We have your NestFlix! We hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did. On the Flyway, we see adorable goslings, an interaction between a subadult bald eagle and a sandhill crane, and a beautiful little plover that makes one of the world’s longest migrations! Lake Onalaska is a critical refueling spot for this bird’s epic migration from Central and South America to the high Arctic tundra. At Decorah North, eaglets DN13 and DN14 are growing feathers, meeting important developmental and skill-based milestones, and falling over their large feet and wings! They are a little awkward, but very eager to learn, wingercize, explore, and eat!
Mississippi River Flyway Cam
American Golden-Plovers on the Mississippi Flyway
May 5, 2021: Adorable! – https://youtu.be/YXazgazOXNA. Make way for goslings! Parents herd five fluffy goslings as they forage in the shallow waters off the sand bar. I loved this whole video, but my favorite moment probably came at 4:17, when a little gosling decided to try its tiny little wings!
May 3, 2021: Sandhill Crane and Eagle squabbling over a bit of seaweed – https://youtu.be/Ys3fT1yLPaE. A sandhill crane gets too close for a subadult bald eagle’s liking! Fascinating close-ups of the interaction begin at 3:52. The vegetation could easily have contained bits of protein: dead fish and waterbirds aren’t uncommon. But based on what we can see of the prize, this interaction appeared to be more about a claim to food than the food itself! (“Mine!”)
May 1, 2021: American Golden-Plover – https://youtu.be/jTC29VWvrk8. What bird is this? It’s the American Golden-Plover!
2021 Spring Migration: Northern Pintail, American Avocet, American Golden-Plover – https://youtu.be/-JRGG5wcSMw. View these outstanding species in their breeding plumage, see migration maps, and get learning links in the description below the video! What beautiful birds! What a beautiful place!
Decorah North Eagles
May 5, 2021: DN13, left and DN14, right
May 4, 2021: Closeups, eaglets and DNF – https://youtu.be/xrmH0GYaGdM. Stunning closeups of DNF, DN13, and DN14!
May 4, 2021: Some wingercizing and an oops! https://youtu.be/FbifzL65yWw. It’s that time of the year when I continually try to move the eaglets back into the center of the nest! They are beginning to get the hang of how to move their large bodies, feet, and wings, but it’s not always easy to stay on your feet!
May 4, 2021: A fish each for the kids – https://youtu.be/rH4hzQ6c8Mo. It’s snack time! DNF does a drop and dine. The eaglets pick curiously at it, but are much happier when Mr. North arrives with another fish, which he tears into chunks for them!
The eaglets need to learn food prep, but it also becomes dicey for parents to feed them as they become larger, more mobile, and more adept at using their talons and beaks to grab for and tear food. We’ll see a lot more drop and dine in the weeks to come – watch out for those toes, DNF and Mr. North!
May 4, 2021: What did you just do? https://youtu.be/3sKvHHTnMnE. Look out below!
May 1, 2021: Warbles and wingercizing – https://youtu.be/7qSwy0AEq5E. Better start memorizing facial features now! As the eaglets sprout their juvenile feathers, become closer in size, and acquire new skills, it becomes harder and harder to tell them apart! I love DN13’s wingercizing and can almost count the dandelion down on DN14’s head. It won’t be long until the two are building leg and wing muscles as they trampoline around the nest!
April 29, 2021: DN14 swallows dinner whole – https://youtu.be/ri38OYcvoB4. Because you need to eat quickly with hungry siblings sitting right next to you!
Note how the dynamic duo pays close attention to Mom DNF. They have the instinct and tools to break into/unzip prey, but not the experience! Mr. North and DNF are providing excellent master classes on prey prep to their eaglets. At almost halfway through nest life, they are switching from weight gain and tissue growth to feather growth, and building on strength and coordination to learn the skills they need for life beyond the nest!
April 29, 2021: 5 weeks old and a milestone for DN13. Self-feeding! https://youtu.be/al8bYyswzMs. DN13 and DN14 have taken their P’s descaling and feeding lessons to heart! While DN14 takes a few cautious nibbles, DN13 is determined to eat! The hungry eaglet hasn’t yet realized how to unzip a fish, but it manages to rip off and eat a few exposed parts – a milestone step on the road to fledge!
April 29, 2021: Mr. North’s epic fishing hover – https://youtu.be/myfXF7UodsI. Mr. North arrives at the nest and perches briefly on the Ladder Branch before flying off. He goes fishing on the stream bank. The cam returns to the nest several times to check on the eaglets. Mr. North employs a hovering technique as he fishes and then dives. The most sustained hovering begins at 7:18 and continues for over one minute. After the cam returns to the nest, Mr. North arrives with the floppy fish that he just caught. This is the fourth fish of the day brought in by the parents.
The Raptor Resource Project