Jackie and Shadow have again been very busy at the nest the last few days.
While Jackie was sitting in the nest bowl, Shadow flew in with a stick just long enough to keep bumping Jackie…so, of course, she had to get up and assist him with that bumpy stick. Working in unison, they got it into just the right location. And afterward, Jackie gave Shadow a few sweet kisses for all of his hard work.
Jackie also brought her own big stick…but she’s a big girl and when she stretched up tall, she got it across the nest and placed all on her own…well, with only a few rearrangements to other sticks needed to be completely satisfied.
Jackie was kneeling in the bowl watching Shadow circle to fly in with yet another stick…and that darn stick pushed Jackie right out of the nest bowl. This time she stepped aside and watched as Shadow worked to get that troublesome thing located correctly…and apparently Shadow was so pleased with his work that he had to tease Jackie by biting her tail a couple times. Then he laid down in the bowl to test it out.
Shadow didn’t step aside for Jackie’s next giant stick delivery, but grabbed right onto it. There was some tugging and pulling…and then some more pulling and tugging in both directions on that stick before they found where it properly belonged.
When Shadow sits in the nest, he usually busies himself with arranging the sticks around the bowl while he’s there…it’s important to always keep working! And when that was done, he waited for Jackie under the pink full moon…but instead of coming, Jackie called him from a distance. He answered…and then went to meet her on one of their favorite perch trees, the stick deposit tree.
By the next day, when Shadow brought a really long, complex stick, Jackie just kept standing where she was while he worked hard behind her to get that uncooperative stick to settle down into place…then to Shadow’s amazement, she flew off without even acknowledging all that hard work or proper placement.
Jackie has spent long periods at the nest the past few days, either hanging out on the front porch or working the nest bowl. When it’s just soft enough, she lays in the bowl—and her lay-downs have each day been getting longer—even up to an hour. Like Shadow, she works while she’s sitting to rearrange every tiny little piece of fluff into just the right formation.
The nest bowl now has 2 or 3 times more fluff than it has ever had! And still Shadow brought in another huge bunch, which he delicately arranged while Jackie kept a close eye from the front porch making sure he didn’t knock anything askew.
Then, time for a little break…and they stood side-by-side on the front porch like the beautiful matched pair that they are, watching out across their expansive neighborhood.
Jackie and Shadow have then been spending nearly every night snuggled together on their nearby roost tree, resting up for another day of important work.
Update from our eagle shop: there are 2 new shirts (Jackie—“Don’t mess with Jackie” and Shadow—“Happy wife, happy life,” and by popular request, a new Jackie and Shadow jigsaw puzzle. Plus, for those waiting, the Neighborhood Watch shirts are back in stock.
Thank you to all of you for your beautiful support!
And for those who are celebrating today, Happy Easter!
Sandy

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