We have your NestFlix! Note the lovely subadult eagles at the Decorah and Decorah North nests. The northland is sealing over with ice and snow and the late holdouts are heading south. Look for more bald eagles everywhere we watch and a major flight of ducks on the Flyway following this weekend’s first major winter storm!
Decorah Eagles
November 10, 2022: HM (left) and HD (right).
November 10, 2022: Morning has broken, to the nest, deep cup nestorations – https://youtu.be/hc58CQsN06k. How deep can a nest be? HD and HM are taking no chances when it comes to incubating eggs in February’s cold! The nest will be deep, well-lined, and proof against the cold!
November 10, 2022: A beautiful subadult at N1 in Decorah! This eagle is most likely a 5-1/2 year old eagle based on its markings, although it still has some dark color in its beak.
November 10, 2022: A beautiful subadult on the Y-branch – https://youtu.be/ntHgfbJKS70. The northland is already sealing up under ice and snow, and the first major winter storm of the year is sending waterfowl, eagles, and other northern birds south by the tens of thousands. Watch for bald eagles at all of our nests and waterfowl on the Flyway – and admire this stunning subadult now. Wow!
November 10, 2022: A closer look!
Decorah North Eagles
November 9, 2022: Deer and DNF Man Handling a Big Stick – https://youtu.be/OGGMM5h9d0Q. I think DNF must have carried that stick in! She hauls it all around the nest as he figures out the best place to put it. How much weight can an eagle carry? We have a blog about that! https://www.raptorresource.org/2019/11/06/how-much-weight-can-a-bald-eagle-carry/
November 9, 2022: DNF and the very big stick!
I love to see the nest bowl taking shape! The nest is a palimpsest of sorts, with each year’s new nestwork partially covering last year’s, but every year retained under its covering of sticks. It put me in mind of varves: a geological record of season changes. Link: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/KeweenawGeoheritage/Glaciers/Varves.html.
November 9, 2022: Loud Coyote Howls Wake up Eagles – https://youtu.be/–oyEAWk-Uc. The howls start at 24 seconds and sent chills down my spine.
Why do coyotes howl? “Howling is a basic communication behavior in coyotes,” says Gary San Julian, Penn State professor of wildlife resources. “It has several functions. One is to call the pack—really a family group—back together again after a period of individual hunting. A second reason that coyotes howl is to advertise their presence to other packs, essentially warning those other family groups against trespassing across territorial boundaries.” Link: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/probing-question-why-do-coyotes-howl/
November 9, 2022: A beautiful subadult plays house in the North nest
November 9, 2022: Subadult bald eagle visits the nest – https://youtu.be/PP-jVehJHDQ. A beautiful subadult bald eagle visits the North nest and plays house with a cornhusk and some sticks before abruptly flying off, alarming some smaller birds as it goes.
Books!
Buying gifts for Christmas? We’ll be doing some semi-regular recommendations! Buy them on amazon smile with RRP as your charity, and your purchase will help us! Or buy it at your local bookstore, and help them thrive. Either way, someone gets a book and everyone wins!
The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America’s Bird – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098TY4M84/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1. This is an amazing book! From new conservation heroes and heroines to the Bald Eagle’s first near-miss with extinction, I learned so much! And the writing and story are fantastic. Highly recommended.
Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science. I would love to provide a link on this, but it is an aftermarket book on amazon. A book about taxonomy might sound super boring, but the author makes it fascinating! She ties science, people, and the human umwelt into an amazing story that I super-enjoyed!
I heard about this book on Completely Arbortrary, which is my current favorite podcast. The trees that birds nest in aren’t just backgrounds or nest supports. They have their own complex and fascinating lives!
The Raptor Resource Project