Rfalconcam Forum

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/decorah-eagles#id3064708 (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/decorah-eagles#id3064708) eggs soon. Love the birds in the background making noises.

Decorah Eagles First Egg Pip and Hatch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U_pme0dPhs#)

Video of the first pip to hatch at Decorah!

I hadn't watched the whole thing when I posted this...at about 4 minutes into the video I believe you can hear the eaglet cheeping in the egg

They're feeding the baby eaglets now. Talk about intense expression on the parents' faces! :scaredblue:

Can anybody make out what the dead animal is that's on the nest now?

Lou

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles (http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles)

No clue but 138,000 plus viewers!   :o

It's got small, sharp looking claws, and seems too big to be a squirrel.  I'm wondering about a good-size rodent like a prairie dog or groundhog...

You know that 6 degrees yadda-yadda...

I was on one of my professional forums earlier and a bunch of people there were watching Decorah...someone there thought it was a muskrat.  I don't know a thing about them-just passing along the opinion. 

OK-I'm listening to NPR All things Considered & they're interviewing Bob Anderson as they watch the nest...he said it's a muskrat, with a side of rabbit.

Man, they eat well!

Looks like a delicious fish has been added to the pile of carcasses...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceCVWK5_a10# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceCVWK5_a10#) A total OOPS!! Poor thing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsxkaztk74A# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsxkaztk74A#) Resolved

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1376282/Bald-eagle-fever-4million-day-log-check-newborn-baby-eaglets.html?ito=feeds-newsxml (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1376282/Bald-eagle-fever-4million-day-log-check-newborn-baby-eaglets.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)

4 million viewers a day!!  :o Come on, we can do better!  :clap:

I think we will do better once we have babies to watch!   :hatch1: ;D

And if we can get on national news

I was going to say that they've been broadcast on all the top national nightly newscasts which was then broadcast by local news stations so it's had great exposure.

They be full!

http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/12/nearing-100-million-views-decorah-eagles-become-the-most-watched-live-stream-ever/ (http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/12/nearing-100-million-views-decorah-eagles-become-the-most-watched-live-stream-ever/)

100 MILLION VIEWERS!!!  :scaredblue:

Someone is currently moving the camera around, giving some pretty neat views of mom and dad.

http://www.farmyou.com/falcon_cams/index.html (http://www.farmyou.com/falcon_cams/index.html)

Out on a limb....

Banding
RRP hopes to band these juvies and place a satellite transmitter on one of them. The juvies will be captured on the ground a couple of weeks after they fledge. The small band with its identifying color and number goes around one of the ankles and does not bother or endanger the bird. The transmitter is mounted loosely and comfortably like a tiny backpack, and it does not interfere with flight or with head or neck movement. The process takes just a few minutes and does not frighten or harm the birds. It is possible to take measurements of the juvies as they are banded to determine their sex. Banding eventually gives researchers information on how far the bird has flown from its birth nest once it has died or is found injured; the band might also be spotted during feeding, nesting, or migrating and thus can be useful in tracking the eagle's movements. The transmitter will allow researchers to track the juvie regularly via GPS and will yield invaluable information on its behavior. The transmitter is designed to fall off after a few years. Banding and placing the transmitter will be done by Bob Anderson, Director of RRP, and other raptor experts who have banded many birds before and who always follow the safest protocols, and who will have obtained the required permits to do so. Bob discusses his excitement about this in a recent interview. Here is a good web site that describes the process of banding.

Both out there now. Making a racket.

One of three Decorah bald eaglets embarks on maiden flight

A momentous week for the world's most popular bald eagles, and for hundreds of thousands of people who have gotten to know the raptors intimately during the past 10 weeks, was capped Saturday when one of three eagle chicks embarked on its maiden flight.

All three eaglets, made famous thanks to a web-cam that spies on their nest in Decorah, Iowa, on Thursday and Friday had flapped to and from a nearby branch. "Branching" typically precedes maiden flights, and on Saturday morning one eaglet flew a considerable distance from the nest and back again.

Bob Anderson, who runs the Raptor Research Project, said he witnessed a portion of the flight soon after dawn, as the eaglet was returning to the nest tree. "It looked as though it had been flying its whole life," he said. It's not known how far the eaglet flew from the nest tree. When it returned it perched above the nest, beyond range of the web-cam.

This is major news for the RRP, and for the many "Eagleholics" who have monitored the growth of the raptors since they were hatched in early April. If you'd like to enjoy some last looks at the two eaglets who have yet to fledge, check out the live feed:

http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Decorah-Eagle-Cam-Disconnecting/E0x9tqXwh0y-5plz2bwzqA.cspx (http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Decorah-Eagle-Cam-Disconnecting/E0x9tqXwh0y-5plz2bwzqA.cspx) Disconnecting this week! 160 Million hits!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXO6YjXLMZk# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXO6YjXLMZk#) Decorah Juvenile Eagle captured and fitted with a transmitter.

Decorah bald eagle chick is fitted with GPS transmitter

One of three world-famous bald eaglets from a treetop nest in Decorah, Iowa, on Tuesday was banded and fitted with a GPS transmitter that could enable scientists to track its whereabouts for years to come (see the female bird's post-banding release in the video).

Millions of people became enamored with the eaglets and their doting parents, thanks to a high-definition web-cam that spied on them day and night since the chicks emerged from their eggs as in early April.

Now they're as large as their parents, and although they've made their maiden flights they're remaining near the nest and still accepting food from the adult eagles.

Experts with the Raptor Resource Project maintained the web-cam -- and will do so again next season, when new eggs are laid -- as the eaglets and their parents became perhaps the most-scrutinized wild critters on the planet.

Based on the success of Tuesday's operation, project scientists are considering banding and attaching GPS transmitters to all three eaglets "to help us determine where they go and whether or not they survive," reads a statement on the RRP Facebook page.

Realizing that folks have become fond of the eaglets and are concerned about whether the banding might affect their chances of surviving in the wild, the RRP statement added that project manager Bob Anderson thoroughly researched the issue "and was not able to find any evidence that banding affected the survivability or reproductive success of eagles -- a finding supported by our own years of banding young falcons."

Elsewhere in the statement is this passage: "We understand that people are concerned about the eagles and our motivation for banding. However, at our core, we have always been about science, conservation, and education. Banding the eaglet will not harm it and will aid the service of all three areas."

In a recent interview with Pete Thomas Outdoors, Anderson said placing a transmitter on at least one eaglet will allow fans of the birds as well as biologists to track its progress.

"Every day we'll be able to tell the world that this bird is in Missouri, Mississippi or Des Moines," Anderson said. "We will have a website that will follow this bird for years to come. The most common question I get is, 'What happens to the babies,' so we're going to try to answer that question."

The RRP will soon provide a link on its Facebook page that will allow viewers to track the newly-banded eaglet's movements via Google maps.

Transmitter

http://thegazette.com/2011/08/26/eagle-watchers-still-learning-from-decorah-hatchlings/ (http://thegazette.com/2011/08/26/eagle-watchers-still-learning-from-decorah-hatchlings/) Transmitter  girl on her way.

Anderson said it was “stunning” to discover that D-1 traveled 32 miles northwest on her first day of independence and 52 miles north on the second day. Tiny transmitter following female's travels since leaving area in mid-August

Bald Eagle D-1 travels to Wisconsin, Minnesota
By Laura Goetzinger


Arguably the most famous animal to come from Decorah has made its way to Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Bald Eagle D-1 hatched at the Decorah Fish Hatchery earlier this year, under the watchful eyes of millions of Internet viewers.

She was fitted with a satellite transmitter on July 12 and remained a Decorah resident about another month.

Then, Aug. 14, she flew away.

Thanks to the transmitter researchers have been able to track many of her moves. Researchers download data from the satellite each morning from the previous day.

Her first day away from Decorah, D-1 was logged near the Minnesota/Iowa border and near Wykoff, Minn. Over the next week, she was logged near Pepin, Wisconsin near the Mississippi River and Luck in Central.

Since then, D-1 has largely been in the Yellow Lake vicinity.

A photograph was taken of her Wednesday, Sept. 28, about three miles from Yellow Lake, Wis.

The photographer, who has asked to remain anonymous, said she looked healthy, relaxed and interacted with other local eagles.

Researchers are certain D-1 was the eagle in the picture because her satellite transmitter was visible, and she was tracked down using telemetry, Anderson said.

"Most everyone was completely surprised by her northern travels," said Bob Anderson, director of the Raptor Research Project. "Some of us thought she may go to a nearby livestock farm, but for her to head to Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin was most interesting."

During her travels, D-1 made friends with other eagles, having been seen with both immature and adult eagles.

The biggest risks to her safety are probably having a reduced fear of humans and vehicles, Anderson said.

It will be at least three more years before she breeds, he said.

Like her early life, D-1's travels can be viewed online at www.raptorresource.org (http://www.raptorresource.org). The project is also on Facebook, search "Decorah Eagles."

She's gorgeous!   ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOWlRmMXMbk# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOWlRmMXMbk#) Mom and dad side by side on a nice Autumn day. Notice they are both on 1 talon!

Beautiful eagles!  :eagle:

Superb close ups!  :clap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfuTfOTBtMM&feature=player_embedded#! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfuTfOTBtMM&feature=player_embedded#!) Building and building

Pretty cool how they both take an end of the branch and try to place it in the nest! Thanks!  :2thumbsup:

Is it already time to build their nest ? It's amazing how they work together.

Coming home: Decorah eagle D1 tracked to the north and back again

http://thegazette.com/2011/10/29/coming-home-decorah-eagle-d1-tracked-to-the-north-and-back-again/ (http://thegazette.com/2011/10/29/coming-home-decorah-eagle-d1-tracked-to-the-north-and-back-again/)

After a nearly two-month sojourn in northwest Wisconsin, the young Decorah eagle packing a satellite transmitter on her back appears to be headed home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95Rtifmkag#ws (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95Rtifmkag#ws) Mom and dad...working together

Site now includes ads.

http://youtu.be/z2-wHYAMbEo (http://youtu.be/z2-wHYAMbEo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vzP4FFNnRF4#! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vzP4FFNnRF4#!) Lucky squirrel, mom calls for dad, he answers!

http://youtu.be/XQPEsKAXC5E (http://youtu.be/XQPEsKAXC5E) 1st egg last night  :clap: Listen to her squeaking!

 :wave: Those were fun thanks!  :2thumbsup:

Break is over!

decorah_nest_022112.avi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPnj9bjOE50#ws)

There was a great shot someone caught today of dad looking up at mom flying in.  Man the way his head is twisted around and her feet are right at the top of the picture......

(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w40/CountryLass_photos/02-21-12-0803-Momincoming.jpg)

Check out this video. A night intruder but momma was right there. Hope the intruder survived. Sound up also. The 3 eaglets didn't even stir.

Posted on chat by Jeff

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22813703/highlight/265709?code=AQD2FppZqLUTvyTTcR7ON_5XR9boW9U8rT3whNM8JmBH-GMQa7zYllF5W5KilOFH5QAmTP1llrbaTCbakIZHLutQuoTjdGTsnWzZIIW_cTBaDEJv4gVpYm2Vu4SokcAEyZ2DWcOItGJj9JhwWBRmVzgyzIsQ-HPkT3VOUY12Q3aqZ10hokSILMaS3vUllU-_uT4#_=_ (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22813703/highlight/265709?code=AQD2FppZqLUTvyTTcR7ON_5XR9boW9U8rT3whNM8JmBH-GMQa7zYllF5W5KilOFH5QAmTP1llrbaTCbakIZHLutQuoTjdGTsnWzZIIW_cTBaDEJv4gVpYm2Vu4SokcAEyZ2DWcOItGJj9JhwWBRmVzgyzIsQ-HPkT3VOUY12Q3aqZ10hokSILMaS3vUllU-_uT4#_=_)

That was pretty exciting -- and what's up with those eaglets...they have a serious case of the laid-backs.

http://www.kwwl.com/story/18581518/decorah-eagles-featured-on-jeopardy (http://www.kwwl.com/story/18581518/decorah-eagles-featured-on-jeopardy) Decorah Eagles featured on Jeopardy. What is-

What's for breakfast? Raccoon. Not the one from the video but maybe her baby!  :(

http://youtu.be/77DhojUZCUk (http://youtu.be/77DhojUZCUk)

 http://youtu.be/kvnP3eFjh5o (http://youtu.be/kvnP3eFjh5o) 1st fledge 6/13 morning [estimated @ 7:50a ct] @ 7 min vid; RRP confirms D12 First fledge!!! Read the story line below by videographer Elfenruler. Much took place off cam, but sightings were confirmed by ground and they match the timeline. - Congrats D12!

 :clap: That was most excellent to see!!! Thank you much!  :clap:

http://youtu.be/PIsJlLbMMyM (http://youtu.be/PIsJlLbMMyM)  A very nice farewell video to the Decorah Eaglets.  By Marion Blossem Van Geene-Pluijm

Another great season has come to an end. The eaglets are big enough to fly into the big world and start their own story.

Sad news- :crying:

We are very sorry to announce that D12 is dead. D12 was found electrocuted at the base of a power pole on a Sunday morning. We notified the power company, who modified the top of that pole on Sunday and several other poles in the area on Monday. As of this morning, they are continuing to identify and modify poles to make them raptor safe. If you find an electrocuted raptor or other bird by a pole, take it to the nearest wildlife center (if it is still alive) and contact your state DNR or local game warden and the utility company that owns the pole. You will need to:

1. Provide information about the dead or injured bird.
2. Identify the nearest pole to the electrocuted raptor by the pole identification number (on the pole itself) and local landmarks such as cross streets or street addresses (if applicable).
 
Include as many specifics as you can regarding the species and the incident. If possible, take photographs of the raptor and the pole to submit with your reports and notes.

Power lines themselves are not an electrocution hazard for birds (birds can and do sit on wires), but unshielded poles can be dangerous. The Avian Protection Plan Guidelines include information on raptor safe poles and modification of existing poles. New structures are fairly safe, but older poles may not be. Older poles may have been installed either before people were aware of electrocution hazards to wildlife, or during the decline of raptor populations in America, when interaction was less likely.

Again, we are very sorry to announce the death of D12. This pole and others like it in the area have been modified to prevent future electrocutions.

That is very sad, poor baby! Darn electric poles!  :crying: 

Ugh!  :(

"Hi all, I just returned from a week at the nest, and although the news right now is rather tough to deal with, I would like to add my observations from the past week. I would like all those to know who cannot visit the nest that D13 and D14 are thriving, flying free, and enjoying their eagle life. Mom and Dad continue to teach them every minute and provide the tools to allow them to be as successful as possible. I was able to witness, in a private show of sorts, D13 and D14 spend hours together by the falls at the back of the hatchery, preening and gazing at each other while the sun rose over Decorah, looking healthy and very strong. Mom and Dad are as beautiful as ever and more skilled than you would believe, providing food when needed and continued life lessons.

I just wanted to reassure everyone that this family will continue, and I am happy that they are now better protected from events like this in the future. Please do what you can in your own locale to make a difference

Here is a shot of D13 and D14 as the sun rose on Monday July 2 for you to enjoy - Dave"



From FB

Beautiful pic of the 2 remaining Eaglets.

These 2 are gorgeous!  :heart: :heart:

Donna, what FB did you find that photo and post by Dave?  Just curious if he has more photos somewhere.

These are any I've taken over there all this year including when D14 was released after getting her transmitter.  Kind of handy being 20 miles away.

https://picasaweb.google.com/nora.countrylass/2012DecorahEagles?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Nora, it was posted on the Decorah Eagles FB page by pharmerdave23. He doesn't have a fb page. It was posted on a forum and re-posted by Decorah on their page.

Nora, BTW, your pics and videos are awesome. That one woman was annoying me!

Great pictures Norah,I love the Decorah eagles !
You're lucky to see them live !

Greetings Carla

OK, that Dave!   :wave:

Thanx you guys.

Wonderful pics Nora! Thanks for sharing.  :clap:

Fantastic pics. Great to be there in person! Cool you met some of the usual unusual suspects ;-)

http://youtu.be/p9UjUD8hZIs (http://youtu.be/p9UjUD8hZIs)

Photos: Screen Captures from Ustream Decorah Eagle Cam , Some photos Courtesy of Nora Hensley
Music: Looking for Space - John Denver (for My Mom and "dueywag" from the RRP Forum)

Great video,pictures.

I didn't had time to watch that much,but seeing these pictures ,next year I'll try to watch more.Thanks Norah for your pictures.Sorry for D 12.

Greetings Carla

Beautiful tribute to D12-long video but really beautifully done.

http://youtu.be/LfaC73Az3h0 (http://youtu.be/LfaC73Az3h0)

D14 Map update: As of 9/24, he remains near Decorah [as Bob said a "homebody"] and is @ 16 mi SW of natal nest.

From fb

D1 Map update: As of 9/24, she has headed south and is @ 455 mi NE of Decorah Nest.  :o

I guess they didn't care for their new man made nest. Building their own in another tree!



10-25-12 - You can tell the progress in the nest building just from the 17th of October to the 25th (this picture).

What "man made" nest  ??? ??? ???  As far as I know they built the one they've been using for several years now and adding to it.  We'll see which one they end up choosing, they've done a lot of work on the regular one besides the new one.  I heard there is dead buck below the new one, maybe that had something to do with it right now?

Lake of the Ozarks (Elsie & Einstein) had a man made nest platform and they've been going nuts on it so far.

OOPS!!!   :-[  Was thinking of Elsie & Einstein! Sorry. Now I get the Eagles mixed up!  :devil: :wub:

Thanks Nora!  ;)

That's ok, it happens, easy to do with so many out there, especially if it's not a "local" one to a person.  :wave:

OK, well it's true, they are building a new nest! Call it ESP!  ;)

DECORAH, Iowa - The world-famous Decorah eagles may be taking a year’s hiatus from their highly acclaimed reality show.

“They’re building a new nest about 300 feet from the old one. If they actually move into it, we won’t be able to install nest cameras” until after next year’s brood has left the nest, said Bob Anderson, director of the Raptor Resource Project, which operates a webcam whose live footage of the nest is streamed via the Internet to millions of fans.

“That means the nest cam would be down for a year,” he said.

Although scores of curious fans ogle the actual eagles and their nest each day, Anderson said the potential move is not in response to excessive pressure from people.

The new nest, he said, is no more secluded than the eagles’ home for the past seven years — atop a cottonwood tree in the lawn of a private residence little more than 100 feet from the increasingly busy road that brings visitors to the Decorah Fish Hatchery.

The new nest, like the established one, is close to the popular Trout Run Trail, which brings a steady stream of hikers and bikers to the area.

“People stop all the time and watch them build their new nest,” Anderson said.

Construction began in mid-October and has proceeded rapidly. By the end of the month, what had been a collection of sticks in the crotch of a cottonwood bore unmistakable resemblance to the nest of eagles.

About 43 percent of eagle pairs build a second nest, often when their existing nest has no apparent defects, he said.

Anderson said he knows of a single tree in Virginia that has three nests built by the same pair of eagles.

The Decorah eagles’ official residence won’t be known until late January when they start lining the nest they intend to use with grass, he said.

Anderson said he continues to be amazed at the travels of the young eagles upon which he has affixed satellite transmitters in each of the past two summers.

D1, a female hatched in 2011, is almost back to the Decorah area after spending her summer near Hudson Bay above the Arctic Circle.

D14, a male hatched this year, is much more of a homebody, having thus far traveled little more than 60 miles from his natal nest.

Posted on BCAW:  :(

RE: Decorah Eagles

Some sad news reported by RRP a little while ago on their Facebook Page:

We are sorry to announce that Bob Anderson found D14 dead yesterday near Rockford, Iowa. D14, a 2012 hatch year bald eagle from Decorah, Iowa, was electrocuted after landing or trying to land on a power pole. Bob immediately notified the utility company. D14's body will be sent to the National Eagle Repository, where his feathers and other parts will be distributed for use in Native American religious ceremonies. Bob and Brett Mandernack did a close examination of D14's body. He was healthy and butterball fat. There were no signs of wear from the transmitter or backpack.

How common is electrocution? A federal study done in the 1990s identified impact injuries, poisoning, gunshot, and electrocution as the top four sources of bald eagle mortality. We haven't seen it in Decorah until this year, but D14's transmitter was the only reason we were able to follow him after he left the nest. New poles commonly have bird safety devices since bird electrocutions are not only tragic, but can cause fires and power supply disruptions. However, many old poles remain and safety devices don't always work. It's been known since the 1920s that power lines and poles can present a danger to birds. As Bald eagle (and presumably other large bird) populations expand, more electrocutions may happen.

D12, a sibling of D14, was electrocuted earlier this year. A group calling themselves The Memorial for D12 Facebook Group (aka The Raptor Nation) responded by working with Alliant Energy, Puget Sound Energy, Decorah High School, and Decorah Building Supply to develop and fit bird-safe perches for the hatchery. I have a blog post and links about that here: http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012/11/bird-safe-power-poles.html. (http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012/11/bird-safe-power-poles.html.)

This is awfully sad that both were electrocuted! We need power lines under ground! Thanks Kris.

Here is a video and some pictures from when D14 was released after getting his transmitter put on...I've just been in tears this afternoon  :(

Video:

https://picasaweb.google.com/nora.countrylass/2012DecorahEagles#5758802092778505458

I thought of you first thing when I read this awful news, Nora. I'm so sorry.

Tragic!  :crying:

That is so sad.  :(

Two from the same year is more than too much.  D12 died across from the hatchery just north of the nest.  D14 was about 70 miles WSW of Decorah.

I signed the petition "Make the Avian Protection Plan mandatory". I'm asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 1,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support our efforts.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/681/860/451/make-the-avian-protection-plan-mandatory/?taf=1 (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/681/860/451/make-the-avian-protection-plan-mandatory/?taf=1)

http://youtu.be/0FDK0Y6jX4E (http://youtu.be/0FDK0Y6jX4E)

If anyone would like to light a candle for D14, here's the link:

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=D14 (http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=D14)

Decorah eagle home for the holidays! D1 spent three months this summer above the Arctic Circle before flying back to Iowa.

Christmas may be is just another day in the life of a bald eagle, but D1, the parapatetic offspring of the world-famous Decorah eagles, is home for the holidays.

http://thegazette.com/2012/12/24/decorah-eagle-home-for-the-holidays/ (http://thegazette.com/2012/12/24/decorah-eagle-home-for-the-holidays/)

There was a lot of speculation about the large bird that showed up near the original nest in Decorah yesterday. Could it be D1 or was it another bird? Bob confirmed that the bird was an immature red-tailed hawk - a real surprise, given how calmly the eagles reacted to it. Our data hasn't shown D1 back at the nest yet, although the transmitter isn't on all the time and she has been tracked close to it. I think a lot of us would like to see her there.

http://youtu.be/NMYfqRyEq0Y (http://youtu.be/NMYfqRyEq0Y)

Interesting!  :thanx:

http://www.thecountrytoday.com/outdoors/article_610b540a-5f51-11e2-87d3-001a4bcf887a.html (http://www.thecountrytoday.com/outdoors/article_610b540a-5f51-11e2-87d3-001a4bcf887a.html)

Decorah eagle cam may be off air in 2013

Fingers crossed!  :pray:

NO trespassing little squirrels!!

http://youtu.be/lo1J2kGzaC0 (http://youtu.be/lo1J2kGzaC0)

Fields and Forests: Decorah eagle cam no-go

http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/outdoors/fields-and-forests-decorah-eagle-cam-no-go/article_424c1464-77f2-11e2-a52e-001a4bcf887a.html (http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/outdoors/fields-and-forests-decorah-eagle-cam-no-go/article_424c1464-77f2-11e2-a52e-001a4bcf887a.html)

Bob Anderson, executive director of the Raptor Resource Project, made the call Friday morning that “we will not have a Decorah eagle cam this year.”

He said the pair of eagles had been bouncing back and forth between the old nest, where they fledged three eaglets in 2012, and a new auxiliary nest a few hundred feet away.   :(

At least they're nesting even if we can't see it...

‎~ February 21, 2013, Decorah Eagle's Update ~

We are very confident that Mom Decorah laid her first egg on the night of February 19th. Mom has been observed in an incubation position on the new nest since early yesterday morning, and the "Decorah Shimmy" has also been observed from the ground. Dad has remained perched close by on an alternate branch, but did make a brief appearance on the "Y" branch this morning. We will not be able to determine when, or how many other eggs Mom Decorah will lay, but all signs have indicated that the incubation process has begun for the Decorah Eagle parents. When we have any additional news or photos we will post them for you.

This image was taken by Jim (thanks Jim!), and was from the morning of the 20th (yesterday).

http://youtu.be/_-1jrdggzfc (http://youtu.be/_-1jrdggzfc) 3rd eaglet hatching in 2011

And this is how it's done!   :clap:

 :hatch1: :thanx:

She’s back: Decorah eagle home again summer with polar bears

http://thegazette.com/2013/10/17/shes-back-decorah-eagle-home-again-after-summer-with-polar-bears/ (http://thegazette.com/2013/10/17/shes-back-decorah-eagle-home-again-after-summer-with-polar-bears/)   :thumbsup:

Sad news today:

7-8-14 ~ We are Heartbroken to Announce the Electrocution of our Male Juvenile Decorah Eaglet (EWOT / believed to be D18)
Bob Anderson has released this statement:
"This morning the one young 2014 male eagle was seen soaring high over the bluff near Decorah compost site. We were all impressed by his flying skill. We believe that the young eagle was on his way back to the compost site when he attempted to land on the power pole about 1/2 mile from the compost site. This was a high transmission power pole and the eaglet suffered burns on its wing (wrist) and singed feathers on his feet. The electricity either entered through its feet and out the wing or vice versa, and his wing was nearly severed.We are all very saddened as his flying prowess led us to believe that we would have a long lived male eagle to compliment the data from our famous D1".

You may recall the Decorah eagles D12 and D14 were both electrocuted in 2012, and while many of the power poles around the nest and hatchery were retrofitted, not all poles in Decorah were, and this pole was quite a distance from the nest tree.

Fly free, D18.   :crying:

 :kleenex: :sorrow:

 :crying:

Poor wee thing! They face so many hazards, thanks to "us".

I was heartbroken when I read that on fb. All 3 had a rough start with gnats Bob said. One had to be rescued 3 times. Just a bad year for Decorah.  :(

June 22nd, they rescued one that was in a stream with a broken wing. It has had surgery and is recuperating at SOAR.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/57746729/highlight/594763 (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/57746729/highlight/594763)

GHO's try to take the nest! Check it out!!

Sunday Night Owl Visit and Response

We've had a lot of people ask how Mom and Dad would respond to great horned owls in their nest. On Sunday night, we found out when an owl visited the nest and an unknown P chased them off around 12:07AM CT. Thanks to baziunc for the heads up and highlight!

The highlight begins with two owls pair-calling. According to Karla Bloem from the International Owl Center, the onscreen owl is a male and the off-screen owl is a female. At 28 seconds, the owl jumps to the crib rails and we hear eagle vocals shortly afterwards. At 41 seconds, an angry eagle flies in and chases the owl off. Very shortly afterwards, an owl (the original owl? Its mate?) strikes the eagle, knocking it off the nest.
ome context. The owl flew into the nest about 14 minutes before the eagle did, although eagle vocalizations began about one minute after the owl landed. We hear an eagle, another owl, and a crow or two during the 14 minutes the owl explores the nest, although true pair calling doesn't begin until 8 and-a-half minutes into the owl's visit. The moon had waned to just a sliver and the night was cloudy, making things very dark. This might account for the delay between the initial vocals and the nest defense, although pair-calling might also have played a part. Whatever the reason for the delay, the eagle displayed an incredible amount of tenacity and skill when it flew into the nest under pitch-black conditions.

So how do eagles and great horned owls compare size-wize? While great horned owls have special night-time adaptations that help them see under very low-light conditions, bald eagles are considerably larger.

GHO
Average wing-span: 48 inches
Average weight: 3.7 pounds

Bald Eagle
Average wing-span: 83 inches.
Average weight: 10 pounds

It looks like the owls aren't going to take over N2. It remains to be seen whether the owls nest in the neighborhood, which they seem determined to do. We may try leaving the camera on N1 for an evening to see whether we see or hear them there.

Persistent owl is back Friday night...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGnFgekEEv0&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGnFgekEEv0&feature=youtu.be)

Battle for nest continues!

http://iowapublicradio.org/post/decorah-eagles-battling-keep-their-home (http://iowapublicradio.org/post/decorah-eagles-battling-keep-their-home)

They are relentless!!

Hope the eagle gets to keep the nest!

Two eggs...


http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1974.0;attach=274171;image (http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1974.0;attach=274171;image)

 :star: :star: ;D

Sad news... :(


http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2015/03/decorah-eaglet-four-electrocuted.html (http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2015/03/decorah-eaglet-four-electrocuted.html)

 :(

Damn poles!! So sad!

Hatch video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEU_CbuzuVk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEU_CbuzuVk)

Very cool-thanks Paul!  :2thumbsup:

Sad news from RRP about the loss of one of their 2016 Eagles they've been tracking.  :crying:

We are sorry to let everyone know that Brett and his assistants found D25 dead alongside a road between Maynard and Westgate, IA. He was likely scavenging a raccoon carcass when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. His body will be sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI for a necropsy. All of us find it heartbreaking to lose another eagle. It is one thing to know that first-year bald eagles have high mortality rates and another to see it reflected in the lives of eagles we have come to know and love.

I am sorry to read of the loss of yet another of the Decorah eagles. It is very sad to lose one so young. Poor little guy.  :crying: