Put your feet up and grab a hot cup of cawfee – we’ve got Tuesday morning movies for all of you early birds! It’s been a very chilly couple of days and I suspect that HM, HD, Mr. North, and DNF are happy about the weekend warmup. Tick tock, egg clock: last year DNF laid her first egg on February 16 – just nine days from today! #eggcited
Decorah Eagles
February 4, 2023: HM eats nestover for dinner, both working on the nest – https://youtu.be/CGiqZcgYJ7E. The video opens with HM vocalizing on the Y as HM floats in to perch overhead. At 2:26, we see her in the nest. She picks up a frozen nestover and hop flaps out on to the Y. HM flies past her at 6:22. The video concludes with the two of them working on the nest.
February 3, 2023: HD on the nest – https://youtu.be/3o_r6KeUmaE. The video opens with vocals as HM flies into the nest. I love the golden ring of cornhusks and stalks that outline the eventual egg cup! At about 4:30, HM begins moving sticks. She lays down for a fit test at 5:09, briefly scraping before flattening down against the nest bowl. She sits quite flat as she looks around and appears to consider the husks and grass that surround her. She changes position at 7:07 and flattens down again before getting up and flying out in the ninth minute.
February 1, 2023: Young eagle on the nest, HM chases it off – https://youtu.be/KCQgsrreUcU. We posted about this on Facebook and our website, but I wanted to include it in our video round-up. Could this be a Decorah eaglet? More here: https://www.raptorresource.org/2023/02/03/is-that-subadult-eagle-a-decorah-eaglet/.
Decorah North Eagles
February 3, 2023: When DNF wants food, DNF gets food! https://youtu.be/7IwCWqIiS1g. Mr. North plummets into to the North nest with breakfur, DNF hot on his tail. He mantles and protests as she walks around him, pleaing and wheedling for food. He doesn’t want to give his prize away, but she eventually pushes him aside and takes it for herself. The two have a brief conversation that made me wish I spoke Eaglish! When DNF wants food, DNF gets food!
Food gifts are an important part of Bald Eagle courtship. Male and female eagles both incubate and tend to young, but she does the lion’s share of tending to eggs and hatchlings while he provides food. A mate who can’t deliver or share food – even when he really feels like eating it himself – won’t be able to provision young. You can learn more about prey delivery and feeding here: https://www.raptorresource.org/2022/08/18/whats-on-the-menu-at-the-north-nest/.