Photos and Story by Robin Brumm
The weekend comes around, so of course, it is time to go to Decorah. Since everybirdy is still in the nest, I don’t have to leave at dark o’clock, so off I went at light o’clock, lol. When I got to N3, Mom was in the nest with the eaglets. I’m guessing they had eaten before I got there because I only saw a head peek up a few times. DM2 was perched in the nearby dead tree.
May 1, 2021: Mom feeding D37, D38 & D39
After a little while, Mom flew to the dead tree and DM2 flew to the nest tree for shift change. He perched on an upper branch for a bit, and then floated down into the nest. He sat on the nest shading the eaglets for quite a while.
I grabbed my water bottle and a snack from my bag, looked up, and saw an eagle flying to the left of the nest. I thought that maybe Mom had been perched somewhere over there and just had flown off. I grabbed my binoculars and looked at the nest… hmmm, it is Mom on the nest! How do they switch so quickly without me even noticing??
A while later, DM2 flew to the tree nearby. Mom flew over to join him but only stayed a few minutes before she flew off. DM2 flew to the nest tree and again perched above the nest. A couple of minutes later, Mom flew in with a huge fish. D37, D38, and D39 had a nice long feeding, and I assume, since I could no longer see them, that they were in a food coma. Since the kids were sleeping and it was really hot, I decided to head for home. Maybe the next time I go to Decorah, I will be able to see some feathers, and little heads popping up more often!
May 1, 2021: Mom flying into the nest with a fish
RRP appreciates Robin’s generosity in sharing her photos and reminds you they are copyrighted and may not be downloaded without her express written consent. Thanks, Robin!
The Raptor Resource Project