Darryl Moran, photographer for the Franklin Institute, captured these exquisite pictures of a sleeping eyass.
In both these images, you can see the ear opening quite clearly.
Eyass feet and talons are just about adult sized even though their bodies still have a long way to go.
No feathers yet visible, just baby fluff.
Kay Meng's images a few days later on Monday, May 20 show those huge feet piled up around them.
When Mom stands beside the eyasses, you can see how similar in size are those feet and talons.
It was very hot that day, and the eyasses' beaks were open as they panted to stay cool.
After checking out the passing scene down below...
... it started to get close to nap time.
After a couple of huge yawns...
...this eyass was out for the count. You can see that feathers are beginning to sprout on the wings.
Sheaths enclose the feathers, and there are blood vessels within to nourish the growth of the feathers.
The tips of the powerful wing feathers are starting to emerge along the edges of their wings.
Both parent hawks continue to do a fine job of providing food for their brood. As the eyasses mature and become more independent, Mom leaves them for longer periods and has started hunting again.
Nick Cinciruk caught the actual moment she captured a pigeon that was perched on a lamp pole unaware of the incoming danger right behind.
T2 flew in to see if he could share some of the meal, but Mom kept her talon firmly on her pigeon! The hawks' difference in size is really apparent here.
No sharing of this meal as Mom started to pluck and eat.
These lamp poles are favorite eating places, as well as staging areas for hunting. You can see dried intestinal remains of an earlier meal on the surface of the lamp.
Most of these lamp poles are scarily close to the multi-lane highways right beside the Franklin Institute.
When Mom had eaten her fill, she flew back to the nest with the pigeon and fed the always eager eyasses.
Over the past couple of weeks, the rate of growth and development of the eyasses has been astounding.
May 12 - Mother's Day
Early morning sleeping huddle.
May 13
Chilly morning at 45 degrees needed a closer huddle to stay warm.
May 15
T2 on the right is taking his turn at feeding,
Perhaps Mom is afraid he will remove the food from the nest as he has done a few times before, so she leans in and takes hold of the prey.
T2 got the message and left...
... but returned literally one minute later with a sprig of greenery which he dropped on top of the eyasses, and then flew away. Everyone on the nest is watching him go.
Mom finished feeding and headed out, and by mid-afternoon a total food coma was underway.
May 16
Squirrel for breakfast...
... and sleeping it off. The remains of the squirrel lie ready for lunch.
More greenery appears as the day goes on.
They are starting to look like baby dinosaurs!
... or maybe baby vultures.
Dinner that night was particularly graphic! The half-eaten squirrel was almost as big as an eyass.
May 17
T2 is in charge of breakfast.
They are getting strong enough to sit up and look out over the edge of the nest...
... and are starting to vigorously flap their wings. This "wingercising" is essential to develop the muscular strength to fly.
T2 and mom are relentless in their daily greens gathering.
May 20
Monday morning food coma
As the temperature rises, the bodies get more splayed.
When awake, they are definitely becoming more curious...
... stretching up their heads and necks like periscopes.
May 22
Each day, their wings get bigger and the flapping stronger...
... and they are now entering the baby condor stage of development.
... though in this case it was a baby bird, which Mom quickly removed from T2.
It is definitely getting more crowded on the nest when the whole family is together.
Much more to follow, and I plan to be more timely!
As always, my great appreciation to all the photographers and screen capturers whose images allow me to share the activities of this wonderful hawk family.
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