Welcome to our latest news roundup! In Decorah, DM2 brings in another stick: the second of many more sticks to come. We hope Mom is paying attention! At Decorah North, Mr. North quickly visits the nest, giving us a short but lovely look before he flies out. And at the Flyway, migrating waterfowl fill the sky in their hundreds, or perhaps their thousands. We hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did!
Decorah Eagles
October 19, 2020: DM2 brings in a long stick: https://youtu.be/Zh767G67drU. We were so excited to see DM2’s nestorations: the kick-off to many more sticks ahead! How high will DM2 and Mom build N2B this year? Has DM2 leveled up his stick game? We look forward to finding out! The same hormones that trigger zugunruhe, or migratory restlessness, may lead to the onset of nest-building in bald eagles. While we think that eagle gonads don’t start swelling until the days begin getting longer again, at least at this latitude, their hormonal suite is complicated and hormones linked to migration might serve a different purpose in territorial birds that don’t migrate.
Daylight length pulls a lot of strings in a bird’s body, but rate of change might also be a factor. You can read more about our complicated celestial mechanics here: https://www.raptorresource.org/2020/10/20/getting-ready-fall-nestorations/#analemma
Decorah North Eagles
October 19, 2020: Mr. North briefly visits the nest and a couple of squirrels – https://youtu.be/eBYrA9AADE4. I can hardly wait to see how Mr. North and DNF improve their nest this year! Now that the North’s herb garden has frozen, we can clearly see the nest’s unique structure. Mr. North flies in for a brief, alert visit. After he leaves, two squirrel show up and forage for the last of the hemp and whatever else they can find.
Mississippi Flyway
October 18, 2020: Bald Eagles soaring among other birds – https://youtu.be/CElWba724OI. Bald eagles test their wings, soaring and playing in the Flyway sky. For the most part, they are alone, with the possible exception of what might be an osprey in the first minute – look for the M shape not too far from the eagles. We see ducks fly by at 5:14 and suddenly the sky is filled with birds! Ducks and geese fly by in the tens and hundreds. The end of the video is beautiful, with migrating flocks silhouetted against the clouds and blue sky.
The Raptor Resource Project