Iowa Bald Eagles ready to hatch their eggs. LIVE!

[hpmsrm]

Two Eagles....in the nest.....with eggs just about to hatch.  I believe it is a live video.  I noticed that there are an awful lot of folks watching.  This is in NE Iowa near the town of Decorah.  NE Iowa is pretty much dairy country....hilly and lots of forest and woods with cliffs and rock formations.  Not too far from the Mississippi River.   Have a look while it is is still daylight.

I rushed to get this posted for all our wildlife lovers. Hope I'm correct on my facts.

[dhascall]

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@hpmsrm wrote:

That power company was fully aware that their lines were running through a preserve.  It might haven take some preventative action earlier.  But I guess later is better tha never.  Hopefully nothing happens to mom or pop in the interim between families.

Earth's terminal disease ------humanity.    That's still my opinion and I doubt that it ever changes.

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Yup but Yellowstone could still erupt, an asteroid could strike, you just never know.  If those happen - it's been nice knowing you, lol.

[spd2demun]

Animals are nothing and can't vote, which is why humans get away with all the stuff they do. 

[hpmsrm]

It's been a while since we updated on Decorah, Iowa...American Bald Eagle D-1.  She was hatched back in 2011.  This past summer she made her way over 900 miles north to the western shore of Hudson's Bay in Canada.  You may remember that she is carrying a GSP locater beacon on her which activates every so often and sends her location back to Decorah via satellite.

But now.....she appears to be headed home.  Last REPORT is that she has reached the north shore area of Lake Superior.....still in Canada of course.  She then made a slight jog to the north  so I'm wondering if she will try to fly south over Lake Superior or find her way around it to the west....and then back into Minnesota.  It's going to be interesting.  If you click on the link and go to the map....you can zoom in on her current location for more detail.

According to the experts....these bald eagles rarely return to the nest where they were hatched.  BUT she might come back to the NE Iowa area around Decorah.  Perhaps even further south....if she is smart.

The male eagle from 2012 family....D-14.....is also outfitted with a transponder.  He did not fly all that far from home this summer.  Perhaps he'll be more adventurous next summer.

But WOW  .....to fly almost 1,000 miles north and now nearly 1,000 miles back to Iowa if she comes that far.  THAT's alot of flying even for a big bird like the American Eagle.

[Uniblurb3]

Interesting Phil. Yeah, it's my understanding young eagles don't return to the nest where they were born but often return to the same area when of breeding age.

Agree, that's a long way for a big bird like a Bald Eagle to fly! Bet they catch the wind currents though whenever they can much like vultures. But unlike vultures who hardly flap their wings when flying high on the wind currents eagles tend to flap their wings in flight burning energy. Thus the reason they have to stop and hunt for food more often. And this flapping wings trait is often used for indentifying large eagles and hawks at a distance while not mistaking them for vultures who almost always glide.

[hpmsrm]

OK.  It appears that our girl may be on the move again.  Time will tell.  After heading south from Hudson's Bay she arrived at the north shore of Lake Superior and has been hanging around there for a while.  I think it's too far across the lake for an eagle to fly non-stop.  But the latest location shows that she may have started westward.  Perhaps she'll fly around the west end of the lake and head south to Iowa. It's a lot of miles.  Probably around 1,000 mi. from where she spent the summer....back to the Decorah, IA area.

http://www.raptorresource.org/maps/latest.php

[hpmsrm]

After considerable time resting up after her arrival at the N. shore of Lake Superior.....having flown south from her summer spot on Hudson's Bay.....Bald Eagle D-1 has now started working her way SW down the north shore of the Lake.  I presume she'll go around the west end of the lake and then head south through Minnesota....back to the Decorah, Iowa area where she was hatched.   This has been a fabulous adventure for this bird.  In the October 16 update it shows that she flew 81 miles down the N. shore over a 30 hour period.  So....it looks like she's headed home.   Must have been getting too cold up there in Canada.

http://www.raptorresource.org/maps/latest.php

[hpmsrm]

Bald Eagle D-1 continues to make her way home.  She has flown on SW and cut across the western point of Lake Superior....just east of Duluth, MN.   Now she has found her way almost straight south and is about 190 miles from the natal nest near Decorah, Iowa.  So our travelin' girl is almost home.  What a monumental trip that was this summer for this young Eagle....all the way north to the western shore of Hudson's Bay in Canada.  She's only about a year and a half old.  So it will be another 2 to 3 years before she takes a mate and starts raising eaglets of her own.  I believe the experts on the site have indicated that the females begin to breed at around 4 yrs. of age.

http://www.raptorresource.org/maps/latest.php

[hpmsrm]

Oh me.  The folks at the preserve near Decorah, Iowa got all their new camera gear and other equipment set up to observe the Bald Eagle pair this next spring.  The camera seems to be up and running tonight.  They've been watching and mom and pop have been doing some repairs to the nest.  BUT.....there is a problem.  Apparently it is not at all unusual for Bald Eagles to build an alternate nest and guess what.  These two have started work on nest #2......apparently in a different tree or, at least, a different location in the same tree as nest #1.  Anyway......we won't know which nest they will choose to start their 2013 family until it happens.  The preserve folks say there is no way they can afford to set up a second set of camera gear so....if the birds choose nest #2 we fans will be out of luck in 2013.  Here's their statement:

October 26, 2012: The Decorah Eagles Have Surprised Us With A New Nest

In addition to working on their current nest, the Decorah Eagles have begun building an alternate nest. Multiple nest building is fairly common among Bald eagles and we don't yet know which nest they will choose for 2013. We absolutely cannot install cameras at the new nest tree this year, so we may not see the Decorah Eagles for the rest of the 2012-2013 season. We'll miss watching them online, but it is exciting to see them building their new nest. Once again, Mom and Dad are giving us fresh insights into the lives of bald eagles! Stay tuned for updates and information as the season progresses. If the eagles choose the new nest, we will post images and possibly video to facebook and our blog.

For more on the Decorah nest and multiple nest building by Bald eagles, please see this new post: http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-decorah-eagles-have-surprised-us.html

[oufanindallas]

The Sooner Lake Oklahoma built or should I say commadeered a different nest a couple of years ago. Luckily they were able to get cameras up at both sites so each nest was covered.

[JefferMC]

I understand the Decorah eagles are in broadcast carriage talks and will not disclose which nest they will use until they reach an agreement with the web site owners.

[SomeJoe7777]

AT&T probably offered to put them on HDPT, while the eagles are demanding to be on U200 and higher.

I believe Comcast already agreed to carriage but will raise rates to compensate.

Dish has already broken off talks and will no longer negotiate.

[dhascall]

AT&T are viewing these additional nests as subchannels and they plan to stay away from all but the "parent" (pun intended) channel.

[hpmsrm]

Our traveling girl is back in Iowa.  Latest satellite fixes show that she is just north of Elkader, Iowa.....sticking close to the Turkey river.  Good source of fish and it is also fairly rugged country in that part of Iowa with lots of woods and probably lots of prey for a hungry bald eagle.   Actually she overshot her mark and had to turn around and head back NNW.  She is about 34 miles SE of Decorah, Iowa and the natal nest area.  Wonder if she called ahead to let dad and mom know she is coming home?

I guess I'd have to say that this has been fun for me....following her flight all the way north about 1,000 miles to Hudson's Bay in Canada and then back home.   Just amazing.  Truly amazing.

[skeeterintexas]

Photos of them working on the second nest have been posted:  http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Unfortunately there will be no way to get a camera up there if they decide to use it this year.

[dhascall]

Although the Decorah Eagle Camera is the most widely known "eagle cam" on Ustream, there are others.  There is usually something to watch on Ustream, 24/7, from an Oasis pool in Africa to the Feline Rescue Center in Ohio, to Sea Eagles in Australia.  Cool site and cool Android app!