aid of its wings.  I was reminded of the teen age boy who practices driving by pulling the family car back and forth in the driveway.

[hpmsrm]

I just checked on the Eaglets again and I can find only two birds in the nest.  Someone else take a look and see what you find.  I think E-1 may have taken flight.  I tried signing up for the chat group but could not make it work.

[docbombay]

I'm pretty sure there are still three--one of the eaglets is at the very top of the view, just right of center.  I can see the feathers move every so often with the wind.  I only saw this recently and it's really fascinating--thanks for posting it!

docbombay

[hpmsrm]

Yeah....all three are there tonight.....peacefully sleeping.   I signed into the chat today and read along.  Seems that it is expected that they have a while to go yet before they fly.  The wind was so strong earlier today that the nest was shaking and bouncing.  So I guess I got excited when I couldn't see all three of them.  But I was premature.

Wonder where mom and dad are keeping themselves.  I assume they bring food to the kids but they sure don't stick around the nest much anymore.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

I'm betting mom and/or dad are right there in the tree.  Sometimes I've seen them manually pan over and one or both are there.  Good parents.   Probably some type of telepathic communication to the babies to get back from over the edge!

[hpmsrm]

Remember how a young fellow, just about ready to drive the family car, would pull it back and forth in the driveway......sort of practice?   Well....the eaglet I think may be E-1 is doing just that this morning.  Flying back and forth across the nest, wings spread wide.  About room enough for one flap of the wings.  Then it turns around and makes the return trip....over and over.  I got a good look at the tail feathers on this one and they seem to be pretty well developed.  It ain't gonna be long folks.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

I saw an update posted there that it could be anywhere in the next 2 weeks after June 11th.

Here's a few I snapped this afternoon; one is fast asleep with head buried in the nest.  Look at how clean the nest is now, and all the small sticks are gone.

[hpmsrm]

Just checked.  One of the babies AND either mom or dad are sitting way out on the limb.  I don't know if jr. has tried flight yet.  But definitely out of the nest.  The operator panned back to the nest and one of the babies is still there but I did not see a second one.  I suspect that position out on the limb will be an easier place to launch from on 1st flight.

[skeeterintexas]

OMG....here's 2 of them out on the limb.  #3 was still in the nest.

It looks like #3 decided to join in.