Rest in Peace F23- Also Known as Lady March 4-2026

Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you 

will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes...

 When we moved to Fort Myers in September of 2022 

I was not an eagle follower. I love cats and that was mostly

 all I followed, little did I know that I would become

 one of the millions that follow the lives of eagles.

Arvid and I would see every night on the news 

clips of The Southwest Florida Eagles.  At that time the 

reigning couple was M15 and Harriet.  Harriet the female 

eagle laid her last clutch of eggs in late 2022, specifically

 on November 29 and December 2, 2022. This was her 

11th nesting season with her mate, M15, and the 

resulting eaglets were designated E21 and E22.

Harriet disappeared on February 2, 2023, leaving M15 to

 raise the eaglets alone.  From that day on I became a true eagle 

follower.  We watched M15 raise those 2 babies all by himself. 

Despite Harriet's disappearance, M15 successfully provided

 for and protected E21 and E22 until they reached fledgling.  

He became everyone's hero eagle dad.  Mine for sure.

I did not "know" Harriet for long, F23 is another story.

  I saw her "romance" with M15 take place. She appeared

 in his life in late 2023.  From that point on I loved her and 

they became my favorite eagle couple. She established

 a close relationship with M15, even snuggling with

 his offspring from previous seasons.  I loved her.

F23, disappeared from her nest on February 27, 2026, 

and is now presumed dead.  I did not know I would grieve

 this much again for an eagle.  I grieved when their 2 eaglets 

died last year of the bird flu. Imagine watching them

 die slowly on camera.  It was just horrible.

  She and M15 grieved and grieved.  Now she died 

and the grief is back. Arvid says I get too emotionally 

attached.  He's right, but when I love I give it my all.

There was something about F23 that touched 

my soul, now my soul grieves.  She and M15 are the 

first pair of eagles I started to follow.  I saw this fierce eagle.  

Protective over M15, her babies and her territory. I never

 saw this coming.  No one did.  What a heartbreak.

May you soar on eagle wings, high

 above the madness of the world...

~Nadiya~