We have your NestFlix! While we wait for John’s report from Decorah later this week, we’re watching the Decorah North Eagles, Great Spirit Bluff, and the Flyway. I liked all these videos, but do not miss the first two Decorah North videos (I love the birdsong and close-ups of DNF), the Great Horned Owls at GSB, and the Northern Harrier on the Flyway. I miss seeing Mom and DM2, but I love seeing the diversity of birds and wildlife at our other cams.
Thanks as always to our camera operators, our videomakers, and to everyone who is watching, sharing, learning, and caring about our magnificent birds! Happy Wednesday…Fri-yay is almost here!
Decorah North Eagles
January 5, 2021: DNF at the North Nest
January 6, 2021: Early morning housework – https://youtu.be/rLFG4515Nq4. The video opens with every bird in NE Iowa chatting at once! Given the flock size, I suspect these are starlings, but we hear other birds, too. Mr. North comes in with a talonful of grass at 1:31 and the eagles begin spreading it, with nice close-ups beginning at 2:40. We can see DNF’s frosty feathers and a little bling/feather tiara on her head. At 3:36, she scrapes in the nest bowl, reminding us that we are only a little over a month from eggs! We get a cool shot of Mr. North flying out at 5:16.
January 5, 2021: Some DNF closeups – https://youtu.be/san9K5Y-3N4. Skip ahead to 9:19 for an excellent fish chase! Mr. North caught a trout, but DNF chases him down and steals it away (look to the log at lower right, beneath the nest, at 9:51). We see close-ups of her eating at 11:37, while Mr. North strolls along the stream bank at 17:44. He pauses to eat a little snow, slaking his thirst while looking for another fish. Look for stunning closeups of DNF at 20:34!
January 5, 2021: Housework at the Norths – https://youtu.be/7xtUW_SqdBg. DNF is fiddling with a pesky stick when Mr. North flies in to deliver a load of cornstalks and husks! He is about to place them when DNF takes charge, pulling them away and stashing them by the rails. After some nice close-ups of DNF at 6:09, she stops nestorations, checks on the loudly cawing crow watch, and flies off at 7:41.
January 4, 2021: A merlin at the Decorah north nest! https://youtu.be/HQjpPTBJhe8. We already blogged about the Merlin: https://www.raptorresource.org/2021/01/05/what-bird-is-this-2/ but I thought I would include it in the roundup as well. What a beautiful bird!
Great Spirit Bluff
January 5, 2020: A Great Horned Owl at Great Spirit Bluff
January 5, 2020: GHO at Great Spirit Bluff – https://youtu.be/d2ZnkuX2BNM. Some of you are excited about this and others are not! A GHO is calling on the rock ledge diner. Suddenly, a female GHO emerges! The two duet back and forth. Thanks to Karla Bloem from the International Owl Center for ID help!
January 3, 2021: Deer in the snow at Great Spirit Bluff – https://youtu.be/ja00c1yivp0. Winter can be a tough time for deer. These white tail deer are foraging for woody browse: the buds, twigs, thin bark, and even dried leaves. Hoarfrost sparkles on the tree limbs, partially hiding the deer from our site.
While we like deer, feeding is illegal in many areas due to chronic wasting disease. Feeding corn can kill also deer and other ruminants in the winter if corn isn’t already part of their diet. Switching to a high-carbohydrate, low fiber food can result in acidosis, a potentially fatal condition. Deer have lived in Minnesota for a very long time and the sheltered hills and valleys provide excellent cover and food, even in the heart of winter.
Mississippi Flyway Cam
January 5, 2021: A Northern Harrier on the Flyway
January 4, 2021: Northern Harrier – https://youtu.be/r3oYvc4m0JE. See the slightly disc-shaped face? Like owls, northern harriers have a facial disc. They prefer to hunt by soaring low over grasslands, flying in a slight dihedral that keeps them aloft with less energy expenditure. Learn more here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/
The Raptor Resource Project