As of April 6, 2021, superdad hasn’t returned, sadly. Chances are slim now that he’ll make it back, meaning he has likely passed away from age or accident during migration. He is/was at least sixteen years old, possibly much older.
Mom returned on March 27, and the new, dark-legged male made an appearance late in the day on March 30. There were some courtship attempts on the 31st, but bonding started getting serious on April 1, and nest-building began in earnest. He’s likely a young bachelor and has caught on quickly. They seem to be cooperating well with nest building and pair-bonding.
The nest is coming along nicely, considering it was nothing but a small pile of sticks in the center on the last day of March. Once the male started bringing in sticks, mom did, as well.
Mom has historically started laying eggs 10-19 days after reunion with superdad. To keep track, the day-count timer is in the sidebar. As this is a new bond, so we’ll wait and see what happens this year.
It’s going to be an interesting season, and I’m hoping they are spared the trauma and drama of last year.