April 6, 2018
After a rousing early morning beak battle with D30, D29 took a bathroom break. It bent over, pointed its rear end, and shot poop right out of the egg cup! Way to go, D29 - you are pooping like a big eaglet now!
So why is this a milestone? Eaglets instinctively shoot poop out of the nest. It keeps the nest cleaner - who wants to lay in poop? - and helps prevent gastro-intestinal parasites. But to shoot poop, eaglets have to be good at standing up, leaning over, elevating their bottoms, and aiming for the outside. A good poopshoot takes coordination, strength, and balance, making it an important milestone on the road from hatch to fledge!
Thanks to John Howe for the heads-up on this particular milestone. Nice spotting!