Decorah North Eagles and Blogs

Join us for Egg Watch at Decorah North!

February 13, 2024: DNF at the North nest. She did not lay an egg today.

Join us for Egg Watch at Decorah North! DNF didn’t lay an egg earlier today, but we sure thought she might. It isn’t uncommon for fertile and eggnant birds to go through a couple of ‘practice runs’ before laying, which is what we saw today: a good sign that we’ll see an egg soon! Practice your breathing, everyone – DNF has never laid egg number one as early as February 13 before, but she began laying on February 16 in

Read more Decorah North Eagles, News

February 12, 2024: NestFlix and News from Decorah North and Decorah!

February 12, 2024: Mr. North, left. DNF, right. I think they are one of the best-looking eagle couples around!

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

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah North Eagles, News

February 8, 2024: News and NestFlix from Decorah, Decorah North, and La Crosse!

January 28, 2024: HM. A treasured eagle in a treasured place.

We’re getting a lot of questions about HM and HD. Here’s what we know! It’s tough to get an accurate copulation count but the two appear to copulating regularly, which indicates that HM is approaching her fertile period. Last year, she laid her first egg on February 25. It isn’t uncommon for first-time layers to float a little earlier, especially in their first two to three years of nesting, so we’ll see when she lays this year. We can’t see

Read more Decorah Eagles, Decorah North Eagles, News

Bald eagle mating: Courtship, bonding, copulation, and other things romantic!

February 6, 2024: Mr. North and DNF bond at the north nest.

Love is in the nest! We are guesstimating that DNF will lay her first egg on or before February 16. If her egg is going to be fertilized, the two need to copulate a lot. What does bonding look like so far? Mr. North and DNF first copulated on December 9, but bonding frequency really didn’t ramp up until January 28th! What flipped the switch? Lengthening days, swelling gonads, and hormones: a topic we cover here. This is an eggcellent

Read more Decorah North Eagles, News

February 5, 2024: News and NestFlix from Decorah North and Decorah

February 25, 2024: Eagle Yoga and a lovely look at primary feathers

We’re not pacing the delivery room floor yet, but with an estimated 11 days until egg number one, we’re practicing our breathing exercises! Mr. North and DNF are piling up multiple layers of soft, fluffy grass and shredded husks for their egg cup, adding the final touches to their nestery, and bonding more frequently and intensely. Whatever the date, eggs aren’t far off! I think everyone’s noticed the number of Canada Geese at the hatchery right now. You’ll be happy

Read more Decorah Geese, Decorah North Eagles, News

January 31, 2024: NestFlix and Neighbors from the North Nest!

Handsome Mr. North surveys his realm. While we're seeing plenty of North nest neighbors, we haven't yet seen the persistent intruders we saw last year, when deep snow and ice locked northbound eagles down around the nest at exactly the wrong time.

Foraging woodpeckers, nest fit tests, and sticky square dancing…it must be time for NestFlix! The Norths and their neighbors have gotten a lot to admire this week as they work and forage in the unusually warm weather. Enjoy it now, everybirdy – I believe winter is supposed to return next week! Decorah North January 30, 2024: North Nest fit test – https://youtu.be/K6TsC2ll2XM?si=NewAeBbcmr9CY6qv. Is the nestbowl ready for eggs? Mr. North does some testing and fine-tuning to make sure everything is

Read more Decorah North Eagles, News

Happy Fri-yay NestFlix and News from Decorah North!

January 23, 2024: Mr. North and DNF

Is your egg clock ticking? Mr. North and DNF have us counting down! DNF laid her first egg last year on February 20. If she keeps to her schedule – or lays eggs a little earlier, which could happen given the mild weather – we’re looking at eggs in nineteen days. Nineteen days? How could that be!? We’ll post our best egg guesstimates for everyone tomorrow. In the meantime, kick back and enjoy the videos! Decorah North January 25, 2024:

Read more Decorah North Eagles, News

January 22, 2024: NestFlix and News from Decorah North and the Flyway!

January 22, 2024: Carpeting the floor of the nest bowl with grass

Put up your feet and chill – we have your NestFlix roundup! I especially enjoyed watching DNF and Mr. North disagree over who gets lunch (Mr. North does not want to share, DNF!), a chunky squirrel sunbathing and eating, and a lovely Cardinal eating multiflora berries! It’s almost enough to make me appreciate multiflora (almost). Stay warm, everybirdie…egglets will be here before we know it! Decorah North January 18, 2024: Great Horned and Barred Owl calling – https://youtu.be/O2H6JIZj84g?si=er3onZE8bUddJr8g. The video

Read more Decorah North Eagles, Mississippi Flyway Cam, News
« Older Entries Recent Entries »