Story and photos by Robin Brumm
I’ve been to Decorah several times the last month and a half, but the last couple times I haven’t seen anyone in the N4 area. Friday was supposed to be sunny but a little cooler, so I decided it would be the perfect day to go. I got up at dark o’clock and headed over to Decorah. By the way, dark o’clock in the summer is a LOT earlier than in the other seasons, lol!
When I got to Decorah, I drove through the hatchery. It is really hard to see the N1 nest this year. There are a lot of trees that have grown up and now block some or most of the view. I didn’t see anything so I continued on and went to N4. I was really hoping I would see Mom and DM2 this time. It has been quite a while since I’ve seen Mom. I know there is no reason for them to stay around N4 since there were no eaglets this year, but it always makes me feel better when I can see them.
June 16, 2023: DM2 in the perch tree
I headed down the trail and when I got down toward where I usually sit, I could see an eagle on the perch tree. I looked through my binoculars but couldn’t tell who it was. I took a picture and zoomed in on my camera. It is so far away, it is really hard to tell, but I’m pretty sure it was DM2. This is the time of year that they start doing some molting and are looking a little scraggly from all the scratching they do. The black flies are pretty bad for all the eagles and humans too. So I sat and watched DM2 on the perch tree for quite awhile. After a while, he flew off and headed toward the south.
June 16, 2023: Mom in the dead tree
I waited a bit but I didn’t see anybirdy else fly in. I stood up to pack up my lawn chair…Wait! There was an eagle down low in the dead tree! I could barely see it. It was so low that it had been hidden behind the grasses and tree leaves so I hadn’t seen it while I was sitting down! I grabbed the binoculars and looked. Was it Mom or DM2? I took a picture with the camera and zoomed in. Mom, is that you?? Of course with the distance, grasses and leaves in the way it makes it hard to confirm with 100% accuracy, but it sure looked like her to me!! It was so good to see her.
June 16, 2023: Hatchery parent flying above. I think it was HM (Hatchery Mom)
After taking a bunch of pictures, I headed back to the hatchery. When I pulled off to the shoulder to park, I looked up and saw an eagle circling off to the west. It flew around in slow circles and made its way over the hatchery area. It flew around above the nest a few times and then flew off toward the southwest.
I walked around looking for a spot where I could see DH2 in the nest. I finally found a place where I could see part of the nest, and sat and waited. When the wind would blow, I had a little better view of DH2. S/he likes to stand on the south side of the nest and of course, that is right behind some leaves and branches. DH2 did flap its wings a few times but mostly just stood along the front rails looking out over the hatchery. After a while, Hatchery Mom (HM) flew back in. She perched in one of her favorite spots behind and above the nest.
June 16, 2023: HM on a branch above and to the back of the nest
By this time, it was later than I was planning on staying so I packed up all my stuff and headed for home. On the way home, I wondered when DH2 would fledge, and if s/he would branch first. I also drove past a couple of other nests that I check on when I’m in Decorah. One nest has 3 eaglets and the other has 2 eaglets. None of them had fledged yet, and were all still in their nests. I guess everybirdy has their own schedules. It’s all on eagle time!
RRP appreciates Robin’s generosity in sharing her photos and reminds you they are copyrighted and may not be downloaded without her express written permission.
The Raptor Resource Project