Decorah Geese and Blogs

April 20, 2023: Amazing HD!

April 20, 2023: HD brooded through rain, snow, and graupel today, keeping DH2 safe and warm beneath him.

Rain and hail made it a long morning for HD, who spent most of it protecting DH2 from the weather. His rain-soaked feathers were glossy and slicked with water but – like another wonderful eagle Dad who nested here – he continued his watch. I am in awe as our eagles once again show us what they will endure to protect their offspring. Eagles are incredible! Decorah Eagles April 20, 2023: HD spectacular wind-complicated landing, beautiful fly-off from Y –

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah Geese, News

April 13, 2023: Nestflix and news!

April 11, 2023: A tiny adorable poop shoot!

We have your NestFlix! I enjoyed all of these videos, but I especially loved DH2 getting feisty with Dad (go, DH2!), the tiny cute PS, and the close-up of Mother Goose! We hope you enjoy the videos as much as we did and we’re looking forward to our hatch fundraiser tomorrow! Looking for more hatchling eaglets? The Fort St. Vrain nest started hatch yesterday! You can watch that site here: https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/xcel-energy-cams/ and keep up with it on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/445733962172528.

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah Geese, News

Fourth and Fifth Egg for Mother Goose!

March 28, 2023: Mother Goose and her eggs.

And then there were four eggs! Mother Goose actually has five eggs now, but she laid her fourth on March 26. Note the poop! I’m wondering if it is intentional, or at least conditioned. Some birds – the Eurasian Hoopoe for example – deter predators by coating their eggs in an antimicrobial secretion that makes them smell rotten and inedible. We humans are extremely visual and struggle to see the scent-painted world that informs the umwelt of many animals around

Read more Decorah Geese, News

March 25, 2023: A third egg for Mother Goose!

March 25, 2023: Some of you love geese and some of you hate them. As someone who was chased by geese as a child, I understand why people don't like them! But MG is beautiful!

And then there were three! Mother Goose laid her third egg at 7:06 AM this morning. She laid six eggs between March 24 and April 1 last year and started full incubation on March 28. How many will she lay this year? Videos Mother Goose lays her 3rd egg: https://youtu.be/G5NX0MA3pK4 Goose lays egg #3 in abandoned eagle nest: https://youtu.be/ck5Z-wqs9Xk Mom Goose plucks down from her brood patch to help line the egg cup: https://youtu.be/VUn4bOQ26D8 (pretty cool and not something that

Read more Decorah Geese, News

March 24, 2023: Friday NestFlix and News from Decorah!

March 23, 2023: HM on a windy day in Decorah

The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and birds are laying eggs!  HD and HM’s eggs should start hatching in about 11 days (April 4th), Ma and Pa Jr’s eggs should start hatching in about 17 days (April 10) and we’re looking forward to eggs at Great Spirit Bluff! Savanna has the sort of pleasantly plump look (a slightly distended lower abdomen and generally chonky appearance) that we associate with eggnancy, so I suspect it will be sooner rather

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah Geese, News

The Canada Geese are Back!

March 21, 2023: Mother Goose with her first egg of 2023!

The Canada Geese are back! Mother Goose laid her first egg of 2023 this morning at 9:36 AM. Are these the same geese? We don’t know but – like peregrine falcons and many other birds – Canada Geese often return to the same nest year after year. If Mother Goose follows the same laying pattern we saw last year, we could see another egg tomorrow! We worked with Explore.org to establish a Canada Goose cam this year. Love them? Check

Read more Decorah Geese, News
Recent Entries »