Happy 245th Birthday America!

So there is only one eaglet again this year, and the activity around the nest is clearly more subdued than when there are two and three eaglets. But it's still a treat to watch the adults raise the young'un, bringing in fish, taking turns feeding, keeping outsiders away from the nest, squawking at each other . . .

American Bald Eagle stickin' the landing . . .

Papa delivers a fresh fish (looks like a carp) to the nest for an eaglet dinner. Because of our vantage point, until an eaglet grows big enough for us to get a glimpse above the edge of the nest, we can't tell how many eaglets have hatched. . . .

Both Mama and Papa have been taking turns incubating the eggs, but Papa still seems to be a little reluctant to stay too long on the eggs. He is a new Papa as of last year, so he's still getting the hang of how things work. On this recent evening . . .

The talons of eagles are impressive, no doubt. According to scientists at HawkQuest in Colorado, a bald eagle's gripping strength is ten times stronger than the average grip of an adult human hand . . .