JOUBERT B. 2010-2016 ‹ (February 19, 2017) ‹ Photo-galleries ‹ HoverOverUs • Short-toed-Eagle

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JOUBERT B. 2010-2016. Haute-Loire

The nest was built six metres high on top of a pine tree. The steep hillside, quietness of the distant valley (Langeac town, Haute-Loire County), crystal clear air and the close distance of the camouflage hide created perfect conditions

Male arrived alone in early March. He occupied the nest immediately. For the next few days, he kept looking the sky in such manner, scanning it searching for his mate. The average arrival date is March 11 in Haute-Loire (yearly spring arrival period: March 8-13, extreme early and late arrivals: March 7 and 18. Number of years, data collected: 20)

Soon after his arrival, the male started to renovate the nest. The female has not arrived yet. He picked twigs from the ground or broke ones from nearby trees (beech, pine)

Finally, she came back. She was easily recognized by her different coloured and looser plumage

The male indicates his presence to the neighboring Short-toed Eagles and to the female. She will come to join him on the nest

The male (left) was on the nest, waiting for the female. She came : they were both carefull. His body's shape is recognizable: the male is always very slim, like a rocket

Magical moment. The birds mate near the nest. The male rests delicately on the female

That morning, creating a new Short-toed Eagle? In his shelter, the observer is somewhat embarrassed to witness this moment of intimacy

After Love. The male remains a few seconds on the back of the female. Both birds turn their heads, looking around

Temporary parting. Matings were numerous in the following days

After the male's departure, the female spends a long time arranging her plumage

The female puts her feathers in order. The down flies around her

The member of the pair met on the nest. Their peaceful and gentle gestures showed that they had known each other for a long time

The male was trying to attract the female with food. He was searching for and calling her

The male also tried the nest before egg laying. From the distance it seemed that the breeding started. Average date of egg-laying in Haute-Loire: April 12 (Normally fall between April 7 and 17. Extreme dates: April 1 and May 14. Number of recorded egg-laying dates: 92)

June 1st, the chick is one-week-old. The female stays with it all the time. She protects her chick and continuously seeks physical contact with it

Magical moment. The female spreads her wings and protects her 3-4 week-old chick from the rays of the sun

The seven-week-old chick was trying its wings, although the wings are relatively weak. The promise of dawn…The promise of the dawn…

Seemingly disturbed by the unusual prey, but it eventually swallows it as if it was a snake

The chick (standing with its back) welcomes the rare visit from its parents, now the female

Touching moment of leaving the nest for the first time. 11:28, June 30, the youngster left the nest after 67 days of development. It still stayed in the valley for a prolonged period of time, and returned to the nest for feeding whenever saw its parents, and also for sleeping

I recorded some behaviours I could only watch from the distance before such as the ‘angel-posture’, with what the bird (here the male) displays his presence

The ‘albatross-posture’ is used in case of aggression, when an intruder is close to the nest

Fight scene! A female (showing her back) was trying to seize the nest from the male, while he was waiting for his true mate

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