and empty. The raptor forum thinks the new female has taken over the nest, and driven the original female off. They think this is a very young female that has taken over.

My husband and I were discussing this, and we came to a possible interpretation. Maybe as the older females age they become infertile. And the young ones are fertile, but don't know how to build a nest. So this type of take over would be an advantage overall, for survival. The Channel Islands had two females to one male and biologists took some of the eggs out (there were too many to brood) and hatched them separately, one year.

The raptor forum I posted above has some interesting comments and explanations on it.

It is difficult to see the experienced female driven off this way...she built that nest after all over several months' time.

In the chat room they are saying that a tree company is coming to remove the old eggs. The new floozy
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female has chased off the original female and taken up with the original male. I thought they mated for life!
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And they say the new "pair" came to the nest today but didn't mate so they are hoping if the eggs are removed....we may get a new batch.

*whisper...reminds me of real life a bit..new, younger feathers....
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yes, how sad for the older "wife"
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all that hard work on the nest and years of partnership.

maybe this would have been ok if they had stayed at the old nest
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I hope we will get updates on the first female, and will be tuned in for where this saga takes us ..............

well, i bet she can't cook.
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LoL........
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She probably maxed out the credit cards too.
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eagle menopause!

On the blog is an interesting picture... of the intruder female next to the resident female. Notice how close they are, and how odd..
Could this be one of her daughters?

That last confrontation, the new female had a huge talon-ful of new soft nesting material. I bet she covered the eggs with it...betcha..

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The new slide show sort of supports, the "incest" model. But you know, this male is NEW to the resident female. He replaced her old mate who died in an airplane collision before they moved to Norfolk. This could be a daughter from the previous mate?

I think getting the old eggs out, will be helpful. JMO.

I think if I recall correctly... the original pair only had 2 broods at Nolfolk.
This female's previous mate was killed, and she found this new male, fairly recently.

It is really hard to watch those eggs get abandoned...but the behaviors must be there for some survival advantage. It hasn't been long since eagles were endangered.

the Young & the Restless isn't this interesting!
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LOL... floozie.
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ooo my gosh I had to enter some notes of THANKS on some of the posts prior here!!!! Talking of maxing out credit cards and that she can't cook!!! LOL I mean where does one purchase an "EAGLE CUISINE" cookbook anyways? Let me guess, at the BIRD store!!!! Hoping that they do get another bunch of eggs, especially neet to watch with the eagle cam on them.