B3BB's Chatter Squalk

B3BB’s Chatter Squalk

by Nichole Bednar

A

• ABBR = Abbreviation
• ABT = About
• ADDY = Address
• Air = Eaglet hovering or creating air space between feet and nest while wingercizing.
• Airplane = Pose assumed while lying in nest whereby wings are slightly spread so eagle looks like a B-52; generally occurs after face plant.
• AFC = Away From Computer
• AFK = Away From Keyboard
• AOYP = Angel On Your Pillow
• APP = Appreciate

B

• B4N = Bye For Now
• Baby Down = On hatching, eaglet will be covered with a light-colored down that is uniform in color. The baby down will be replaced by a darker, medium-grey second down when the eaglet is between nine and 11 days of age.
• BAG = Busting A Gut
• Batmobile = eagle lying in nest "spread eagle" that reminds one of the Batmobile.
• BBIAB = Be Back In A Bit
• BBL = Be Back Later
• BBS = Be Back Soon
• B/C = Because
• BD/Back Door = Leaving nest by flying out the back (flying away from approach cam).
• Beakstache = feathers stuck to beak and face after eating.
• Birdie = obsessed eagle watcher with a big heart.
• Bobble Heads = Those little eaglet heads that just don't want to stay up.
• Bonking = Rockem Sockem Robots game for sibling eaglets.
• Branching = When a very brave eaglet hops or flies to a branch above or below nest level in the nest tree.
• Breakfish = First catch of the day (usually was a fish).
• Brood Patch = A bare patch of skin that is well-supplied with blood vessels, making it easier for the parent to transfer heat to the eggs during incubation.
• Brooding = Parents incubate the eggs by resting on them so that they are in contact with the incubation or 'brood' patch. Nestlings require more room, freedom of movement and air to breathe so the parents brood them (keep them warm and dry) by digging deeper impressions in the nest bowl.

C

• Cam 1 = Provides the most straightforward view of the nest.
• Cam 2 = Provides an overhead view of the nest.
• Cam 3/ApCam = Provides a view of the nest tree from a distance.
• Chest Bumps = Pushing each other around on the nest using their pecs (not to be confused with pecks). 
• Clown feet = Eaglet feet at the awkward stage “when their feet seemed too big in proportion to the rest of their body.”
• CribRails/Nest Rails = Small branches and twigs that the eagle parents strategically place around the edge of the nest to form safety rails to help keep eaglet(s) safely contained within the nest; older eaglet will start tearing down these rails to use for practicing limbing (precursor to branching) and nestorations.
• Crop = widening in the esophagus where a hawk, eagle, falcon or vulture can store food; sometimes referred to as the craw. 
• Crop Drop = An eaglet does this after parents stuff them up all the way to the top! Looks like yawning, but eagle is actually moving food from storage area to stomach.
• CUL/CYL = See You Later

D

• Dad Branch = Branch to the left of Cam 1.
• DillerDo (aka Phyllis Diller Do) = Specific characteristic of mom Berry's whitehead feathers as they regularly appear spiked and disheveled.
• Dirty bird = Speckled juvenile.
• DIY = Do It Yourself
• DVR = Rewind bar on Livestream

E

• Eagle Zombie = That catatonic state where one doesn't eat, sleep or go to work due to watching eagles, or as B-dog would say, "watching a blank screen for most of the day hoping an eagle will show up!” Results from this state can be detrimental - with no friends or family interfering with one's watching, there can sometimes be negative consequences.
• Eagleaholic = Someone who stares at an empty eagle nest waiting for something to happen. Intervention may be required!
• Eaglelicious = Same as Eagletastic but different!
• Eaglet = Generic term that can be used to refer to a bald eagle from moment it hatches until it leaves the nest.
• Eaglephoria = A dizzy state of being blown away by the awesomeness of eagles - having eagle "euphoria".
• Eagleriffic = Eagles + terrific. Synonym to "Eagletastic".
• Eagletastic = Anything eagles and fantastic!
• Egg tooth = As the embryo grows in egg, it develops a sharp point on its beak (egg tooth) and a muscle (hatching muscle).
• Egg Watch = The EGGCITING time when it is almost time for an eggie to be laid!
• Eggcited = So excited about the impending eggie one can hardly contain themselves! egggzzzzactly - perrrrsactly, precisely, for sure and certain!
• Eggsessed = Obsessed with eggies and their contents!
• ENS (Empty Nest Syndrome) = Feelings of anxiety, sadness or grief that eagleaholics feel as eaglet matures, specifically when fledging or permanently leaving the nest area.

