Story and Photos by Robin Brumm
I’ve been to Decorah a few times in the last couple of weeks, but didn’t really get any decent pictures. The weather looked good for Tuesday, so I got up at dark o’clock and off to Decorah I went. I was hoping DH2 would be around so I could get some decent photos.
When I got to Decorah, I slowly drove past N1 and didn’t see anything. I got to the stop sign and looked around at the maple and the pine trees behind the hatchery offices. There was nobirdy in any of those spots. I turned to drive over the bridge that goes over trout run creek and looked down the stream both ways. There was still nobirdy in view. So I decided to drive down the road a little way to see if the eagles ventured that direction. I drove down the road and didn’t see anything. I turned around at a fishing spot near the trail bridge and just as I was going to pull back onto the road, I happened to glance at the farm across the field. There was something on top of the barn! I grabbed my binoculars and there was DH2 sitting on top of the barn.
August 15, 2023: DH2 on the roof of the barn to the east of the hatchery
He** had his tail toward me and was looking down behind the barn. He sat there for quite a while and then flew to the roof of the house on the farm. He was only there for a short time and then flew back to the barn. He kept looking down and eventually flew off and down behind the barn. I’m not sure what was back there but I wonder if there was something to eat back there. I do not believe that farm has any animals, or at least I’ve never seen any in the past.
August 15, 2023: One of the parents!
I stayed and watched, but DH2 did not fly out, so I went over to the hatchery to sit and wait. Meanwhile, one of the parents had flown into the N1 tree above the cam. All of a sudden a juvie flew in and circled around the bluff. It eventually soared up higher and disappeared over the bluff. I was just about to head over to N1 to see if the parent was still there, and it flew off and circled around the area. It also headed over the bluff to the east of the pond.
At this time it gets a little confusing. I would sit and wait a while and a juvie would fly over, then I’d wait some more and a juvie would fly over again, and I would wait and a parent would fly through, and there was even an osprey that visited the area too! At one point there were 2 juvies circling around over the bluffs at the same time. It is hard to tell If they were DH2 or a different juvie. None of them landed in any of the familiar perch spots that I could see. After waiting and not seeing any flyovers, I decided it was time to head for home. I was a little disappointed that DH2 didn’t hang around closer to the hatchery, but there was a special event happening that day at the hatchery, so there were lots of people around. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back soon!
August 15, 2023: An Osprey checks out the retention pond.
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.
**Note, although I believe that DH2 is a male, there is no way to know for sure. I used “He” for ease in writing.
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