Are you as egg-cited as we are? All of the eagles we watch are beginning to switch their focus from bringing in sticks to piling up soft, fluffy materials, working on egg cups and cup footings and, in DNF’s case, calling for room service as she builds the resources she needs – especially water! – to lay eggs. Eggnancy is hungry work! Astute watchers might also notice that the eagles are developing brood patches – a patch of bare skin that helps them deliver heat to their eggs. More on that here: https://www.raptorresource.org/2023/01/24/what-is-a-brood-patch/. Will all of you who have your fingers crossed for a Valentine’s Day egg get your wish? We’ll find out soon!
Thanks to our awesome camera operators, videomakers, and to all of you for watching, sharing, learning, and especially for caring. You rock!
Decorah North
February 12, 2024: Mr. North, left. DNF, right. I think they are one of the best-looking eagle couples around!
February 12, 2024: Dad North delivers! https://youtu.be/h07l_g2Pqh4?si=VoC17cUjLyZlwj-y. DNF puts on the teakettle, pleading and wheedling as Mr. North arrives with a lovely fresh trout. He hands it over immediately and flies while she wolfs it down, expertly breaking into the fish and slicing and dicing it into bite sized pieces! Something distracts her from her meal at about 4:43 and she stops eating to look around. A blue jay calls and some Canada Geese honk, but we don’t see what she’s looking at and we don’t hear crows. At about 5:53, the camera operator finds Mr. North sitting on the bank of the stream. The camera cuts back to DNF, who remains alert throughout the rest of the video.
February 12, 2024: The nest appears to meet with Mr. North’s approval!
February 11, 2024: DNF & Mr North getting serious about nest work – https://youtu.be/ADVgDEVbUbY?si=wZ7GA8brgsMA3B8I. Watch the whole video or skip to the tenth minute following Mr. North’s expert fit test! The two are filling the nestbowl with grass and shredded cornstalks to create a soft, warm pile for their egg cup. I especially enjoyed Mr. North scraping and churning his powerful feet and legs at 10:46, mutual nestorations starting at about 15 minutes, and Mr. North’s stick delivery beginning at about 24:30. It’s a small chunk of wood and I have to wonder if it broke in flight or shortly after pruning. While their main focus is switching to nest bowl and egg cup prep, they still need to raise the rails for intrepidly exploring eaglets! Good thing Nest Depot has plenty of supplies in stock!
February 12, 2024: Pre-dawn nestorations at the North nest. The early eagle catches the stick!
February 10, 2024: DNF demands room service, Mr North delivers fish – https://youtu.be/aw8HW7oIm7A?si=HqOXRcDbcmHIKo6Y. DNF is in the nest while Mr. North is down by the river, fishing from the bank! She starts calling for room service at about 1:03. Making eggs is hungry work! He flies into the nest at 2:22 and delivers a nice trout. She mantles over it, vocalizes, and begins eating! Check the video at 5:10 for a cool fly-by by Mr. North, who briefly resumes fishing on the bank before flying out again.
Decorah Eagles
February 12, 2024: HD, then HM visit N2B – https://youtu.be/gB-k3PoQ6Ow?si=Ca56rJc9V97fIi95. What’chya doin, HD? We’ve had a few visitors at N1 and N2B this week – a raccoon on the 8th (https://youtu.be/kpU9WH8rXO0?si=kjQYl0a_b5bNazWX), a goose on the 10th (https://youtu.be/ROGLUJdArSA?si=iySzD2gvpYnaq-0K) and HD and HM today! I love that she repurposed nesting materials from N2B for their new nest (https://youtu.be/NhL7wrKx-ho?si=AP1et_Zo1C-63ZSM): it makes sense given that the materials are easy to get and use, and are already eagle-approved! We don’t know when HM is going to lay her first egg, but she hasn’t started yet…
The Raptor Resource Project