Monthly Archives: June 2020

Nestflix: Fledglings!

June 27, 2020: Fledgling on a power pole

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that we were posting about our little ddd-darlings going from bobbleheads to sleek young predators! You already know that we had a successful fledge at both nests, but how are our fledglings doing after leaving the nest? D34, D35, D36, and DN12 are doing very well as they gain flight and hunting skills! We love to see Moms and Dads interact with and prepare their fledglings for life beyond the

Did you see? Brekkie for Baby!

June 26, 2020: DN12 and Mama DNF

By Sherri Elliott Decorah North fledgling DN12 is 12 1/2 weeks old (88 days) today and while his/her size dwarfs its parents, it’s still a young’un. Adult size of about 3ft in length and its ginormous wingspan is between 6-7ft. If a bald eagle was sitting on the center of your standard size 6 ft sofa, extended wings would reach to each armrest, or if standing next to my computer could see my monitor. (Amy’s note: want to stand six

D27 phones home!

June 2020: D27's migration map

D27 has reached her summer grounds on the shores of Lake Severn in Northwestern Ontario! Over 750 miles passed beneath her wings as she journeyed north into Canada’s great boreal forest. We wish her the best summer vacation ever: cool waters, plenty of fish, and other eagles to play with and steal meals from! Fly high, D27, and don’t forget to write! As always, a thousand thanks to Brett Mandernack and the staff of Eagle Valley for sharing their data,

June 21, 2020: Day Trip to Decorah

June 21: D35 in the horse pasture surrounded by clover. Photo by Robin Brumm

Story and photos by Robin Brumm Sunday was supposed to be a nice sunny day, so I got up at dark o’clock and off I went to Decorah! It was a foggy morning and that gave the drive a mysterious feel. I was hoping that the fog would lift by the time I got to the hatchery. As I pulled up to the intersection by the hatchery, I saw both adult eagles. Mom was in the new maple tree (M2)

Happy National American Eagle Day!

April 27, 2020, left to right: D36, D35, D34, Mom

Happy National American Eagle Day and Fledge Fundraiser! Feel welcome to share your favorite memories and captures from our Decorah and Decorah North nests below! Today is a special day to commemorate the anniversary of the Bald Eagle’s selection as our National Symbol, to celebrate its physical recovery to America’s skies, and to observe the American values, ideals and attributes for which it stands. Why did the Bald Eagle nearly become extinct? It’s a long story. Bald eagles were America’s

Banding Birds: How We Band and How to Report Bands

Banding tools for nestling peregrine falcons

We are sometimes asked why we band birds. Banding birds provides an invaluable way to study their life histories and chart changes in bird populations, including changes in range, population numbers, and migratory behaviors. Bands do not hurt birds or impact their individual or reproductive success. There are a number of different ways to band or mark birds. We use two leg bands on peregrine falcons: an aluminum leg band on the right leg and a color band on the

Banding Birds: A Brief History

Falcon Tom from Xcel Sherco, 2019

We sometimes get asked why we band birds. Bird banding allows us to study the movement, survival, and behavior of the birds we band, and get life histories for at least some of the birds we watch. Bird banding has helped researchers gather information on mortality rates, dispersal patterns, migration, behavior, social structure, and seasonal and long-term population trends. It allows us to track individual peregrine falcons, giving us an intimate look at how a species behaves as it recovers,