Tonight we’re catching up with the North eagles and the Great Spirit Bluff falcons! We have owls, close-ups, a really cool conversation, a beautiful morning, some rather stiff prey, and Newman the falcon. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the ‘conversation’, ‘morning’, and Newman videos…but that would be a tough choice, since I loved all of them. Thank you so much for watching, everyone. Happy Saturday and Sweet Eagle Dreams to all of you!
Decorah North Eagles
3/8/19: Owl attack – https://youtu.be/W-a_A8MigS0. A barred owl harasses DNF on the nest. Mr. North comes down to stand sentinel. So why are owls attacking, and why don’t they attack year-round? It’s a guess, but they probably start breeding in mid to late March at this latitude. Males are claiming territory, calling in females, and trying to run off rivals and unwanted neighbors. In past years, the attacks have tended to settle down – not stop entirely, but greatly diminish in frequency – as the owls have settled into their own egg-laying, incubatory, and brooding period. In the meantime, it is great to see Mr. North and DNF holding their own!
3/8/19: Amazing close-ups of Mr. North – https://youtu.be/K3QOsqnm4zs. The title says it all – stunning close-ups of Mr. North, including his super cool tongue, rearward facing barbs, and tightly lapping feathers! Wow!
3/6/19: Conversation On Yonder Branch&View Of The Eggs – https://youtu.be/2OEPa_FxcwM. If only we knew what they were saying! Start at 15 seconds for a cool Yonder Branch fly-in and conversation. It almost looks to me like DNF is soliciting mating (check her posture), although Mr. North does not take her up on it. The fly-in and vocals are extremely cool and I enjoyed the view of the eggs following a cut scene.
3/6/19: Cool fly-in with grass and shift change – https://youtu.be/YOVNYc4FHU4. Look for DNF to fly in from the right at about 14 seconds (warning – she’s kind of hard to see!). She must have gone to Nest Depot, since she flies up and into the nest with a large talonful of loose grass. Mr. North gets up and she takes her shift.
3/05/19: A beautiful morning – https://youtu.be/YOVNYc4FHU4. I did publish a link to this video previously, but it is so lovely I wanted to share it again! I love DNF’s fabulous frozen feathers, the winter fog flowing over the North Valley, the bright prisms of light as the sun rises, Mr. North tucking grasses around DNF before taking his shift, starlings (I think) in the background, and wonderful close-ups of Mr. North. A favorite video of mine!
3/03/19: DNF brings in a prey – https://youtu.be/-8RMHx2yR90. DNF eats a frozen dinner for, well, dinner! Look at the prey – it appears to be frozen stiff. While it isn’t flat like most roadkill, it appears to have been dead for long enough to freeze. So what is it? An American Mink! They are common in Iowa and do not hibernate during the winter months, although the deep snow could make finding food challenging for mink, who mostly eat small mammals during the winter months. As often happens in the wild, its misfortune was her gain and the loss of its life helped sustain hers.
Great Spirit Bluff Falcons
3/07/19: Newman waiting for Michelle – https://youtu.be/tCLmdqUcWp0. Falcons are coming back! I loved seeing Newman’s beautiful plumage, falcon yoga, and lovely long toes. Male falcons tend to arrive on territory earlier than females. They claim their territory, defend it against other males, and wait for females – who are just starting to show up now!
The Raptor Resource Project