It looks like eagles at all of our nests have started nestorations! DNF, Mr. North, and Mr. and Mrs. T are visiting Nest Depot, flying in sticks, inspecting one another’s work, and tangoing away to put everything in the perfect place. While HM and HD don’t appear inclined to come back to N1 or to adopt N2B, we have seen them fishing the pond and carrying sticks to the east. We’ll go scouting for their latest nest and for Mom and DM2 once more leaves are down.
I enjoyed all of these videos but was especially struck by the one I shared here – so cool to see Mr. North flying in over DNF’s head! – and the turkey vultures at Trempealeau. While it’s not uncommon to see turkey vultures and bald eagles in close proximity – they are both diurnal soaring birds that eat carrion – this is the first time I’ve seen a turkey vulture perch in an eagle tree.
Decorah North
October 20, 2024: DNF brings a stick that unfortunately goes overboard – https://youtu.be/69E5sZVHMSU?si=2jewyJBgDjsq66P8. Nestorations are in full swing at the North nest right now. Unfortunately, stick work sometimes goes awry! The video opens up with DNF bringing a very long stick into the nest. Is she bringing nesting materials or a Halloween broomstick? The stick catches on the lip of the nest as she flies in, teetering back and forth over the edge. When DNF attempts to move it into the nest, it flips upwards, still teetering. She appears perplexed and attempts to grab the wayward stick, but it slips from her grasp and falls to the ground. She looks down for several seconds – it must have been a lot of work to haul that big stick into the nest! – before turning her tail on the sticky situation!
DNF and Mr. North have been bringing in some very large sticks. Although the old nest is in pretty bad shape, some of those sticks are intact and we cut and piled more near the tree while we were building the nest. Perhaps ‘Nest Depot’ is a little bit more convenient this year, especially since we did our best to pick sticks we thought eagles would like!
October 20, 2024: Mr North & DNF do some preening, posing – https://youtu.be/3fMnBk6v8rc?si=AwV4cxQwItZnlEho. There are some really lovely moments in this video, but my favorite section starts at 5:41. Mr. North and DNF are perching and preening on a limb. It’s October, but the weather is very warm and the two are panting in the hot sun despite a light breeze. DNF begins preening her tail at about 6:30 while Mr. North starts preening his breast. The spa day continues as DNF meticulously straightens her wing, tail, and coverts, digging deep to get every fine feather in its proper place. With her plumage looking its Sunday best, she perches with Mr. North until something – we don’t know what – catches her eagle eye! Was it Canada Geese? We hear them honking at 14:35. She flies off at 14:56.
October 20, 2024: Moorade! – https://youtu.be/j3BWwQoqZDc?si=AqiCPsnBKbYiwu_D. For all of you cow fans: 13 minutes of quiet grazing and beautiful cattle.
Trempealeau Eagles
October 19, 2024: Mr T brings a stick and a Turkey Vulture lands on a branch – https://youtu.be/_1TEolyZWMg?si=xEMvQhU0DXMakqww. This video is really interesting! Mrs. T is perched on a favorite branch when Mr. T delivers a large stick at 11 seconds. At about 38 seconds, something distracts him from his stick work. At 46 seconds, a turkey vulture flies in and perches on a branch just feet from the nest! At 57 seconds, another one flies by, followed by a third one at 58 seconds! The perched eagle – I believe this is Mr. T. – begins vocalizing at about one minute and the remaining turkey vulture flies off. The eagles continue looking at something out of our view – the turkey vultures, most likely – and Mr. T abruptly flies off at 1:49.
What was going on here? There is a steep slope not too far from the nest where turkey vultures often soar. The T’s sometimes drop fish in the yard below them and don’t tend to fly down and pick them up after they hit the ground. As the fish rot, they produce quite a smell, which attracts turkey vultures. I was a little surprised that the two didn’t react more quickly to the vulture in their nest tree. It’s possible that they didn’t know quite how to respond, since eagles change nest defense techniques depending on the type, number, and proximity of threats. Instead of reacting instantly to one threat – even though vultures aren’t really a threat – they suddenly and unexpectedly have to cope with three. Although in watching the video, it’s hard not to think they were surprised – the audacity of that turkey vulture! – and were initially too stunned to respond.
The Raptor Resource Project