Another unusual development in the bald eagle nest taken over by a pair of great horned owls near Vian.
After laying two eggs in mid-December, the eagle pair started spending more and more time off the nest, so much so that the experts at the Sutton Avian Research Center believed the eggs died. The experts say the nesting pair was scared away by other adult bald eagles that had intruded into its territory.
One of the eagle eggs disappeared, but during the week of February 3, 2013, then a great horned owl started incubating the other one.
The female owl has since laid two eggs of her own, a common clutch for owls. But on the night of February 13, 2013, the bald eagle egg and one of the owl eggs disappeared. It's possible a predator got to the eggs, or they were accidentally broken by the owl.
It's also possible the rotten eagle egg broke, causing a sticky mess and allowing the missing owl egg to adhere to the owl's feather, who then may have unintentionally carried it off when leaving the nest.
The center's cameras showed that same thing happening to a bald eagle several years ago.
