With the three young in the nest already several weeks old, it seems that nest building/reinforcement is still ongoing. On at least four occasions. I've seen Mom leave the nest whilst Dad was out hunting. Mom would generally return quite quickly with a small to very long stick to add to the already massive nest. The following are six images from a set of some 20 that illustrate this activity. Best viewed in original size.

Image #1: Mom arrives with a very long stick/branch.

Image #2: After slowly lowering the branch and setting the bottom end of the branch in between the existing nest branches, thus anchoring it in one corner, much the same way a crane or helicopter operator might lower a utility pole onto its base. Mom then proceeds to bend the stick over towards the far side.

Images #3 - 6: Mom continues to push the stick down until finally in image #6 it stays put.


Perhaps the nest is being made bigger to accommodate the three young as they are growing fast. Or, perhaps high winds can damage the nest, thus requiring ongoing maintenance,