F

• Face plant = What happens when an eaglet can eat no more.
• Fillow = Huge crop (fish pillow).
• Flat as a flitter = When intruder is around nest area and the eaglets are laying low.
• Fledge/Fledging = First maiden flight away from the nest tree.
• Fledge Watch = Starts once the egg is laid, and occurs when the eaglet takes the first flight from the nest tree.
• Fledgling = An eaglet that has developed its flight feathers and has taken its first flight from the nest but is not yet independent so is still under its parents’ care.
• Fludge = When an eaglet accidentally fledges.
• Food Coma = Occurs when an eaglet eats too much.

G

• GE = Good Evening
• GM = Good Morning
• Ground crew = referring to anyone who might be at the nest viewing area.

H

• HAGD = Have A Good Day
• HAGE = Have A Good Evening
• HAGN = Have A Good Night
• HAGO = Have A Good One
• HAND = Have A Nice Day
• HANN = Have a nice night
• Hatching Muscle= As an embryo grows in the egg, it develops a strong muscle on the back of its neck; the chick slowly rotates counterclockwise by pivoting its legs and with the “eggtooth” scratches the inside of the shell. With the “hatching muscle” it punches a hole (called pipping) in the eggshell.
• Hatchling = A newly hatched eaglet that has a sparse down.
• Heifer (pronounced heffer) = When someone is being a brat or up to mischief!!
• Hissy Fit = When they want food now! Also when an eaglet doesn't get exactly what it wants right that second it is time to pitch a hissy fit!
• Hover = First attempt to get those talons off the ground (nest).

I

• IKR = I Know Right
• IMO/IMHO = In my opinion, in my humble opinion. 

J

• JK = Just kidding
• Juvenile = An immature eagle. Doesn't have the signature markings of an adult. At four weeks old, eaglets are considered juveniles.
• Juvenile Feathers = These start to appear when the eaglet is around 24 days of age. These feathers will be dark, since eagles don't develop adult plumage (dark body, white head) until they are around three to five years old.

K

• Keratin = Beaks and talons are made of this fibrous protein, as well as the scales that cover the foot.
• KRW = Kids Are Watching

L

• Ladylump = Mom has a nice full crop.
• Launch Branch = Branch from which parents, and eventually eaglet, push off to begin flight.
• LB = Left Branch
• Limbing = When an eaglet stands on small branches or twigs within the nest to practice perching and balance along with building coordination and foot strength (precursor to branching).
• Loblolly Pine = Type of tree the nest is located in.
• LOL = Laugh Out Loud
• LOOL = Laughing Out Outrageously Loud
• Lorking = Lurking at Work!!
• Lunch and Dinner = Squirrels that visited the nest and nest tree.
• Lurking = Watching the nest but not chatting.

M

• Man-mart = Another place Dad used to frequent for sticks what Wal-mart is to women, man-mart is to men.
• Manlylump = Dad has nice full crop. 
• Mantlepalooza = Huge mantle.
• Mob/Mobbing = Assemblage of birds flying about, dive bombing, squawking loud, and even defecating on the bald eagle.
• Mom Branch = Branch to the right of Cam 1.
• Mumbrella = Mom's wings spread wide to keep eggs or eaglets dry when rain is falling.

N

• Nest Bowl/Bole = Where eggs are laid.
• Nest Cam Branch= The branch that the camera is attached to.
• Nest Rails or Crib Rails = Small branches and twigs that the parents strategically place around the edge of the nest to form safety rails to help keep eaglet(s) safely contained within the nest; older eaglet will start tearing down these rails to use for practicing limbing (precursor to branching) and nestorations.
• Nest Tree = The tree in which the nest is located.
• Nestling = An eaglet that is several days old and is covered with down.
• Nestorate = Decorating the nest!
• Nestovers = Left over food such as squabbit, spines, duck feet... etc.
• Nictating Membrane = Eagles have eyelids that close during sleep. For blinking, they also have an inner eyelid called a nictating membrane. Every three or four seconds, the nictating membrane slides across the eye from front to back, wiping dirt and dust from the cornea. Because the membrane is translucent, the eagle can see even while it is over the eye.
• Non-Viable Egg = Egg that fails to hatch for whatever reason.
• NP = No Problem

O

• ON/PH = On Phone Call
• On the ground = referring to anyone who might be at the nest's viewing area.
• OCD/OSD = obsessive stick disorder (We all know who this refers to, lol) - DAD!
• OT = Off Topic
• Outstended Wings = a way to cool themselves (besides panting) whereby they lift their wings up from the sides of their bodies.

