Excel/Fort St Vrain~Lets Compare Pa to Ma's Unbanded Mate-Photos-Ma and Mate's Nest Visit_2.2.26

Описание: February 2, 2026
~Eggs should arrive late February or early March. ~

Ma comes to the nest this morning and will be joined by her mystery man. Mom is fluffing up the nest straw, getting the nest bowl ready. Will she lay 3 or 4 eggs this year??? I can hardly wait to find out.
I have put together some screenshots of Pa from last year to compare to similar poses of the current male eagle. They aren't the greatest, but I do think this eagle favors our pa Jr quite a bit. The white shaggy mane looks so similar but fully mature bald eagles look alike. Each one does have unique features that only an avid regular watcher will notice over time. Thanks for watching!
Notice:
FSV admin posted on the FB page that no one knows what happened to Pa. He could have been run off by an aggressive male eagle, could have been injured or died. Eagles will abandon their territory if they are threatened by a more aggressive eagle. One example is Mom Berry of the Berry college eagles. A younger female eagle showed up and Ma Berry, who had a crippled foot, chose to leave rather than fight. This was captured on the cams. Pa Berry stayed at the Berry nest and began a relationship with the new female and raised eaglets with "Missy". Most eagles couples stay together until one disappears. On the SWFL nest Ozzy and Harriet were a paired couple. It is believed that the current eagle dad M15 was the aggressive male who fought with and caused injury to Ozzy. After Ozzy was released from rehab back to the SWFL nest area, he once again was found injured and ultimately succumbed to those injuries. Then not long after, Harriet & M15 were a mating pair. So, "as the world turns", so goes "as the eagle nests turns" Then Harriet disappeared ultimately a few years later. By next season Pa had found a new female with which to continue his life journey with as a partner and eagle dad.
Eagles are resilient and they move on quickly. They always seem to find another mate in time for eggs to be laid. It is the way of the wild! They are driven by hormones and the instinct to raise young. Thanks for watching!


if you missed last season there is a highlight video tribute and photo slideshow. Click link below
   • Excel/FSV Eagles~Tribute-From the First Eg...  
Thanks for watching!

video captured by chickiedee64. Watch Live at
Side cam
   • Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain Eagles (side view)  
Top Cam
   • Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain Eagles (top view)  

What does the Fort St. Vrain bald eagle site look like? The eagles' nest (FSV-N0) is 9 x 8 feet wide, eight feet high, and 57 feet off the ground. It has a perimeter of about 26 feet, a total area of about 56 feet, and probably weighs between 2200 and 2700 pounds! The nest is located in a cottonwood on the banks of the St. Vrain River near Platteville, CO, on property owned by Xcel Energy. We’re not sure how old it is, but Bob Anderson and Rob MacIntyre put the first cam system up in 2003, when the nest was already well established. FSV-N0 is built primarily of cottonwood branches (the dominant tree in many river systems out west) and lined with prairie grass. After the primary limb supporting the nest fell in August of 2020, RRP Director John Howe worked with Xcel Energy to put up a new bionic limb and restore the nest. The eagles gave it their seal of approval just a few days later.
The current eagle pair as of fall 2025 is a female approximately 23 years old. She is banded with a bracelet on each ankle. Pa seemed immature when he and Ma got together. He had to learn how to incubate eggs and feed young. Ma had her hands full for a while trying to teach him. He has learned the ropes and has done a great job of being a dad to the eaglets the last two seasons for sure. One of their eaglet's FSV44 was also banded and was confirmed to be male.
If you would like to watch a 3-minute video of FSV 44 click below link:
   • Fort St. Vrain  Eagles~Season Tribute-Atta...  

*In case you missed it on Facebook, Mom's ankle band numbers were sent off to USGS. Mom was banded in Colorado in May 15, 2002 at age 45 days. She is 22 years old! Her natal nest is 45 miles east of FSV along South Platte corridor. She has hatched 51 eaglets of which 19 died on the nest, 30 survived to fledge . Thank you Lisa Levesque for posting this information! The full post can be seen on Fort St. Vrain's Eagle Cam Facebook page.

Nest Notes:
2025 Nest Notes:
First egg laid on 2/22/25 after 7:30 pm MT FSV52 hatched 4/4/25; Passed away on 4/12/25 @ 10:45 AM Fell through nest rails.
Second egg laid on 2/25/25 at 10:37 PM MT FSV 53 hatched 4/4/25
Third Egg laid on 2/28/25 8:13 PM MT pip on 4/5/25 @ Day 36 FSV54 hatched 4/6/25 approx 10:45??? AM
4Th Egg (first time) laid on this nest by this female 3/4/25 before 8 PM; Pip seen 4/10/25; FSV55 Hatched 4/10/25 time: TBD Passed 4/11/25 12:13 PM

2024 Nest Notes
FSV49 hatched April 9 fledged July 1
FSV50 hatched April 9 accidental fledge June 30
FSV51 hatched April 13; died on April 14 @ 12:05 pm MT

#eaglesnest #eagle #nature #wildlife #