By Sherri Elliott
Amy’s note: I apologize for getting this posted a little late – we are in the middle of banding season and I’m playing catch-up on posting content from Facebook to our website.
Nestflix! Here’s some of our favorite videos from the past few days, so mantle your snack of choice and sit back and enjoy the selections.
How are you doing identifying the Decorah Eagles?
We’ll have a “Whatta Week” for you coming up soon for both Decorah Eagles and Decorah North with an ID cheat sheet for D32 & D33 to help you figure out who’s who.
Decorah Eagles
5-26-19 – Duplicate Poses – https://youtu.be/aQrl_Hh9I10
We love seeing dropped wings in a Sun Pose (or more accurately, the Heraldic Pose), but when lined up one behind the other this looks more like the classic Titanic Pose without the movie score!
5-27-19 – Oh No, Fish Fledge – https://youtu.be/4FG4B7ERDmE
Mom brings home a very floppy fish that is determined to swim up the nest bed and high dive overboard. Mom can’t catch it in time, but does a high dive of her own to go after it.
5-27-19 – Still Looking – https://youtu.be/-0NAQF2syVs
Mom returns with some soggy nesting and immediately looks over the rails, and hops up to the Skywalk still trying to find the fish that got away!
5-27-19 – Mom & DM2 on the Y-Branch & N1 – https://youtu.be/lX79iv6tYRg
Beautiful look of both parents under infrared light perched on the Y, and then walking down to check on the former N1 nest.
5-28-19 – Rain Droplets & Fish for Lunch – https://youtu.be/v4GIQ7yfabw
A lovely look at rain beading up on D33’s feathers and then it’s time for lunch!
5-29-19 – Eaglet Poses & Closeups – https://youtu.be/eo-iQ2DtOig
Poses, preening, feathers & faces … a nice 9 minute film.
Decorah North
5-26-19 – Great Mantle & Self Feeding – https://youtu.be/wMwV7anUiUU
DN9 is getting used to executing a firm foothold on slippery fish and has figured out how to unzip the prey, starting at the head. Good Job!
5-27-19 – Yumm, Bones! – https://youtu.be/B08BbqdtK7E
DN9 is a master forager and shows the techniques needed for bone swallowing!
Bones are an excellent source of calcium and will be ground up in the gizzard but it still is amazing (if not startling) to watch them go down the hatch.
5-27-19 – Floppy Fish & Screaming Eaglet – https://youtu.be/sVmQcMqGxmE
Great mantle to grab the fish, and circle around to claim and shield .. but … it’s hopping and flopping!
5-28-19 – DNF Flies in with Fawn Hind Quarters – https://youtu.be/Ca4yDUYRaiE
This might be difficult for some to watch, and we don’t know if this was stillborn, taken by another predator, or some other cause. But eagles are opportunistic and bring home what prey they find often by field dressing into more manageable sections to carry away if necessary.
The Raptor Resource Project