ID SE-23 & SE-24 Post Fledge

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Below is a selection of photos kindly supplied by some of our Eagle watchers from down near the river roost on the Parramatta River. They were taken from the 20th October 2019 up until after the death of the young eaglet. They are all of juvenile Sea-Eagles BUT there are a variety of ages, first year, second year and third year. The EagleCAM team has used these to try and identify the young eaglet that was found dead on the railway track in the Newington Armory not far from the nest.

It came down to some detective work with toe markings (fingerprint) from the dead eagle and trawling through days of video to find this fingerprint on the younger eagles on the nest. We are fairly confident that video on the 18 September 2019 at 14:44 has supplied this evidence. We had to form a line-up to ID the chick that had this pattern on its middle toe of the left foot. As was first speculated, it is SE-23 that was found dead.

It has been found that of the photos there are at least three (3) of the juvenile eagles photographed are not from the Olympic Park nest. We don’t know if any of these eagles have been fed by the adults. It appears that SE-23 had become separated from the adults and so accounts for the lack of food. The presence of other young eagles may well have distracted the adults who may have become confused and not missed SE-23.

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A summary of the diagnosis of SE-23 from the Necropsy by Taronga Wildlife Hospital.
"Failure to thrive, once fledged, with the following diagnosis:
Emaciation
Pica
Pericardial and epicardial haemorrhage
*Retained Meckel's diverticulum
*A 5mm x 8mm soft tan mass is present in the mesentery near the jejunum. The eagle had a retained Meckel's diverticulum, which is a portion of retained yolk sac that for some reason has not been resorbed. There can be a risk that this residual yolk can act as culture medium for any circulating bacteria and then become a source for later systemic bacterial spread. Often though, the retained yolk is eventually resorbed through cytophagia by macrophages in the wall of the structure. There is no evidence that the diverticulum was inflamed in this animal."

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		Photo taken 14 October 2019 at 12:51. Photo by Cathy Cook This is SE-24 just after fledge, just above the rail track leading to building 31. The primary coverts on left wing not showing black tips.
		Photo taken 20 October 2019 at 15:07 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Shows gap in the secondary area on the right wing. This gap is at the start of the lighter colour in the under wing. This is not SE-24.
		Photo taken 20 October 2019 at 15:07 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Same eagle as previous shot, Shows gap in the secondary area on the right wing. This gap is at the start of the lighter colour in the under wing. This is not SE-24.
		Photo taken 22 October 2019 at 17:20. Photo by Kerry Allen Shows no gap in the on the right wing. This is likely SE-24.
		Photo taken 23 October 2019 at 15:59 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Shows two small gaps in the left wing in the secondary area. Notice the tail, it has no black fringing, and Dark Underwing Coverts. This eagle would be about three (3) years old. This is not SE-23 or SE-24.
		Photo taken 23 October 2019 at 16:00 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Shows no major feathers missing right wing. Same eagle as previous photo, Notice the tail, it has no black fringing, and dark Underwing Coverts. This eagle would be about three (3) years old. This is not SE-23 or SE-24.
		Photo taken 23 October 2019 at 17:57 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Shows feeding. Notice the tail, it has black fringing. this eagle would be a first years juvenile.
		Photo taken 25 October 2019 at 11:08 . Photo by Judy Harrington Showing SE-23 primary feather damage. No photos of a live eagle after 25th October can be SE-23.
		Photo taken 30 October 2019 at 10:34 . Photo by John and Colleen Wolsky Shows no obvious damage in the feathers. Could be SE-24 but not SE-23.
		Photo taken 30 October 2019 at 10:34 . Photo by John and Colleen Wolsky Shows no obvious damage in the feathers. Could be SE-24 but not SE-23.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 14:25 . Time corrected for daylight saving Photo by Jo Gap in secondary feather on right wing. This gap is four (4) black feathers below the lighter colour. This eagle is showing signs of being in the second year. Dark Greater Underwing Primary Coverts. This is not SE-23 or SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 14:27 . Photo by Rohan Geddes Gap in secondary feather on right wing. This gap is four (4) black feathers below the lighter colour. This eagle is showing signs of being in the second year. Dark Greater Underwing Primary Coverts. This is not SE-23 or SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 14:28 . Time corrected for daylight saving Photo by Jo Gap in secondary feather on right wing. This gap is four (4) black feathers below the lighter colour. This is not SE-23 or SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 14:36 . Photo by Rohan Geddes No Gap in secondary feather on right wing. Assume this is SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 15:41 . Time corrected for daylight saving Photo by Jo No Gap in secondary feather on right wing. Assume this is SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 15:44 . Photo by Rohan Geddes No Gap in secondary feather on right wing. Assume this is SE-24.
		Photo taken 3 November 2019 at 16:05 . Photo by Rohan Geddes No Gap in secondary feather on right wing. Assume this is SE-24.
		Photo taken 4 November 2019. There is no correct time or date stamp in the meta data of this photo Photo by Col Gorman No Gap in secondary feather on right wing.
		Photo taken 6 November 2019. There is no correct time or date stamp in the meta data of this photo Photo by Col Gorman The left under wing has a black stripe at the base of the primary feathers.
		Photo taken 5 November 2019. Photo by Merinda Turton Shows left toe of the dead eagle. Between ridge 8 and 9 there is two half ridges, This may be unique to this eagle like a finger print.
		Photo taken 18 September 2019 at 14:44. Photo by Nest Cam Shows left toe of SE-23 eaglet. Between ridge 8 and 9 there is two half ridges, This may be unique to this eagle like a finger print.
		Photo taken 18 September 2019 at 14:44. Photo by Nest Cam Shows the two eaglets one on the right SE-23 may have toe ID. Between ridge 8 and 9 there is two half ridges, This may be unique to this eagle like a finger print.
		Photo taken 5 November 2019 at 09:11. Photo by Judy Harrington Shows one primary feather (P4) on the right, one primary feather (P3) on the left are broken in half. There is no secondary feather damage.
		Photo taken 5 November 2019. Photo by Merinda Turton Shows under side of the eagle.

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