P

• P's = refers to the parent eagles.
• Pantaloons = Mom's showing off her pretty lower feathers.
• Panting = Eagle opens mouth and pants to cool off since they do not have sweat glands.
• Pantry = Where prey is placed to stock pile for later, where prey is prepared for eating and where nestovers are stored; usually one specific location of the nest.
• Peeps = Eeeeeeagle people!
• Pellets = Prey parts that could not be digested (bits of feathers, fur, fish scales, etc.); such items are squeezed into a pellet in the bird's gizzard and then expelled.
• Perching = Watching the nest but not chatting at the moment.
• Petticoat = Eagle feathers.
• Photogs = Berry eagle paparazzi! (photographers).
• Pip = About four days prior to hatching the developing chick's “egg tooth”, a small hard and sharp calcium spike on the top of the bill, pierces the membrane separating the developing chick from the air bubble above the chick. This is called the internal pip. From this first breath of air the chick gets a burst of energy and scratches a hole through the egg shell to the outside. This hole is called the external pip.
• Pip Watch = Eagerly watching for the pip... see above.
• PM = Private message (Facebook).
• Preen = Using the tips of their beaks, eagles will remove food or debris from their feathers; this is also a method whereby eagles distribute oils and 'zip' feathers for waterproofing.
• PS = Poop Shoot

R

• RB = Right Branch
• Rewindville = Rewinding in DVR
• Rocking = The back and forth motion of the parent over the eggs until they're nice and tight against its brood patch.
• Rocky = the resident flying squirrel who lives under the nest along with another flying squirrel, Adrian. Rocky is the bravest flying squirrel known to Eagles!
• Roll Egg(s) = This helps assure that all parts of the egg receive heat and prevents the developing embryo from sticking to the egg shell.
• ROFL = Rolling On Floor Laughing
• ROFLMBO or ROFLMAO = Rolling on the floor laughing my butt (or a$$) off

S

• Scrollercoaster = The scroll bar in chat which doesn't always want to cooperate!
• SED = Sweet Eagle Dreams
• Shimmy = The action Mom or Dad performs when settling down over the eggs.
• SIG = Silence Is Golden (Don't Talk To Trolls)
• Sketti = While feeding on a squirrel Dad or Mom must pull at the entrails. The results are stringy pieces which resemble cooked spaghetti.
• Squabbit = An Unidentified Food Object (UFO) - could be rabbit or could be squirrel.
• Squee Fest = Just squeeeeeeeeing for the sake of squeeeeeeeeing!
• Squeelicious = (As TwoYorkies said "squee is so fun to use in a word")
• Squeelightful = Joyful Squeeps = peeps (people)
• Stick Depot = Just downriver from Man-Mart.
• Stick War = When Dad and Mom cannot agree on where a stick should be placed in the nest.
• Stickler = What Dad is at Stick Depot!
• Sunbathing = When eaglet sprawls out and enjoys (or even sleeps) in the warm sun during moderate weather.

T

• TCTTE = too close to the edge!
• TGIF = Thank God it's Friday
• The Fence = The fence Berry College erected to prevent people from going into "no man's land" where the nest tree is located.
• "The fish" = the fish that went over the side of the nest after Dad brought it to B3. B3 threw a "hissy fit."
• Tinkerbell = a mysterious small light that occasionally flits around the nest.
• TMI = Too Much Information
• Trampolining = Jumping up and down on the nest while flapping wings... up and down, up and down.
• Trunking = The place where a hissy-fit pitching eaglet lands on the first hop out of the nest!
• TTFN = Tata For Now
• TTYL = Talk To You Later
• Twerking = When eagle moves tail from side to side, or up and down.
• Typonese = errors in spelling. I think we all have done this, lol.

U

• UFO = unidentified food object.

W

• White wash = Unlike mammals, birds do not urinate. Their kidneys extract nitrogenous wastes from the bloodstream but instead of excreting it as urea dissolved in urine as humans do, they excrete it in the form of uric acid. Uric acid has a very low solubility in water so it emerges as a white paste.
• Wiggle, wiggle = The action Mom or Dad performs when settling down over the eggs.
• Wingersize = Game of slapping a sibling or Mom and Dad with those big, awkward flappy things.
• Writer = one who puts Bebe in the corner but doesn't pay penance when commanded to do so!
• Wurking = At work lurking and attempting to work.

Y

• Y Branch = The front left branch and the front right branch form a "Y" with main front branch where Cam 1 is located between these branches.
• YW = You're Welcome