Nesting Diaries
Quick visit as I birded Elizabeth River Park. An adult was hunkered down and incubating eggs.
Observed nest while walking in park. Female was on nest and vocalized. Male hunted. The female could be frooding young, but not sure. Glad to see both birds there.
Visited on 4/17 late in day. Female was buried in the nest and the male hunted. Observed him catch a fish and carry it off. He returned later with nesting material for the nest.
Visited this a.m. I don't think there's any question that the female is on eggs.
Observed female on the nest. Male was absent. Nest is growing.
New arrivals. Much vocalizing. Observed copulation behavior.
I'm not sure, now, whether or not the nest here has failed. Yesterday, I observed an adult defending the nest from a Bald Eagle. This a.m. an adult spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the nest.
I discovered the male building this nest in March, 2020. The female showed up later, and the pair mated. They produced offspring (don't know the number). Sometime in June, the nest was abandoned. I assume a predator got to the chicks. I've been back several times, but haven't seen any signs of life there. Please see the photos which document the "progression."
The last photo is of the abandoned nest.