In photos I found from May 10, 2015, a juvenile Bald Eagle was perched on the nest rock. By 5/20, the BLOY were nesting on the west side. One chick was seen on 7/1 but apparently did not survive to fledge.
As usual the Middle Rock birds nested on the west side of Middle Rock in 2016. We only knew they were nesting because of incubation exchanges when the guard BLOY on the black rock west of Middle Rock (alternately called Back Rock and Black Rock) called and flew to the back of Middle Rock. Another bird soon walked up to the top of Middle Rock into view and flew off for foraging and preening and its turn at guarding. This happened pretty regularly every 50 minutes on 5/17, 5/24, 6/1, 6/7 and 6/15. On 6/15 a pair of Bald Eagles was perched on a tree on the mainland.
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| Middle Rock in foreground with Back Black Rock behind left |
On 6/21, both adults were on the east side of the nest rock without chicks. On 6/29, no birds were seen in the 2 1/2 hours we watched. On 7/5, the birds were back and on 2 eggs on the east side, in plain sight.
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| The nest is straight down from the highest point of the rock, along the 2nd horizontal fault line |
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| The setting bird is at the very bottom center of this photo, straight down from the highest point |
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| Setting bird with scattered egg shells |
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| 2 eggs during IE |
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| Bird returning to eggs after IE |
On 8/10, the eggs were gone and so were the adults. I saw no BLOY for 2 hours, then both adults appeared on SW side. One peered over the top looking behind a rock as though checking on a chick (s) out of sight. Then walked down to a pool and bathed and preened while the other stayed at a favorite rock on the SE side. They then both disappeared while I was not looking their way and did not reappear on the east side for the hour I stayed.
8/16, both adults sat resting on SE side of Middle Rock, high tide, for 1 hour. We suspect chicks hiding.
On 8/25/16, I saw no BLOY for two hours. On 8/30 and 9/1 no BLOY were seen.
No birds nested on Middle Rock in 2017. A bizarre BLOY fight over water occurred when two BLOY from South Rock flew toward Polly Rock and another BLOY flew off the island and attacked them. Two of the combatants landed in the ocean, then flew up and continued battling. All three landed on Middle Rock with two still fighting. Eventually the apparent loser flew to a foraging rock to preen, then back to the island. I wonder if one of the Middle Rock pair lost its mate and was trying to steal the South Rock mate.
In 2018 a pair scratched around in the east side nest area but did not nest, argued a lot with South Rock pair, possibly disrupting their nesting.
Much better luck in 2019 with a pair nesting on the east side where we could watch, in or close to the same area as the second 2016 nest. We saw 2 eggs but must have been 3 because 3 chicks hatched. But all were gone within 2 weeks. 2nd nest same place had 3 eggs. All hatched but only saw 2 chicks until mid September when a 3rd appeared. Photos from 9/5 when chicks were between 31 and 35 days old.
Following photos from 9/11/19 when chicks between 37 and 42 days old...
9/20/19 2 of the 3 chicks fledged.
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| 2 adults and 2 fledglings on a rock they flew to, south of Middle Rock 9/20/19 |
Road's End Middle Rock Nest History
2005 no nest
2006 no nest
2007 no nest
2008 no nest
2009 no nest but nest prep
2010 eggs laid, probably lost
2011 2 chicks, fledging unknown
2012 chicks lost
2013 2 chicks, probably lost
2014 chick, probably lost
2015 one chick, lost
2016 2 eggs, chicks probably lost
2017 no nest (single BLOY in May but no pair)
2018 no nest, just scratching around
2019 2 nest attempts, first had 3 eggs, 3 chicks hatched but lost within 2 weeks; 2nd nest 3 eggs 3 hatched, 2 fledged
2020 other monitor reported nest in same place as 2019, only checked twice, hatching and fledging unknown (pandemic issues)
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