And now there are two

©2013 Lydia Hinshaw

Young eagles wait for parents to bring food

 HOLLY HILL, FL -- We've continued to check up on our favorite bald eagle family every few days.
 For several weeks now, we've only seen two juvenile eagles, and we had been concerned about what might have happened to the third.
 This week, another photographer told us that the third sibling had drowned.  Young eagles must learn to pluck fish from the water if they are to survive.  It's not an easy skill to master, and a mistake can have deadly consequences.
 Sunday morning, the remaining eaglets were together in their favorite dead tree, their attention focused in the direction of their nest.  One of their parents was sure to arrive soon with food.
 We'd seen a food delivery a few days earlier.  Mom or pop went into the lake, grabbed a fish and dropped it off in the nest.  The two hungry offspring, who'd been waiting just a few feet away, were there in an instant.