Harriet and M15 are a bald eagle pair that lost their 27-day-old baby after a freak accident that caused one of the eaglet’s pin/blood feathers to break, creating a flow of blood through the stem of the broken feather that could not be staunched by normal coagulation. When the parents discovered the tragic injury, they tried to help their infant, but their options were too few. Throughout the day, the little eagle grew weaker, and by nightfall had gone to sleep between its mother’s feet, under the comfort of her warm belly, while she stood watch throughout the night to guard against predators. Late in the night, eaglet E14 took its final breath. Mom remained on guard the rest of the night.

The following morning, what was intended to have been a rescue team, became a retrieval team, and the little body was removed from the nest and examined to determine cause of death. This is a drawing of Harriet and M15 on their first night after their loss, roosting side by side above the nest.

E14 Dec. 19, 2019 – Jan. 15, 2020