The video begins in the early morning with F23 casting a pellet out. In the morning, E23 is also trying to cast a pellet out but is having a very difficult time. E23 works on bringing it up for ten minutes - at times shaking its head from side to side and even using its foot to help pull it out. E23 finally is successful at casting the pellet - it is quite large.

A pellet is undigested material such as feathers, fur, claws and occasionally bones that is regurgitated back up and expelled. It is formed in the stomach/gizzard and is covered with mucus. They usually are formed overnight after a meal and expelled the following morning. The pellet travels up from the gizzard back to the proventriculus and remains there until it is regurgitated up.

You can always tell when a raptor is about to cast a pellet - it will sometimes have a uncomfortable expression and in chicks they will not want to eat. At the moment of expulsion, the neck is stretched up and forward, the beak is opened, and the pellet comes out. Sometimes the chick has to toss its head back and forth to eject it. After the pellet is cast, the chick feels much better and resumes their normal activity.

To see the highlights below, please click on the timestamps to advance to that portion of the video.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Opening F23 trying to cast a pellet
00:52 F23 casts a pellet
01:14 E23 trying to cast a pellet
02:44 E23 having difficulty getting it up
03:29 Some of the pellet is coming up
05:05 E23 shaking its head side to side trying to expel it
08:36 Pellet is half way hanging out of E23's mouth
08:50 E23 using its foot to pull pellet out
09:22 E23 casts the pellet!! Yay!!
10:05 view of pellet - mostly fur and indigestible material

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

Thank you SWFEC , hosted by Dick Pritchett Real Estate, for allowing us the opportunity to view these amazing eagles.
#southwestfloridaeaglecam #eagles #baldeagles #SWFEC

Link to cam 1: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/s...

Link to Cam 2: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/s...

Link to cam 3: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/s...

Link to Pond Cam: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/s...