Raptor Resource Project: Bald Eagle and Bird of Prey Cams

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Monthly Archives: March 2021

Nothing Goes to Waste

March 16, 2021 RaptorResource

Xcel Energy’s Fort St. Vrain eagles rode the big storm out last weekend. Despite an astonishing twelve or so inches of snow, Ma kept the eggs covered through most of it. Male and female eagles both incubate eggs, but females usually cover the nest at night and through bad weather. A female eagle’s larger body size and brood patch helps her stay still for longer periods of time and apply more heat to the eggs and young beneath her. Unfortunately,

March 7, 2021 Day Trip to Decorah!

March 13, 2021 Robin Brumm

A Day Trip to Decorah, by Robin Brumm. Thanks so much for sharing, Robin! We are so happy to see Mom and DM2 again! I decided to make another trip to Decorah to see how Mom and DM2 were doing. One good thing about nesting time is that whatever time I get there, an eagle is always on the nest, so I don’t have to get up at Dark O’clock! I left at Dark ‘thirty, this time, lol. When I

Read more Decorah Eagles, News

March 10, 2021: News and Nestflix!

March 10, 2021 RaptorResource

What’s going on at our nests? Mr. North and DNF continue to enjoy a really mild spring so far. We’ve got about 18 days until hatch starts, so keep your fingers and talons crossed! The drama at GSB continues: after ousting interloper Nina, Nova copulated with Newman and than disappeared again. But, with diurnal raptor migration in full swing, Newman didn’t need to wait long for a new prospect. We expect things to calm down soon: since most female falcons

March 9, 2021: Territorial Battle At Great Spirit Bluff

March 10, 2021 RaptorResource

On March 9 at about 6:37am central time, GSB watchers witnessed a peregrine falcon territorial battle. Resident female Nova came back after a three-day absence and drove interloper Nina away. After ousting Nina, Nova copulated with Newman and disappeared again. Are the falcons okay? Neither falcon appeared to have been seriously injured in the fight. We zoomed in on Nova’s eyes – our primary concern – and they appeared to be fine. Either Nina or Nova could come back to

News and NestFlix from around our nests!

March 9, 2021 RaptorResource

What’s going on around our sites? Mr. North and DNF are incubating their eggs as we count down to the beginning of hatch in roughly 20 days. The embryonic eagles are a little over halfway through development right now, growing leg scales, tiny talons, and plantar foot pads in the cozy darkness of their shells. We haven’t seen any new eagles in Decorah, although the nest attracted a hungry squirrel this morning, we saw Northern Shoveler ducks in the retention

March 4, 2021: Midnight Movies!

March 4, 2021 RaptorResource

Put your feet up and get ready for tonight’s midnight movie madness! While the Decorah North eagles incubated their two eggs in peaceful splendor (countdown: 24 days), Decorah and Great Spirit Bluff kept us all on the Tilt-o-Whirl! Will a new eagle couple take over N2B? Is Mom warning them away? Who was that banded female falcon at Great Spirit Bluff? Grab your drinks and snacks and get ready for nestflix, information, and a little #musing as we review a

Your Questions, Answered: New eagles appear on N2B!

March 4, 2021 RaptorResource

How old are the eagles we saw at N2B this morning? Is the female old enough to lay eggs? Will Mom and DM2 object? We’ve left the Confusion Couch for the Decorah Tilt-A-Whirl, but we’ll answer your questions as best as we can! How old are the eagles we saw at N2B this morning? The male eagle is over five years old, although we aren’t sure how old he is. Eagles complete their transition to adult colors (white head and

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March 4, 2021: Two eagles on N2B

March 4, 2021 RaptorResource

We saw two eagles on N2B this morning. The female is around four years old and the male is an adult. This makes multiple nest building even more interesting: It’s one thing to build a nest for yourself and another entirely to let someone else take over! Well, we built N2B, but the concept is the same. If these eagles move in, we’ll get to see how two eagle power couples respond to one another. We hadn’t considered multiple nests

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March 2nd, 2021: Spring Nestflix!

March 2, 2021 RaptorResource

Spring is coming and birds are busy at (almost) all of our nests. At Decorah North, DNF wing-whacks a mouse and enjoys lunch, while Mr. North sounds the alarm over an intruder. We have stunning close-ups of both eagles, but we can’t quite get a peek at their egg! Love is in the air at GSB as an unknown female falcon courts Newman and Newman courts mate Nova. He didn’t quite sweet-talk her into their nest box, but it wasn’t

Where are D36 and D27?

March 2, 2021 RaptorResource

Where are D36 and D27? D27 is sticking pretty close to home, although she’s starting to wander a little bit as the days lengthen and bodies of water ice out. She spent the coldest days of the polar plunge between the cities of Calmar and Spillville. In this part of NE Iowa, the Turkey River meanders between rolling hills that provide excellent cover in cold weather. If the river freezes over, feedlots provide ample opportunities for food – one of

Read more Decorah Eagles, News