Eagle yoga and pouncing practice

Papa eagle practiced yoga in the next tree over from our favorite nest.

Mama eagle flew off for an evening salmon snack. Junior, who now takes up most of the nest, practiced pouncing on unsuspecting insects.

He or she appears to be the only fledgling and he's huge. I remember reading that Ma Nature gives young eagles "training wheels" to make it easier to learn to fly. Wing and tail feathers of fledglings are longer that their parents to help with the extra lift they need. About 40 percent of fledglings don't make it past their first flight. So "branching" or jumping from branch to branch in the nest is good practice. This aerie has lots of pouncing and branching spots.

They literally have the summer to learn the eagle ways. Then they are on their own. Visit my Talons Gallery for more images of eagles and other raptors.