From RRP's FB page about DNN:
Raptor Resource Project
At Decorah North, DNF and Mr. North stay busy with nestorations (the 2022 penthouse project is looking good!), visitors, and copulation. While we admire an eagle and a crow on the Flyway, a subadult eagle appears to admire itself in the water!
November 22, 2021: Squirrel looking for a snack -
https://youtu.be/kbt3V4-EjVU. Better watch out, squirrel! When the eagles are away, the squirrels do play!
November 21, 2021: Copulation #3 on cam -
https://youtu.be/pSogfYWRqkI. It's interesting to me that the North eagles copulate this time of the year. We know that a lot of migratory birds shrink their gonads once they are done with their reproductive cycle. Sex hormones stop flowing and don't start again until some time after the winter solstice, when gonadal growth is triggered by increasing daylight length, especially in birds that winter north of the equator. But mated territorial eagles have been observed copulating ten months out of the year and we see reproductive activity at the North nest while the days are getting shorter! Do non-migratory eagles have intact gonads year round? Are there other circannual clocks that could come into play? Sex hormones and increasing daylight length still remain a key driver of reproductive activity in the eagles we watch, but I have to think they aren't the only factor.
November 21, 2021: DNF works on wonky stick placement -
https://youtu.be/MujjHld6Mew. Wonky sticks tie the nest together, but they aren't always very easy to place. Fortunately, DNF is a pro! She deftly weaves her latest stick into place. The North 2022 penthouse project is looking good!
November 19, 2021: Visitors -
https://youtu.be/d0XOr6f3Hhs. Two adults, one juvenile, and one subadult pay a visit to the Valley of the Norths!
November 18, 2021: DNF helps Mr. North with stick placement.
