"Jolene", a Stanley Lake condor that lays two eggs after someone who stole another bird – Boulder Daily Camera

2021-11-12 09:11:06 By : Ms. Flying Fang

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On March 3, 2021, at the nest on Lake Standley in Westminster, the females of two American bald eagles nest on aspen trees and lay their eggs.

On March 3, 2021, at Standley Lake in Westminster, two males of American bald eagles nest on aspen trees and lay their eggs.

On March 3, 2021, at Standley Lake in Westminster, two males of American bald eagles nest on aspen trees and lay their eggs.

On March 3, 2021, Westminster, two males of American bald eagles nest in a poplar tree and lay their eggs, perching on a tree in Standley Lake.

On March 3, 2021, Westminster, two males of American bald eagles nest in a poplar tree and lay their eggs, perching on a tree in Standley Lake.

Despite the domestic riots in Westminster and surrounding areas last spring, it is clear that there is no more uncomfortable feeling in Colorado's most famous bald eagle den.

Last week in Standley Lake Regional Park and Wildlife Refuge, a female named F420 laid an egg, which was the result of a union with a male whose former spouse escaped the nest last spring. It wasn't that after F420 attacked her, the female of the original nest had too many choices, took over the place, packed her, and never showed up again.

Westminster’s Eagle Cam pays close attention to the play. It focuses on the 24/7 lair and has night vision. Now, fans of Lake Standley Condor are eagerly waiting for the appearance of the new eagle, which should appear in about four weeks. F420 laid the second egg on Tuesday night. Videos of the two festive events were posted on the park’s Facebook page.

This male and his former spouse are called father and mother in Standley Lake. The usurper bird F420 is named because F stands for female. She appeared in April 2020. For some observers, this is a sad day, and there are witnesses to her family destruction mission.

"Someone was observing the bird's nest on the road and saw her quarreling with her parents," said Laceira Martinez, a naturalist in the park. "Mom didn't come back. At first, we thought Mom would come back the next day, but after checking a lot of camera footage, we assessed that it was indeed F420."

Sitting in the den, acting as if she owns this place.

F420 was not popular at first. Some people call her Jolene in Dolly Parton's song, in which a woman begs another to leave her man alone.

"There are a lot of negative emotions around her," Serra Martinez said, "but she just wants to survive, just like a wild animal."

Mom is gone, and Dad is sitting on the egg that Mom has sent.

"Dad took over all the incubation duties," Serra Martinez said. "He is still very dissatisfied with F420, so he continues to fight her."

An egg hatches at Easter. But then there was a big blizzard. When Dad went out to defend the nest, the hatched eagle died.

"That was on the camera," SIerra-Martinez said. "The next day, the magpie took out the baby's body. It was really frustrating, so everyone was very angry with F420. Some of us called the nature center and cried. People were really engaged. We were really engaged. It’s a city park. People really care about eagles. With a camera, you can observe their lives up close. You form a bond."

However, soon, Dad decided that he was willing to accept the new relationship after all, and he began to "combine" with the F420. Within two weeks, they exhibited mating behavior.

"I think Dad knows Mom won't be back," Serra Martinez said. "He must take full advantage of this situation so that he can continue to have offspring, and the F420 doesn't seem to go anywhere."

Sierra-Martinez said that condors “usually are monogamous to a certain degree,” but they sometimes deceive their spouses.

"However, it is usually women," Serra Martinez said. "Many times they mate just to bond, not to produce fertilized eggs."

Because this is really a reality TV show, avid fans can see them mating in front of the camera. They look forward to seeing more.

"We have a lot of fans looking at the lair very seriously," Serra Martinez said.

Standley Lake is a good habitat for eagles. Because the lake is huge, it is the third largest reservoir in the metropolitan area. The main source of food for condors is fish. Since eagles first nested here in 1993, the area around the bird’s nest at the northwest end of the park has been closed to the public, but there is an eagle blind spot not far from the nature center, and visitors can go from about half a mile away.

It is recommended to use binoculars. There is also a dog park north of Standley Lake Park, and the bird’s nest can be seen from across the road, about a quarter of a mile away. Signs posted along the road said: "Bald eagle nesting area; stay away," warned that "intruders will be cited."

Sierra-Martinez predicts that F420 will lay one or two more eggs this season. The chicks may leave the nest about 72 days after hatching. Dad and F420 expect to take care of their offspring for a while after leaving the nest, but expect the children to leave the area forever in the fall. If they do not leave by themselves, their parents will force them to leave.

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