Nature Unlimited 30 July 2021

This is the additional weekly image thread for the Nature Forum. While images posted to this thread should still be nature in theme, it may contain a small amount of human-made objects and therefore less restricted than the Monday in Nature threads. Please see this discussion for more details: Alternative weekly thread in Nature forum

Each participant please post no more than just one image per weekly thread. Many members will appreciate any information you are willing or able to provide regarding location, shooting process, exposure settings, equipment, and information on the subject(s), including scientific and/or common names.

A young bald eagle, about three and half months old, on a street light. It only takes bald eagle chicks about 12 weeks from hatching to grow to adult size, and they can start flying. However, it takes another four years for them to mature. The head and tail feather will gradually change to white. Statistically, only about 15% of the eaglets manage to survive the full four years to enter adulthood. The fatality rate in the first year alone is about 50%.

Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni.

Statistically, only about 15% of the eaglets manage to survive the full four years to enter adulthood. The fatality rate in the first year alone is about 50%.

A naturalist noted in a talk on our recent Alaska cruise that "Young Bald Eagles are stupid and frequently die doing dumb things that adult eagles would never do." He then went on to note a few examples he had witnessed in the wild. (Reminds me of 15 year old human males, but without the same mortality rate...)

A naturalist noted in a talk on our recent Alaska cruise that "Young Bald Eagles are stupid and frequently die doing dumb things that adult eagles would never do." He then went on to note a few examples he had witnessed in the wild. (Reminds me of 15 year old human males, but without the same mortality rate...)

I am curious to know what those examples are. Two years ago from that same nest, we had two eaglets. One was electrocuted on a power pole in the area. :eek: The other is, surprisingly, still in the general area and is establishing her own territory. Typically young eagles travel a couple of miles and establish they own area pretty far away from their birth nest.

Just yesterday I ran across one of those click-bait series on the dumbest birds--

The Secretary Bird was on the list

here in the Serengeti

Apropos of the discussion of bald eaglets

Two bald eaglet siblings waiting for a food drop - the one on the bottom is craning her neck to keep an eye on us by Tom Yin, on Flickr

I am curious to know what those examples are.

Sorry, but I don't remember the details. I only remember thinking how much juvenile bald eagles sound like male human teenagers.