FORT MYERS, Fla. — As the month of February comes to an end, beloved Southwest Florida eagle mother Harriet still hasn't returned to the nest after disappearing.
With the mama bird missing, eaglets father M15 had to step up to the plate and provide for E21 and E22 – with both feeding and protecting.
But he might be able to relax a bit now with a female visitor, going by the name R23-3, lending a helping hand with making sure the eaglets' stomachs are full.
The eaglets have been busy working on self-feeding and strengthening their muscles for flight, but they don't refuse some food when offered. A snippet from the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam live stream shows R23-3 landing in the nest and eating a fish left by M15.
The female visitor is seen sharing a solid few chunks with E21 while E22 seemed to be left out.
"Some snarky moments but a huge milestone!" leaders behind the famous eagle cam explained.
And don't worry – E22 was given a private feeding by their father a few hours later.
A snippet of video last week showed the first time she allowed E21 and E22 to grab and eat some food that she was munching on. Even though the papa bird originally brought the fish for the eaglets and R23-3 stole it – it's still a step in the right direction.
With the eaglets now seven weeks old, it also seems as if M15 is letting them become more independent and do things by themselves. Another clip from the eagle cam showed the papa bird dropping off a fish for his babies and jumping to an outer branch of the tree.
The eaglets took a second to look around as if they were asking, "What do we do now?" But then, E22 starts on the fish first.
"Self-feeding is a big step towards survival and fledging the nest," eagle cam leaders explain on YouTube.
For the eagle lovers wondering who R23-3 is, the papa bird may have found a new companion to ride out the lonely nights.
We're not saying M15 replaced Harriet, but a female eagle who has been visiting the nest throughout the week seems to have made an impression on the hardworking dad.
The two were caught on cam attempting a "bond" Wednesday evening. Leaders behind the popular Southwest Florida Eagle Cam say this isn't considered mating, but it's a possible sign of acceptance or dominance.
"Only time will tell for our Eagle family!" a Facebook post from the eagle cam said.
For anyone wanting to watch highlights from the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, you can find them here.
You can also check out the 24-hour live stream down below to keep an eye out for Harriet or the new female eagle and see how the eaglets are doing: