We didn’t see much of the Decorah and Decorah North eagles today, but the temperature is rising, which could make them busier a little later this week. In the meantime, we have DM2’s brief visit to the nest and a nice look at Mr. North, DNF, and a hungry red-bellied woodpecker! Thanks to our camera operators and video makers for finding and sharing every detail, and to you for watching, learning, and caring! We hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did.
Decorah Eagles
January 21, 2020: DM2 on the Maple
1/21/20: A brief visit to the nest – https://youtu.be/Vxa9lsjGX2A. DM2 briefly visits the nest. He moves a cornhusk, fiddles with a couple of sticks, and peers alertly at something we can’t see before flying out at 3:42. Look really closely at the trees across the pond, just to the right of the leftmost branch. Are those flapping wings? Is it Mom? We see DM2 perched on the maple not long after he flies out.
Decorah North Eagles
January 21, 2020: A Red-Bellied Woodpecker at Decorah North
1/21/20: Red Bellied Woodpecker and a visit from the Norths – https://youtu.be/2E0PCJyHxzw. The video opens with a beautiful male red-bellied woodpecker in the crevices of the oak tree. Unfortunately, we can’t see what it is eating. Stashed acorns? Pupae hidden in bark? The woodpecker has fluffed up his feathers to stay warm as he forages in the cold weather. We get a brief look at his long toes and sharp black talons – perfect for clinging to bark and branches – at 7:45. At 8:22, the woodpecker flies down into the nest and at 8:40 we get to see the small patch of red that gives the red-bellied woodpecker its name!
At 15:11, Mr. North and DNF fly in. We get some nice close-ups as the two work on the nest. Mr. North digs in the nest and nibbles at a chunk of snow (17:20), while DNF seems determined to get a look at what he’s doing. Mr. North works on the nestbowl at 18:49, removing snow with his feet (look behind him to see it fly) and covering his beak with snow in the process! DNF supervises until Mr. North flies out, at which point she clamber-flaps up the babysitting branch to stand sentinel over the nest.
Odds and ends…
I’m reading a book called ‘Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird‘. It’s a great book – interesting, a breeze to read, and full of potential rabbit trails! Which is where I learned about pigeon whistles: https://youtu.be/3i5xtadHPRA. In old Beijing, some people attach whistles to their pigeons’ tails, causing them to make a droning sound as they fly. An English musician named Nathaniel Mann was fascinated with them and created his own whistles, which sound like they are tuned differently than the traditional Chinese whistles. You can listen to that here: https://youtu.be/H30TbB9ePLY
The Raptor Resource Project