Eaglecrest Red Tails are getting closer and closer to laying eggs. Serious nestorations are going on and the nest is full of fluff. Laying should be anytime now.

We have to include my favorite RT video.

R4 commented that one of the RTs brought a squirrel to the nest sometime over the weekend. It is good to see they are bringing food to the west nest.

RT brought in more greenery and sat on the stump for a few minutes. I think surely the nest is ready now for goodness sake! Let's get with it RT's!

RTs still visiting their West Nest. Dang they are slow!

Just barely caught a snip of one of them jumping up to the stump in a blur of red feathers.EC RT 741am 3-15-13.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

RT video from ncaerie.

It has been a very long wait since August of 2011 when the first Eaglecrest RT nest camera went live with the assistance of the Raptor Resource Project. Since then the folks who continued to check in on the Eaglecrest Hawks Ustream site were treated to a great number of highs and lows. The old nest blowing down in a storm changed things a lot, as did the arrival of a goose to make the 2012 nesting season interesting. I won't go through a litany of all the events that have been milestones in the Eaglecrest viewers' journey, but suffice it to say, it has been an interesting one. We have learned a lot, shared a lot, gotten to know a broad spectrum of personalities (both human and in the animal realm) and along the way broadened our horizons. We said goodbye to a couple of very dear friends who would have greatly enjoyed being here today as the laying of a red tailed hawk egg in the west nest at Eaglecrest marks the end and the beginning of a loop in life's ever circular flow. Below are three screen captures from the climax of both the day's wait, and the 18 month wait, of the Eaglecrest original group of viewers.

Sweet! Nice grab SC!

Well that only took since August 22, 2011. Whewwwww!

We waited a year and a half for this day. Stitch came to the nest in mid-afternoon and moved about, reluctant to leave, nibbled a branch of the tree leafless, and finally waded into the nest. Crouching there, she shifted from foot to foot, and laid her egg with apparent ease, at 4:54 p.m. nest time.

Here, Stitch inspects her treasure: