This morning’s nestflix is all about…mice! Mom doesn’t appreciate it when the mice get going, but even her protests – and her late morning mouse snack – don’t stop them! I loved all of these videos, but I especially enjoyed Mom’s misty breaths (slow the video down for a real treat), the close-ups of Mom and DM2, and two mice briefly glamping under Mom’s lovely tail!
Decorah Eagles
3/6/19: Pesky Rodent & Mom’s Misty Breaths – https://youtu.be/MvvOWlJkP6s. Go to 33 seconds and put the video in slo-mo for a really nice view of Mom’s misty breath in the cold night air! At 42 seconds, the mouse gets a wing whap warning from an exasperated Mom. Shoo!
3/6/19: A little fresh air for the Eggies at Decorah Eagles – https://youtu.be/Awxr5lStg7o. A really nice view of the eggs nestled deep in the cozy egg cup!
3/6/19: Ultra-closeups, eyecicles – https://youtu.be/QlwlTzF570w. Stunning closeups and a study of DM2’s face!
3/5/19: The mouse is back again! https://youtu.be/8dy-anSVRR4. A brave mouse returns to the nest this evening looking for those tempting nestovers. He comes right up to Mom while she is sleeping. She awakens and is alert watching and listening in the dark. The mouse returns when she goes back to sleep and this time she does a sudden swoosh of her wings to scare him off the nest. .
3/5/19: Mom grabs mouse – https://youtu.be/CpI4koj2oLo. Warning: she eats it! So what’s going on here? While mice aren’t a primary source of prey for bald eagles, they will eat them if it’s convenient…and in this case, dinner delivered itself. Watch out, mice – life in an eagle’s nest can be risky!
3/5/19: Mom’s beautiful eye – https://youtu.be/S_f_shIQ2o0. Stunning close-ups of Mom, including the fine black vanes in her headfeathers, eye-sicles on her rimal feathers, her eye, and her nictitaing membrane. Slow the footage down to see how it sweeps in from the side, or just enjoy the lovely views of Mom!
3/4/19: Two mice under Mom’s tail – https://youtu.be/pUhUHLKfc2I. Literally under Mom’s tail! Her wing whap warning at 4:15 sends them scurrying, but one comes back at 6:15 for some nestovers. Despite Mom’s looming presence, it digs deep into its frozen dinner! Scraps of meat provide valuable protein and calories and the bone is a good source of calcium.
The Raptor Resource Project