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.

[hpmsrm]

Thanks, Dave.  I've checked out some of the other sites over time.  But I guess it is because of my attachment for and familiarity with Iowa that I tend to watch the Decorah pair and their off spring so closely.  D-1 has been moving gradually closer to the natal nest.  Last report is 4 days ago and she had moved to just east of Decorah, Iowa into a park area.  She was 2.5 miles from the nest.  I wonder...if she goes back to the area where mom and dad are still working on their new nest....do Bald Eagles have any ability to recognize their own offspring?   Guess I need to do some research or ask an expert. 

[dhascall]

Understand the Iowa anle.

I foubd an eagle cam from Florida, where they may be hatching in a few weeks (may be by New Years!).  Parents are doing some serious sitting!

http://www.ustream.tv/SouthwestFloridaEagleCam

[dhascall]

I see at least two eggs!

[hpmsrm]

Thanks for that link, Dave.   I bookmarked the site.  Had a look tonight and either he or she was sitting on the eggs.  IR camera shows it well.  Wonder if it can be move by remote control.

[hpmsrm]

At this time of year, when many people are celebrating a great miracle.....I return to the Raptor web site to see what is going on with our young female Bald Eagle who recently returned from her long summer flight to Canada.  Not much happening.  She and her younger brother who was part of the 2012 clutch are apparently enjoying wintering in the Northeast and Northern Iowa areas.  I discovered this little description of her adventures.  Also a miracle, IMHO.

About D1

D1 is a female bald eagle who hatched in a cottonwood in Decorah, Iowa in March of 2011. We captured her in July of 2011, after she had been on the wing for a few weeks, and fitted her with a transmitter. In the fall of 2011, D1 traveled to northern Minnesota before returning to overwinter in NE Iowa. In the summer of 2012, D1 traveled to Hudson Bay, Canada, before returning to overwinter in NE Iowa. A few quick facts:

• As of December 2012, D1 had traveled over 4,000 miles.
• Her longest single distance ocurred between September 17 and 19 in 2012, when she traveled an incredible 147.5 miles.
• Her furthest point north was recorded on July 3, 2012, 919 miles from her natal nest.

Our tracking has shown us that D1 spends a lot of time on watersheds. She has been on the Little Turkey, the Turkey, the Wapsipinicon, the Cedar, the Upper Iowa, the Maquoketa, the Yellow, the Volga, the Black, the Chippewa, the Mississippi, and the Saint Croix rivers, to name a few. She spent a great deal of time on Yellow Lake in Wisconsin, migrated down the west side of Lake Superior with thousands or millions of other birds, and lived up on Hudson's Bay in Ontario, Canada, for over a month.

It's fairly common for eagles to travel more when they are younger, and then settle down and raise young in the same general area they hatched in. If D1 survives to adulthood, we'll be very curious to find out where she eventually nests.

 

All I can say is WOW!  I'm consumed with amazment.  Over 4,000 miles and she won't be two years old until this coming spring.

[dhascall]

The SW Florida eaglets have hatched!

[dhascall]

Mom and Dad celebrating the hatch / birth!

[dhascall]

Mmm, dinner!  Fresh Fish!

[hpmsrm]

Did she lay just one egg?  I can't quite make out if there is one or possibly two fledglings.  The experts say that two eggs are fairly common but three are unusual.  The two eagles up in Decorah, IA have been getting 3 little ones most years I guess.   Unfortunately....two of the Iowa eagles have been electrocuted in 2011.  D-14....the young male who had a locator device on him was found late that month.  Another of their young bald eagles suffered the same fate early in 2011.

But the young female who flew to Hudson's Bay this past summer is still moving around the area in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa.  They've had more snow than we have had here east of Kansas City, MO.  But that apparently does not bother the bald eagles.

Interesting video appeared on the Iowa feed.  Some noisy crows got brave and decided to check out the eagles' nest.  The one eagle perched on the branch near the nest gave a call to it's mate...which immediately arrived on the scene.... and the two of them made quick work of clearing the crows out of the nest.  Then, afterward, the two eagles sat there on the branch and chattered back and forth with each other.  Unfortunately I don't have a working knowledge of eagle "language".

[Taylarie]

Since I read this board regularly I just wanted to share something with you today from Yellowstone National Park. An adult bald eagle perched along the Firehole River on New Year’s Day.

[dhascall]

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hpmsrm wrote:

Did she lay just one egg?  I can't quite make out if there is one or possibly two fledglings.  The experts say that two eggs are fairly common but three are unusual.  The two eagles up in Decorah, IA have been getting 3 little ones most years I guess.   Unfortunately....two of the Iowa eagles have been electrocuted in 2011.  D-14....the young male who had a locator device on him was found late that month.  Another of their young bald eagles suffered the same fate early in 2011.

But the young female who flew to Hudson's Bay this past summer is still moving around the area in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa.  They've had more snow than we have had here east of Kansas City, MO.  But that apparently does not bother the bald eagles.

Interesting video appeared on the Iowa feed.  Some noisy crows got brave and decided to check out the eagles' nest.  The one eagle perched on the branch near the nest gave a call to it's mate...which immediately arrived on the scene.... and the two of them made quick work of clearing the crows out of the nest.  Then, afterward, the two eagles sat there on the branch and chattered back and forth with each other.  Unfortunately I don't have a working knowledge of eagle "language".

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There were two eggs.  I believe that one is at the top of the nest (farthest away from the camera) and the other stays ay the bottom.  I was also concerned that I'm only seeing one but in the chat screen, folks are saying that the other one is out of view ... I hope.

Nice shot Taylarie!

[dhascall]

Another interesting Ustream camera is the African Potted Plant Owl cam. 

[oufanindallas]

There is quite the unusual situatation in Sequoyah regarding an eagles nest.  The mother laid a clutch of two eggs but unfortunately due to unforseen external issues, the eggs are no longer alive and the mother and father abandoned the eggs, Well there is now a great horned owl incubating the eggs.  Beautiful bird and rather strange site to see.

Oklahoma Eagle Cam

[hpmsrm]

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oufanindallas wrote:

There is quite the unusual situatation in Sequoyah regarding an eagles nest.  The mother laid a clutch of two eggs but unfortunately due to unforseen external issues, the eggs are no longer alive and the mother and father abandoned the eggs, Well there is now a great horned owl incubating the eggs.  Beautiful bird and rather strange site to see.

Oklahoma Eagle Cam

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Interesting.....I'll say.   I wonder if the eggs were not fertile or if something happened to kill the embryos.  That owl is either in for a big surprise or a big disappointment.  Interesting that the eagles allow the owl to stay in the nest.  The Decorah, Iowa eagles have always jealously guarded their nest and chased intruders away....be it a tiny mouse or a pair of crows.

[oufanindallas]

From what I read in the chat section, the owl pair may have laid their own clutch, but no one is sure.  I know that shortly after the eagles clutch was laid, something kept the pair off the nest and even when the mom was on the nest she was extemely agitated.  There were times when she was off the next for hours at a time.  This pair has hatched several pairs so not sure what caused it this year.